At the coast today: Skuas and Brents

The strong winds from the west/north west were so tempting Silke and I ventured down to Ynys Las where we found a flock of Golden Plovers near to the posts with a couple of Grey Plovers and a small group of Dunlin and Ringed Plover. A lone Brent (Pale bellied)hugged  the shore.  Earlier a group of about 20 Grey Plover had flown down the estuary.
At the Point the wind was so strong and the sand blasted everything so having spotted one Sanderling and a few Ringed Plover among a larger ?60 group of Dunlin we retreated to Llanon.  A group of 16 Brents flying south, a flock of Starlings plus a couple of Chough were a good start.

Again the wind was still very strong but a swirl of gulls, starlings and crows in the air indicated something was about and yes, amid the mayhem was an adult Skua, very well marked with some yellow showing beneath a dark cap and a distinct point to the tail.
 Unfortunately it went back toward Morfa Mawr and was not in range of Silke's 400mm lens.
As we looked on to find it a fast flying brown bird came across the field towards us at a rate of knots and as it passed Silke got this shot of a young Arctic Skua, not easy as it blended with the dark rocks of the foreshore.  Seemed worth a day out getting blasted by sand, blown inside out and without any lunch!