West Midland Bird Club

The Rare Skuas in the West Midlands

Introduction

Looking at the records of the WMBC it can be seen that for the 75 year period 1920-95 there have been 32 records of Great Skua in the West Midland Region, 13 of Pomarine and 6 of Long tailed. Both Pomarine and Long tailed Skuas have a circumpolar breeding range whilst that of the Great Skua is more restricted, essentially to Iceland, Faeroes, north Scotland and the Islands and, most recently, new areas in Norway and Bear Island. All three species are pelagic and, at least to some extent, transequatorial during the non breeding season. Details of migration routes and wintering quarters are inadequately known due to the pelagic nature of both. What is known suggests that some Pomarines begin autumn movements in August and can continue into December, never the less the main passage through British waters is in September/ October, around a month later than their Arctic and Long tailed cousins. The Long tailed Skua is the most highly Oceanic of the family and it also undertakes the earliest autumn dispersal, with a large scale exodus from breeding grounds in August and peak passage in the North Atlantic in August/ September. Peak spring passage, shorter and more concentrated, is in May. The Great Skua is the only one of the three to nest in Britain (North Scotland and the Islands). For this species the autumn migration is over a variable period but usually peaks in September and October. Younger birds (up to five years old) appear to migrate further than fully mature breeders who are thought to remain closer to breeding areas in winter. Given the pelagic nature of all three species birds found in the West Midland Region are almost always the result of unsettled weather patterns, especially gales.

West Midland records 1920-1995.

A breakdown of WMBC records for the period 1920-95 confirms the pattern of movements outlined above with the majority of Pomarine records occurring during the months of October and November, whilst Great Skuas peak in September and Long tailed between August and October.The only Spring records for the period are for Great Skua which have occurred six times, in March (one record), April (two) and May (three).

West Midland records 1981 -1995.

A closer look at the fifteen year period 1981-95 shows that for all three Skua species covered by this study there have been thirty three occurances with twenty of these in Staffordshire, six in Warwickshire, four in Worcestershire and three in the West Midlands.

The large Staffordshire waters of Chasewater (8 records), Belvide (6 records) and Blithfield (5 records) together with Warwickshire's Draycote (5 records) have been responsible for just over 76% of all records.

Incidentally the most unusual site for one of the three species was a ploughed field near Hanchurch (Staffs) which held an immature Long tailed Skua for a few days in early October 1990 (See WMBC Annual Report 57 pp24 and 25).

Finally no record of the rarer Skuas in the region would be complete without mention of the events of September 9 1989 when at about 9.30 am, an unprecedented flock of 14 Great Skuas flew into Draycote, circled and then left to the South West. At around 1 pm two more birds of the same species dropped in for a few moments before they too departed to the South West. (WMBC Annual Report 56 p. 102)

Summary

Arctic Skua is by far the most common Skua to be seen in the West Midland Region, (with around 3 records per year - see WMBC Bulletin 391 pp 7 & 8). Of the three rarer species there have been, over the 75 year period 1920-95, 32 records of Great Skua, 13 of Pomarine and only 6 of Long tailed. The vast majority of Skua sightings in the region are in autumn, usually following gale force winds.