Friday 28 June 2013

Skuas in the Wind

I had mentioned in a previous post about the strong 40mph winds, whilst I was on the Outer Hebrides. These winds did have their benefits in the form of migrating Skuas being blown very close to shore. Literally thousands of them came past, sometimes in large flocks of hundreds. They would terrorise the flocks of waders as they passed through, they worked together like an organized gang, trying to isolate a Dunlin from the tightly packed flock. You knew when they were approaching as all the waders would take to the air in fear.

It was difficult to get shots of them, as they moved very quickly. They disappeared as quickly as they arrived. I managed to get a few reasonable photographs of the three species - Arctic, Pomarine and the scarcer Long-tailed.

bird, nature, wildlife
Arctic Skua

bird, nature, wildlife
Arctic Skua

bird, nature, wildlife
Arctic Skua

bird, nature, wildlife
Long-tailed Skua

bird, nature, wildlife
Pomarine Skua

bird, nature, wildlife
Pomarine Skua

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