The Day of the Pom

I went back! - September 10th - a Pomarine Skua special

Just had to have another look and I fancied getting closer to the bird when it might be lounging on the beach. No sign initially as I climbed onto the old gun emplacement to scan the area. Eventually I spotted a small huddle of birders who appeared to be watching three bait diggers out on the mud. Back at Tiggy I put the scope up and realised the pom was just sitting there happily with birders to one side and the bucket men on the other. I set off with camera and bins. Scope seemed unnecessary.

In the end I spent the day with the skua. Had to go back for another battery and I almost filled 2 32GB memory cards. An unforgettable day with an utterly confiding bird. One particular moment will live with me forever, I think. I was on the rocky shore with Paul Hackett and we were heading for the breakwater with the dunes behind me. Pom was having a fly round over the main beach area. The bird headed back low down, went behind the dune then swooped straight towards me passing my side just above head height then screamed high into the sky to circuit the breakwater masts. Forget the photography! This was so exciting...

I'll let the pictures tell the story with the occasional comment as I go along. A couple of other birds do creep in but it was very much the day of the pom!

View as I approached - iphone photo

Session One - Redcar end of the beach with various local birders including Peter Garbutt and Don Page. Getting lift-off for such a heavy fuselage as a pomarine skua can be very tiring...

And after all that, Pom sat down again. Session Two: flight and a brief miscellany of other birds. Pom stood up and was away before we blinked!

Sea rocket cakile maritima

Sanderlings

Wheatear Session Three: back to Tiggy for a coffee, scone, memory card and camera battery! Then down onto the sand left hand end of the beach. Pom came back, landed, settled down and waited for admirers. Unperturbed on a beach devoid of people and dogs apart from our little group of four birders. We were joined by Paul Hackett a well-known togger. Final session - squatting on rocks and stuff along the rocky stretch that's at right angles to the breakwater. Pom on the rocks and a final farewell.

Coming in low...

Little is known in avian circles of the nesting story of a pom. Theories abound as to why this bird lingers at South Gare. Wing damage, a damaged foot meaning it can't put full weight on it and so on. In truth the bird is guarding an egg. What's more a pom egg continues to grow after it's been laid. Really big and brown. This is a world exclusive of a pom sitting on its grotesque egg.

Sorry! My little joke by the way!

Pomarine Skua

I started taking bird photography seriously for one main reason: I wanted to photograph birds in flight. Bifs some people call them. And that is how I'll bring my Saga of the Pom to a conclusion: a few nice bifs.

Bird of the Year for me.

[Provisionally.....you never what may come in the next few months!]

233 UK 2018