Last month I suggested that the photo of the Curlew Sandpiper showed the jizz of the bird - well this one certainly does NOT!! When I first opened the photo I thought it was a first year Black-backed Gull (just like Tony did apparently!) until I saw the underwing barring and the central tail projections, and those huge white wing flashes. So it is a skua, and on the basis of all that, either an Arctic or a Pomarine. Nick Allen summed it all up in his answer, it is a first year Arctic Skua. It doesnt have the double wing flash of a Pom, and it just isnt bulky & deep-chested enough for a Pom either.
In fact all the relative diagnostic features are apparent in the photo, as the majority of you worked out. Only Igor now has a 100% record (though there are 5 more birds to go.....). Thanks to all that tried. More next month.
cheers
Mystery Bird #7 - The answer
- sav
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Re: Mystery Bird #7 - The answer
Hi Sav,
Yes, in the end I went with my gut feeling on this one and just hoped that the skua field marks would some how be explained away...but they say "a photo never lies"!
Cheers, Tony.
Yes, in the end I went with my gut feeling on this one and just hoped that the skua field marks would some how be explained away...but they say "a photo never lies"!
Cheers, Tony.