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A rare bird sighting in Blackwaterfoot had keen birdwatchers from south Ayrshire flocking to the island last weekend.
The Great Skua passes through on migration but has rarely been spotted actually on Arran. This one was first seen on Blackwaterfoot beach last Thursday feeding on the washed-up carcase of a sheep.
Word got around and twitchers with expensive cameras were soon approaching to within a few metres of the bird which seemed quite unconcerned by their presence.
Arran bird recorder Jim Cassells said: ‘The Great Skua is known as an aggressive pirate of the seas. They fly through Arran but rarely stop.
‘They are very powerful flyers and breed in the Northern and Western isles before migrating south to winter off the coast of Spain and west Africa.
‘It’s quite late in the year for this one to be heading south. They show little fear of humans and will eat fish, carrion and other birds. I have seen them shaking puffins almost inside out before eating them.
‘I can remember seeing one on Machrie beach feeding on a dead sheep over 20 years ago. That was in the days when Margaret Dunn was the bird recorder. This bird was on Blackwaterfoot beach from Thursday until Monday when it was seen flying off towards Kintyre. It gave a lot of people, and not just birdwatchers, a lot of enjoyment.’
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