Skua, December 10, 2005 Options

[Dena_Rosenberger]

Skua
10 December, 2005

For those interested in things Antarctic, check out the weekly Antarctic newspaper at http://AntarcticSun.usap.gov

Hello from the Ice!
For additional Antarctic pics, check out the Gallery.

Where’s Rosenberger?
McMurdo Station, Ross Island, Antarctica

The Skua. A large, heavy, aggressive gull-like Antarctic bird that feeds on the eggs and chicks of penguins and pretty much anything else it can get. An unpleasant necessity to the ecosystem and a nuisance.
Nest robbers:


The Antarctic Conservation Act of 1996 is intended to provide for the conservation and protection of the fauna and flora of Antarctica and their ecosystems. It prohibits willfully disturbing breeding or molting birds or concentrations of birds or seals by persons on foot and no person may kill, injure, capture, handle, or molest a native mammal or bird. And the skuas know this well. You can walk up to a skua on the ground and it will not move. You can drive up to a skua on the road and your front tire can loom over them. They are not fazed. I have seen them hound the Dining Attendants as they attempt to take out the trash.

They wait near the Galley for people to come out of the cafeteria, unsuspecting people thinking they will take some cake or cheese back to their room to enjoy later. All of a sudden, SKUA ATTACK! A talons-first into-your-face dive-bomb from the roof of a nearby building. You drop your cake and run.


Or, they erupt from the ground where they were artfully blending in perfectly with the color of dirt and fly up into your face, large wings flapping, SKUA ATTACK! You drop your cake and run.


Here in McMurdo, the word “skua” takes on other meanings as well, mostly somehow related to “found” or “stolen.” It can be used as a verb, such as, “Did you skua that shirt?” Or in the past tense, “I skuad a Quinzee hut.” It is a noun, as in “I got it from skua,” or, “Look at the coffemaker I found in skua.” It can be derogatory, as in “What a skua!”

It is an entire building filled with stuff that people don’t want:




> Trash or treasure?


> Trash or treasure?


And it is a small official container:


It is a warning:


It can be made into a bracelet and sold at the McMurdo Arts and Crafts Fair:


Did you know?
The Antarctic Treaty was negotiated by the 12 nations present in Antarctica in 1958. These parties meet annually to discuss diverse issues such as scientific cooperation, environmental protection, management of tourism, and preservation of historic sites. In part, the Treaty:
- stipulates that Antarctica should forever be used for peaceful purposes
- prohibits nuclear explosions, the disposal of nuclear waste, and any measures of a military nature
- guarantees freedom of science and promotes the exchange of scientists and research results


Current Conditions at McMurdo Station
A weak low pressure system has moved in, bringing light snow and fog

Right now:
Mostly cloudy
Winds very low, from the north at 2-3 knots
Pressure: 29.540 inHg
Temperature: 32 oF/0 oC
Sunset: February 20 at 1:38 am

[Christopher Lee Jaros]

The Skua.  A large, heavy, aggressive gull-like Antarctic bird that feeds on the eggs and chicks of penguins and pretty much anything else it can get.  An unpleasant necessity to the ecosystem and a nuisance.

The Human. A large, heavy, aggressive ape-like invasive species that enslaves other animals, controls their reproduction, and removes their basic liberties (oftentimes maiming them in the process) so that their flesh can be batter-fried. An unpleasant destroyer of almost all of the worlds ecosystems and a nuisance.