I went with Matt Von Tersch (in photo with helmet on) the Bonner Lab Manager to do a Skua survey. During the Skua nesting season he does surveys in the ASPA – Antarctic Special Protected Area and the point once a week. The survey is done to monitor breeding success each season. The ASPA is there to monitor the effect of human impact on the point. All the nests (22 in total) are marked and Matt measures the eggs volume by picking them up and measuring length and width.

He then marks them with tippex so as to know whether there are new eggs or not. With the chicks he measures their wing length and weight twice a week until they fledge which is 45-50 days after they are born. Some of the adult skua are ringed we don’t know where they go during the Antarctic winter. They come back year after year with the same partners so mate for life.