Arctic Skua

[Spiritofthewild]

Have just returned from Seaham coast in County Durham, and after looking online I think I saw an Arctic Skua today perched up on a pillar of rock. Does anyone know if this is a common sight along the North Sea at this time of the year? I have read they have been spotted late summer, august and september.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks
Spiritofthewild

[Dogghound]

There are rarely recorded as winter birds in this part of the north sea, although I have not seen or heard of one on this section of coast (south of where you are) all winter. There have been small numbers of great skuas though.

[Spiritofthewild]

Thanks Dogghound.

I am not a bird watcher, so my knowledge is bare. The artic skua is the only sea bird I could find online that matched/ resembled what I saw, which was: medium sized bird (slightly bigger than a gull), black top of head, white face, black wings, all white underneath. The wings were curved in shape and were pointed at the ends. It was very noticeably different from all the other birds I spotted along the coast and was on its own.

The one thing I would mention, is that I thought the beak was slightly longer than what the illustrations/photographs show.

[Jonathan]

Originally Posted by Spiritofthewild

Thanks Dogghound.

I am not a bird watcher, so my knowledge is bare. The artic skua is the only sea bird I could find online that matched/ resembled what I saw, which was: medium sized bird (slightly bigger than a gull), black top of head, white face, black wings, all white underneath. The wings were curved in shape and were pointed at the ends. It was very noticeably different from all the other birds I spotted along the coast and was on its own.

The one thing I would mention, is that I thought the beak was slightly longer than what the illustrations/photographs show.

Try a google image search on 'pale morph pomarine skua', very similar to Arctic and perhaps a little more likely at this time of year.

Cheers
Jonathan

[Adam Cheeseman]

or a juvenile gull sp.

Cheers,

Adam