Little and Large

Over the years I have seen the Great Skua beating up seabirds for their food and I have heard stories about the picking on other seabirds no matter what size, but I have never witnessed it myself until the other day when I spotted a Great Skua on the water then all of a sudden it launched itself into the air and started to attack a Gannet.

The size of a gannet to a skua is a bit like little and large but this great skua was just thinking about its next meal and the size of the gannet never seemed to bother it a all.
I have said in a few posts before how I admire the skuas for their cheek but to take on a gannet I have to take me hat off it this wonderful bird.
It was a bit like watching Frank Bruno and Mike Tyson in the heavy weight title fight and we just knew Tyson would win but this time the tables had turned and the Gannet put up a great fight and deafened his corner. With skill and determination the gannet was not to give up his food for no seabird, no matter how strong they were and this time the gannet won and the skua was shattered and have to give up.

After watching the action for a while we were heading into choppy water, so I turned the boat and steamed back into calm waters and by then the gannet was gone and the skua was just getting its breath back. As we reached calmer waters I had a little smile on my face and could not wait to see the pictures of the fight.

I hope my pictures show you what I mean, so enjoy.

Thank you once again for reading our blog and I do hope you enjoy it...

OVER AND OUT