8 September 2012 - Sabine's bonanza

Today, 8th September 2012, a new pelagic of the Seabirds Galicia platform was performed. Leaving from O Grove harbour early morning aboard the 'Chasula', fog seems not a good welcome for the crew and 12 participants, but after 3 hours sky became cleaner and pelagic could be done without any trouble. Sea was in good condition.

List of species observed (highlights in bold, approximate numbers in italic):

BIRDS
Wigeon (Anas penelope): 2. First record for the pelagics of Seabirds Galicia!
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos): 1.
Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea): 23.
Great shearwater (Puffinus gravis): 30.
Sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus): 10.
Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus): 11.
Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus): 1.
Wilson's storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus): 1.
European storm-petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus): 10.
Northern gannet (Morus bassanus): 44.
European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis): 115.
Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo): 2.
Grey heron (Ardea cinerea): 3.
Little egret (Egretta garzetta): 2.
Ringed plover (Charadrius hiaticula): 1.
Sanderling (Calidris alba): 5.
Ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres): 8.
Common sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos): 2.
Great skua (Stercorarius skua): 8.
Pomarine skua (Stercorarius pomarinus): 4.
Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus): 10.
Long-tailed skua (Stercorarius longicaudus): 1, distant, seen only by 2 observers. Second record for Seabirds Galicia!
Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus): 10.
Black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus): 13.
Sabine's gull (Xema sabini): 22+ (at least 47 sights, with 'duplicates'), including adults (breeding and non-breeding plummage) and juveniles. Second record and highest count for the Seabirds Galicia pelagics.
Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis): 165.
Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus): 419.
Great black-backed gull (Larus marinus): 10.
Sandwich tern (Sterna sandvicensis): 28.
Common tern (Sterna hirundo): 16.
Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea): 1. Second record during pelagics trips aboard the 'Chasula'.
Black tern (Chlidonias niger): 2. First record for Seabirds Galicia!
Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica): 2.
Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros): 1.
Carrion crow (Corvus corone): 3.

MAMMALS:
Bottle-nosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): 1.
Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis): 60.
Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena): 3 individuals observed. First record for Seabirds Galicia.

FISH:
Sunfish (Mola mola): 1.
Blue shark (Prionace glauca): 2.

And some pictures:

The 'Chasula'. Early morning. (c) Jesús Menéndez.

Common dolphins in the mist. (c) Manolo Carregal

Common terns lingered the boat. (c) Manolo Carregal

Storm-petrels' breakfast: olive oil with fish guts. (c) Manolo Carregal

First great shearwater 'on the move'. (c) Manolo Carregal

Great shearwater. (c) Manolo Carregal

Flight shot of great shearwater (true handsome seabird, indeed). (c) Manolo Carregal

Sooty shearwater. (c) Manolo Carregal

Moulting Sabine's gull at its best! (c) Jesús Menéndez

Sabine's gull. (c) Jesús Menéndez

Two adults and one juvenil (top right) of Sabine's gull. (c) Manolo Carregal

Nice flock of Sabine's gull (different moult stage). (c) Manolo Carregal

Juvenile Sabine's gull. (c) Jesús Menéndez

Same individual, closer. (c) Manolo Carregal

Arctic skua, dark morph. (c) Manolo Carregal

Great skua (top left) with lesser black-backed gulls. (c) Manolo Carregal