Return of the Skua

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 Dum

 Dum!

 DUM!

 DUM!!
 DUM!!!
DUM!!!!

Skuas are the only birds that I have seen in the last two months, and they have only been appearing around town for perhaps the last 6 weeks at the most. Skuas are large seagull-like birds that are actually much larger than seagulls, their body size is the same as an Adelie penguin. They can be quite annoying in town as they will attack people walking with uncovered food in their hands and will tear into any exposed garbage bags in search of food. I came across this skua perched near my hiking trail recently. When seen up close, they are actually quite imposing. As part of the Antarctic treaty, we aren't supposed to disturb the birds (even if we catch them breaking into garbage bags), but they also don't seem to have much of a fear of humans either, as this guy let me get fairly close. These no-nonsense birds are perfectly adapted to scavenge and survive on this harsh continent.

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