On Saturday 20th July 2013 another pelagic trip aboard of 'Chasula' was performed. The boat was full when we left O Grove harbour at 8:00 a.m. Sky was cloudy and sea and wind were calm. First bird species were soon noted (
Mediterranean gull,
great black-backed gull,
lesser black-backed gull,
little egret,
grey heron, among other species), and first sightings of
Cory's shearwater,
Balearic shearwater and
Arctic skua (first of 'autumn' migration) at the mouth of the 'ría' of Arousa. Sea was still calm and the forecast for the pelagic was presumably 'comfortable'. Hundreds of gulls were feeding at the horizon, suggesting food supply (in this case swimming crabs
Polybius henslowii) near shoreline. Gannet passage by that time was good, and there was no evidence of the 'blank' between 3 and 12 nm offshore: only a couple of birds and two
common dolphins were seen! First chum, 12 nm off W Ons island, was not successful at all, and the skipper decided to go northwards, till 12 nm off Sálvora island. In this second chumming, one or two
Wilson's storm petrels, an
European storm petrel, some
great skuas and dozens of
gulls showed well, and sun, mussels and albariño wine made photographers happy. Back route was quite up to 2 nm off Couso point (Ribeira), with hundreds of
gulls feeding on swimming crab 'flocks', along with
Cory's and
Balearic shearwaters and five
common dolphins. Short after sailing inside the 'ría' by North channel, an immature
Northern gannet was seen entagled alive in a fish net. We managed to pick up both the bird and the net and, with a knife, freed the gannet from its torture, releasing it into the wild with apparently no damage. Fish net was carried to harbour. A flock of 35
Balearic shearwaters near Rúa island was highly appreciated by photographers in our way to O Grove harbour.
Here you are the complete list of sightings.
In bold, highlights.
In italics, approximate numbers:
| Latin name | English name | TOTAL (non repeated) | Notes |
| Melanitta nigra | Common scoter | 10 | Migration southwards |
| Calonectris diomedea | Cory's shearwater | 9 | Low number |
| Puffinus mauretanicus | Balearic shearwater | 69 | Good number; high proportion of juveniles |
| Hydrobates pelagicus | European storm petrel | 1 | Low number (cf with June pelagic) |
| Oceanites oceanicus | Wilson's storm petrel | 1 | Moulting |
| Hydrobatidae | Unidentified storm petrel | 1 | Possibly Oceanites oceanicus |
| Phalacrocorax carbo | Great cormorant | 4 | Early in the season |
| Phalacrocorax aristotelis | European shag | 80 | Very low number |
| Morus bassanus | Northern gannet | 42 | One of the freed from a fish net (see pictures) |
| Ardea cinerea | Grey heron | 1 |
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| Egretta garzetta | Little egret | 1 |
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| Stercorarius skua | Great skua | 7 | 'Average' number (cf with June pelagic) |
| Stercorarius parasiticus | Arctic skua | 2 | First of 'autumn' passage |
| Stercorarius sp. | Unidentified skua | 1 | Possibly Stercorarius skua |
| Larus melanocephalus | Mediterranean gull | 6 | Five adults and one immature |
| Larus ridibundus | Black-headed gull | 1 | Low number |
| Larus michahellis | Yellow-legged gull | 1487 | Great group W of Sálvora island, feeding on swimming crabs |
| Larus fuscus | Lesser black-backed gull | 351 | Lots of birds in the group of gulls W of Sálvora island, feeding on swimming crabs |
| Larus marinus | Great black-backed gull | 2 | Adults, one of the apparently holding territory |
| Sterna hirundo | Common tern | 3 | Adults |
| Motacilla alba | White wagtail | 1 |
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| Delphinus delphis | Common dolphin | 7 | Two individuals and a party of five |
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| Prionace glauca | Blue shark | 1 |
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And some pictures, (c) Germán Ibarra, José Luis Lorenzo "Colón", Xoán Diéguez and Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.
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| Common scoter (Melanitta nigra), migrating, 20/07/2013, off Couso point, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c)
José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c)
Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c)
José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c)
José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez. |
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| Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), adult moulting, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis), 20/07/2013, 2 nm off Couso point, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis), 20/07/2013, 2 nm off Couso point, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), juvenile, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), juvenile, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), juvenile, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), adult, colour-ringed, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), adult, colour-ringed, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), adult, colour-ringed, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), adult, colour-ringed, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), subadult, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), near-adult bird, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Yellow-legged (Larus michahellis) and lesser-black backed gulls (L. fuscus), 20/07/2013, off Couso point, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Adult yellow-legged (Larus michahellis) (background) and lesser-black backed gull (L. fuscus) (moulting), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Juvenile yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) fighting for food, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Moulting yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Moulting yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez. |
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| European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), 20/07/2013, Sálvora islands (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez. |
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| European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), 20/07/2013, Sálvora islands (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| European shags(Phalacrocorax aristotelis), 20/07/2013, Sálvora islands (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Common tern (Sterna hirundo), adult, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua) behind an adult lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra. |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez. |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
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| Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón". |
