Thursday 3 October 2013

Pomarine Skua at Breydon Water

A quick lunchtime visit to Breydon Water along the south wall from 1.40pm, it was really good to meet Peter A, its finder and who easily by a mile has the record for finding a whole multitude of rarities at Breydon over the years. As usual I'd timed the tides completely wrong so the waders were over the far side and couldn't be properly I'D'd apart the larger ones such as Curlews etc. Apparently the Pom had regular fly rounds every hour and was due another fly around and had been last seen sat on the lumps. After a while I drove round to Asda and viewed from the steps and was pleased to see Paul, one of the Dereham boys. We watched for around ten minutes before suddenly at 1.15pm Paul said "It's flying!" and almost instantly I picked up the excellent Pomarine Skua flying up left from the north-west end of the lumps and powering low and left over the estuary scattering some Gulls. The Skua flew right over the estuary and high above the bridge it wheeled up and chased and harried a Herring Gull, that dropped its food which was expertly caught by the Pomarine Skua and then it flew west over the estuary towards Burgh Castle. A superb sleek but barrel chested Skua with all dark bill and distinctive white flashes beneath the base of the primaries on the underwing. Thanks to both Peter A for telling me where he had last seen and an update from Tommy C on when he'd last seen it this is much appreciated, especially when you have so little time to spare on a lunch break.

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