August 16, Trip to Seal in the morning, Skua, grand larson,

August 16,  Skua, grand larson,

Aug 16, species list: Great Blue Heron, Greater Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Gannet, Red-necked Phalerope, Wilson's Petrel, Puffin, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, South Polar Skua, Black Guillemot, Great Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Eider, Laughing Gull, Rudy Turnstone, Sanderling, Spotted Sandpiper, least Sandpiper, Gannets, Bald Eagles.

Also: Porpoise, Harbor Seals, Grey Seals, Minke whales, 2,

Great blue Heron,

I saw this bird flying a ways off, luckily it landed and we caught up with it.

birds uniformly dark above as is this bird, are judged to be from the Antarctic population, called South Polar Skua, not quite as large or blunt winged as the Faroese Bonxie, (Great Skua) which are more likely seen in  the Gulf of Maine during fall or winter.

Short tail is wedge shaped

I had never seen a bird from this genus in Maine before, Catharacta,  
I guess they have been relegated to the genus Stercorarius, with the rest of the Skuii, aka jaegars, which  is no disgrace but still they seem worthy of their own Genus.

Red-necked Phalerope

Black guillemot, red rock Eel

Puffin

Sanderling

Great and Double-crested Cormorant

Grey Seals sw breaker

Grey Seals, and Cormorants

Sooty shearwater

Shunty Otter Island

Eagle on Otter

Valerian on Roberts Island