With it’s murderous looking beak, my thoughts went back to my first encounter of an Arctic skua when we were visiting Iceland. My impression then was to stay well clear of these predatory looking birds. We were at Jokulsarlon Glacier and the Arctic terns were having a tough time vigorously defending their newly hatched chicks against these oportunistic feeders.
It was a unexpected surprise to see this unusual visitor – though of the southern hemisphere variety, Subantartica skua – Catharacta antarctica. There it was nonchalantly paddling in one of the ponds in the Cape of Good Hope reserve. I suspect that the recent strong gales had blown it onshore but soon it will be lured back out to sea to return to it’s marine diet. It feeds mainly on fish, squid and crustaceans. Impressive though – that fully extended wingspan had powerful muscle lift.
Nature on the Edge 
Very impressive wingspan indeed! When you see him on the water, he looks like quite a small bird. 🙂
Yes true – until the bird raised up out of the water did we see the ‘dumpy’ body – the bird book records their weight being up to 1,6 kg – quite a heavy beast.
Yes Liz, these Skuas are known for their meaness to penguins.
Hah! those predators… and here close by we have a African penguin colony. So now i’m wondering if there is a reason for this ‘vagrant’ to be cruising the area.
superb bird! but impressive!
Thanks D, yes seriously powerful 🙂
That beak does look nasty. With all these species of birds I wonder how people can not believe in a Creator…
Greetings Darrel, it’s wondrous this extraordinary richness in species whatever our beliefs 🙂
Impressive, but rather nasty lkooking indeed. Nice shots!
Thanks AC; this was a first sighting of this marine bird so was happy to have got the shots. Hoping it moved back out to sea again .