P7068396-En -e1
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Arctic Skua - Stencorarius parasiticus.
This is a polymorphic bird with two colour phases. The lighter phase bird has a dark patch on the upper breast, and is more common in the far north. This one seen in the Hornsund at 77 deg north, under the chaotic Hornbreen snout. A lot of kittiwakes, glaucous gulls and arctic terns here.
So a lot of noise as they continually torment each other and compete for position under the ice cliffs where the mineral deposits, shallow water and relative warmth in the water enable fast growth of the krill species. I didn’t observe any gulls taking fish sprats here.
The Arctic Tern is present throughout the Palearctic from above 80 deg north to 57 deg north - which is where I live. Occasionally seen here, - often seen on Handa, Orkney, Shetland and St Kilda.
They take half fledged chicks from auk, kittiwake and tern colonies.
They prefer a dry nesting spot surrounded by water or boggy ground. Intruders will experience how strongly they defend the nest and young. First they feign injury and wing drag, inviting the intruder to follow. If this does not work they will attack the head from behind, sufficiently aggressively to cause scratches and bleeding . A good defence against this is to walk with a walking pole fully extended upwards, strapped to the side of a rucksack. Better still is to avoid disturbing their nesting grounds altogether.
They probably mate for life, both parents care for the young.
Outside of the breeding season they are piratical upon other birds forcing gulls and terns to disgorge their catch, which they will often take mid air before it hits the sea.
P7068396-En -e1
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Arctic Skua - Stencorarius parasiticus.
This is a polymorphic bird with two colour phases. The lighter phase bird has a dark patch on the upper breast, and is more common in the far north. This one seen in the Hornsund at 77 deg north, under the chaotic Hornbreen snout. A lot of kittiwakes, glaucous gulls and arctic terns here.
So a lot of noise as they continually torment each other and compete for position under the ice cliffs where the mineral deposits, shallow water and relative warmth in the water enable fast growth of the krill species. I didn’t observe any gulls taking fish sprats here.
The Arctic Tern is present throughout the Palearctic from above 80 deg north to 57 deg north - which is where I live. Occasionally seen here, - often seen on Handa, Orkney, Shetland and St Kilda.
They take half fledged chicks from auk, kittiwake and tern colonies.
They prefer a dry nesting spot surrounded by water or boggy ground. Intruders will experience how strongly they defend the nest and young. First they feign injury and wing drag, inviting the intruder to follow. If this does not work they will attack the head from behind, sufficiently aggressively to cause scratches and bleeding . A good defence against this is to walk with a walking pole fully extended upwards, strapped to the side of a rucksack. Better still is to avoid disturbing their nesting grounds altogether.
They probably mate for life, both parents care for the young.
Outside of the breeding season they are piratical upon other birds forcing gulls and terns to disgorge their catch, which they will often take mid air before it hits the sea.