
The Great Skua in the style of Robert Macfarlane – according to Chat GPT
I thought it would be a bit of fun to ask an artificial intelligence website to “Write about the Great Skua in …
I thought it would be a bit of fun to ask an artificial intelligence website to “Write about the Great Skua in …
There are fifty Ravens at the Sands o’ Maesan. (I know that because I counted them from my photographs when I got …
The Arctic Tern chicks have fledged, yet Great Skuas still patrol and Arctic Tern parents still chase them off. It’s an ever-repeating …
The go-faster stripes on this Great Skua are very distinctive. They’re very Starsky & Hutch and their 1976 Ford Gran Torino.
Bonxie is the name for the Great Skua, Stercorarius skua, here in Orkney. It’s the Norse name for them. If you’ve ever …
I’ve seen Great Skuas attacking juvenile Kittiwakes on Westray. They pluck them out of the air and peck them to death. It’s …
I’m sat on the cliffs of Westray in pleasant light. It’s the middle of summer and it’s finally made it to 16 …
Eurasian Oystercatchers have no fear. They’re happy to make the lives of any other bird, or even human, a misery with their …
Great Skuas, Stercorarius skua, are known as Bonxies in Orkney. Their flashing go-faster white wing-stripes are a familiar sight as they patrol …
In the battle of Bonxie v Baakie there was only ever going to be one winner.
Bonxie v Baakie. Who do you think will win the epic battle of the fish? It’s Great Skua v Great Black-Backed Gull …
Stronsay is one of the ‘other’ Orkney islands. I’ve not been there before because there’s no way of getting there from Westray …
In 2020 I managed two trips to Orkney. I did it by self-isolating for two weeks before travelling and then taking all …
After seeing a couple of successful attacks by Great Skuas against juvenile Kittiwakes I feared the worst when this one strayed over …
Gannets are big birds. On the cliffs they dwarf their Guillemot neighbours. They have fearsome beaks and could easily do you severe …
May I introduce you to the cast of characters of this eternal struggle? This is an adult Kittiwake, one of the most …
Great Skuas are large birds. They’re the size of a gull. They are powerful and barrel-chested. Bonxie is their local name, originally …
Today I’m heading north to the most desolate coastline on Westray. Here, even the lichens and seaweeds and barnacles struggle to maintain …
Great Skuas are one of my favourite birds. They are a constant delight as they patrol the shoreline, flying low and surprising …
There’s a young Great Skua ahead. That spells danger. There must be an adult or two around somewhere and I feel my …
Great Skuas eat fish, carrion or other birds. I’ve seen them pluck another bird clean out of the air and head down …
Great Skuas are called great, not because they are wonderful, which they are, but because they are large. They’re really Greater Skuas. …
My trips to Orkney in 2018 were full of wildlife surprises. I spent some time in the summer with the Black Guillemots …
My adventures on the second of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
My adventures on the first of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
Orkney has its own names for its birds. Many of these are from the Old Norse language and came with the Vikings …
I normally only see Great Skuas from behind as they disappear along the cliffs. They have a wonderful habit of cruising up …
Westray has two sides: a North Sea side and an Atlantic Ocean side. They meet with dramatic consequences at the northernmost and …