Arctic Skua bathing
I took a series of shots of this pale phase Arctic Skua taking a bath in a freshwater pool on St Kilda. I liked this one because of its twisted posture complimented by the splash of water. Dark morph birds are commoner in coastal populations in the south of the range and comprise about 75% of the breeding population in Britain. But in the far north, eg Spitsbergen, pale morphs predominate. The latest population estimate for Britain is 785 pairs, all around the coasts and islands of north and west Scotland. Though they winter at sea further south off the coast of south western Africa so passage birds can be seen almost anywhere at the coast.
Arctic Skua bathing
I took a series of shots of this pale phase Arctic Skua taking a bath in a freshwater pool on St Kilda. I liked this one because of its twisted posture complimented by the splash of water. Dark morph birds are commoner in coastal populations in the south of the range and comprise about 75% of the breeding population in Britain. But in the far north, eg Spitsbergen, pale morphs predominate. The latest population estimate for Britain is 785 pairs, all around the coasts and islands of north and west Scotland. Though they winter at sea further south off the coast of south western Africa so passage birds can be seen almost anywhere at the coast.