The bird though looked in reasonable health was clearly not in a good way as it struggled unsuccessfully to get in to the air. As it neared to the side of the dock I noticed it was ringed and it eventually settled on some steps enabling better views of the ring - Left leg Red NZ, right leg possibly 50C with a definite ending 460 with Norway also stamped. If I get any further news I will update this post. The bird was picked up by the RSPCA at lunch time after a phone call from local birder Colin Bushell
Great Skua (Bonxie) - Preston Docks - 15th June 2014
About half 9 I read a Facebook post suggesting there was a Great Skua lingering about Preston Docks so with the decision made not to wash the car (my usual Sunday morning chore) I headed out. On first arrival in the car park near to Morrison's there was no sign of the bird and I was going to give up on what would be a tick but with a further trawl through Facebook I decided to head out for a further look and the word soon went out it was at the bottom end of the docks.
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We have the Skua at an RSPCA centre where he has had a wash and now being fed sprats as he was underweight on arrival.
Details will be sent out 'officially' soon, but this bird was ringed as a nestling on Herøy, Norway, in August 2013. This is only our secone record of a Norwegian-ringed Bonxie in the UK, so a notable bird indeed!
Just to update you this bird after lots of feeding up was released back to the wild by the RSPCA
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