long-tailed skua

Hi Peeps, I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend.

Well Peeps, Its that time of the week again...Enjoy the last of the summer sunshine & y'all have a great weekend...A newbie for me here yesterday, right place, right time. Not sure, I think it might be a juvenile.

A big favourite with the photographers on our trip was a pair of long-tailed skuas who were amazingly confiding. At the start we gave them a lot of space, but they really didn't seem to mind. They had a nest on the tundra and allowed us to watch handing over incubation duties (one bird was...

Instead of being shy this bird is outright agressive if you pass through it's domains during the breeding season. Afraid of no other bird due to it's superiority in the air.

One of the many highlights on my Shetland Trip

Not a British breeding bird but this one has set up territorie on Shetland for the second year unfortunately it has no partner we can only hope.

Not that there's anything wrong with gulls, but I find Skuas more exciting (Esp when I've never seen one before!) This Juvenile Long-Tailed Skua dropped onto the flood at Oare Marshes, Kent, immediately disturbing all the lapwings and alerting me to the fact that it was something to get excited...

Long-tailed Skua

Long-tailed Skua

Long-tailed Skua

Very interesting bird. Sat 12 meters from it's nest talking to it (got no reply - I guess I'm boring). They lay the eggs out in the open and places them on the feet to keep them (the eggs) warm. Must be very confident as there are several crows in the vincinity. But with it's superior flying...

This bird visited Husavik briefly in September 2001