ML282363371
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Observation details
Picked up at range as a large dark bird, I immediately knew that it was a skua species based on shape, especially the bulk and also the flight action, unhurried, some shearing but not in tight arcs, each shear took it well above the horizon. Once I could see the white wing flashes at the base of the primaries, not overly bold in this bird but visible, and the overall warm brown body colouration, I realised that it was probably a Great Skua. It lacked the mostly uniform gun-metal look of South Polar, it also seemed bigger, more heavily built although that is subjective, I have, however seen a couple of South Polar Skua this year. At one point it lunged at a Northern Gannet, but only momentarily. I switched from bins to camera and managed a series of shots in difficult conditions. The photos show what I describe, south Polar, even in the brownest version, look much darker. I have seen many Great Skua, hundreds probably, the last time was in 2013 in a big storm off Norfolk, UK. Based on the warmth of the plumage and the overall structure I am happy to call this a Great Skua. It is also worth nothing that Great Skua is the default winter Atlantic skua species. Photos.
Technical information
- Model
- Canon EOS 7D Mark II
- Lens
- EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
- ISO
- 800
- Focal length
- 400 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire
- f-stop
- f/5.6
- Shutter speed
- 1/500 sec
- Dimensions
- 1070 pixels x 754 pixels
- Original file size
- 65.01 KB