As usual since we started the
new season of outputs for watching seabirds and marine mammals in the Galician
coast. Next we put the calendar for departures scheduled for this
year . We hope to be of interest. Now you can book seats from now . These are:
Inside the ‘ría’ of Arousa: Saturday 28.02.2015 (alternative dates: 01.03.2015). The ‘traditional’
trip inside the ‘ría’ of Arousa, looking for red-breasted merganser (Mergus
serrator), common loon/great northern diver (Gavia immer), black-necked
grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) and common murre/common guillemot (Uria
aalge), among other species.
Pelagic of the puffins: Saturday 21.03.2015 (alternative dates: 22.03.2015).
Focused on observing puffins (Fratercula arctica) and common murres/common
guillemots off Sálvora island.
Pelagic of the dolphins: Saturday 16.05.2015 (alternative dates: 17.05.2015).
Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) are possible sightings
in this trip, along with skuas and shearwaters.
Pelagic of the shearwaters: Saturday 27.06.2015 (alternative dates: 28.06.2015). Groups
of Balearic shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus) and Cory's shearwaters (Calonectris
borealis) are almost guaranteed, and perhaps we will see the first groups
of European storm petrels (Hydrobates pelagicus).
Pelagic of petrels: Saturday 18.07.2015 (no alternative date). This is good date for Wilson’s
storm petrels (Oceanites oceanicus), European stormies and shearwaters.
We'll keep an eye on possible minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata)!
Pelagic terns: Saturday 15.08.2015. Good dates to the terns (Sterna hirundo), (Sterna paradisaea) and (Sternula albifrons) and for the European paíño and even the common tern.
Pelagic of the skuas: Saturday 29.08.2015. Great date for skuas, both
great (Stercorarius skua), Pomarine (S. pomarinus) and Arctic
skua (S. parasiticus), along with Wilson’s and European stormies. There
is a great chance of seeing the first Sabine’s gulls (Xema sabini) of
the season.
Pelagic of the Sabine’s: Saturday 12.09.2015 (alternative dates: 13.09.2015). We still
remember those pelagics by early September 2012 (here) and 2013 (here), with incredible sights of dozens of Sabine’s
gulls!. Although this beautiful gull is the aim of the pelagic, skuas, storm-petrels
and dolphins are case guaranteed.
Pelagic of the great list: Saturday 26.09.2015 (alternative dates: 27.09.2015).
Perhaps the most attractive of all Seabirds Galicia pelagics (along with that
of the Galician Bank), once the summer visitors (Wilson’s stormies and Sabine’s
gulls) are still in the area and typical autumn migrants (such as great
shearwater Ardenna gravis and Arctic tern Arctic tern) may
appear.
Pelagic of the whales: Saturday 17.10.2015 (alternative dates: 18.10.2015). After
the unforgettable pelagic by mid-October 2013 (see here) we will try to see again some minke
whales offshore, with common and bottlenose dolphins almost guaranteed and
harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) as a "bonus". Some
interesting birds, as Pomarine skua or sooty shearwater, are possible.
Late pelagic: 14.11.2015
(alternative dates: 15.11.2015). Last pelagic of the year, to be carried
out by mid-November with red/grey phalarope (Phalaropus fulicaria),
little gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus), kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)
and Leach's storm petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous) as targets.
A
Lanzada bay: 5.12.2015 (alternative dates: 6.12.2015). 2015 ends with a trip withing the
‘ría’ of Arousa and A Lanzada bay. Common loons/great norther divers, common
scoters (Melanitta nigra) and auks will delight participants, as they
are common in this area that month.
