On this day (October 7th)...........................

October 7th 2013.

A Pomarine Skua close inshore at Yakumo 4 years ago today. Still a heavy crop (it was before I got my 500mm lens) and not a good photo by any means but an interesting species that I haven't seen much of . Actually my only real experiences of skuas were on a trip to the Orkneys over 20 years ago.

There were loads of them heading south that day visible from shore, I have no idea why. It wasn't even particularly windy. I saw 3 species of skua at Yakumo that autumn but not one before or since...............

In Limbo

A Kingfisher at Yakumo this morning.

I'm in limbo, waiting for my new lens to come. I was thinking how much better these shots would have been.

Slightly pathetic I know.

But 700mm at f5.6 would mean a lot less cropping, or 500mm at f4 would mean a lower ISO. I have to use my 100-400L at f8 to get acceptable images most of the time.

Let's hope they stick around then.

There were loads of skuas offshore, no doubt blown in on the strong easterly wind. Most of them were Pomarine Skua (I think, any comments appreciated re the ID). Here are a few to give you an idea, still too far for a decent shot with my current lerns (c'mon Kojima and Canon, hurry up, hurry up!).

I think there may have been some Arctic and Long tailed Skuas among them but I am terrible at skua ID. Is this one an Arctic?

I put some (even worse) photos on birdforum for help with ID.

Lots of other stuff on the move. In Onuma this morning there were thrushes, buntings and Japanese Grosbeaks aplenty. A Greenshank was a surprise (I don't see many waders there).

 At Yakumo there were the first swnas of the winter, 5 Bewicks Swan. Here are 4 of them...............

There were also Scaup, Wigeon and Black Necked Grebe. And growing numbers of Black Legged Kittiwake both at Yakumo and Sawara.

Other stuff around included Japanese Green Pigeon, Peregrine, Osprey and Great Egret.

Rather quiet in Hakodate. This young Goshawk was in Ono yesterday.

Not much passing through except large numbers of Skylark.

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A pelagic visitor..............

OK I know it's a crappy picture and a very heavy crop  but it is quite an interesting bird....................

It was identified as a South Polar Skua, a visitor to northern oceans in the the southern winter I guess.

Taken from the pelagic trip off Tomakomai on Sunday. I was the only person who saw this individual, I didn't even ID it until a couple of hours later. when it was suggested it was a South Polar Skua................there must have been more than one around because luckily the other people on the boat saw a distant one later (I missed that one).

**Edited to add**

It seems to be that this was misidentified and  is actually a Pomarine Skua, check out the comments below and on this thread on birdforum.

I made a bit of a fool of myself, after 4 boat trips I still haven't worked out how to put on the lifejacket properly and have to be shown how to do it. I think I've worked it out now but I fully expect to stare at one in a dumbfounded way the next time.

Apart from the Skua it wasn't a productive trip...........................there were almost no birds on the sea at all. Really, virtually nothing. Except a few Streaked Shearwater, none of them particularly close.

Very nice autumnal weather and it was quite relaxing on the boat.

I don't regret missing the Liverpool v Stoke game at least.

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