No success this time

Today, 10th September 2011, we performed the first birding trip of the 'Chasula'. 14 people (12 participants plus skipper and sailor) started at O Grove harbour at 7:30 facing W to the Sálvora archipelago. However, at Sagres area (near Aguiño), waves and wind (stronger than forecast said) were too heavy for going beyond these islands. Skipper decided to stay off the E shore of Sálvora island, where 'chumming' was performed before going back to O Grove harbour around 12:30 h.

It was a sad back trip, as we wanted to visit three points offshore (8-12 nm from Sálvora). Perhaps in another trip...

List of recorded species, including birds attending chum and seen travelling along the S shore of the ría. Highlights in bold:

- Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus): 3 (chum) + 1 (travelling)
- Cory's Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea): 6 (chum) + 4 (travelling)
- Balearic Shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus): 10 (chum) + 10 (travelling)
- Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus): 1 (chum)
- Storm-petrel (Hydrobatidae): 1 (travelling)
- Atlantic Gannet (Morus bassanus): 3 (chum) + 30 (travelling)
- European Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis): 150 (travelling)
- Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus): 2 (travelling)
- Sanderling (Calidris alba): 1 (travelling)
- Dunlin (Calidris alpina): 3 (travelling)
- Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres): 1 (travelling)
- Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus): 50 (chum) + 30 (travelling)
- Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis): 100 (chum) + 250 (travelling)
- Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus): 10 (travelling)
- Common Tern (Sterna hirundo): 6 (chum) + 3 (travelling)
- Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis): 2 (travelling)

Some photos:

Puffinus griseus (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero

Puffinus griseus (c) Xoán Diéguez Vázquez

Puffinus mauretanicus (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero

Puffinus mauretanicus (c) Xoán Diéguez Vázquez

Calonectris diomedea (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero

Calonectris diomedea (c) Xoán Diéguez Vázquez

Morus bassanus (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero

Morus bassanus (c) Xoán Diéguez Vázquez

Phalacrocorax aristotelis (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero

Phalacrocorax aristotelis (c) Xoán Diéguez Vázquez

Arenaria interpres (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero

Calidris alba (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero

Calidris alpina (c) Xoán Diéguez Vázquez

Larus fuscus (c) Xoán Diéguez Vázquez

10.09.2011 - first pelagic trip

The 'Chasula' (retrieved from chasulapesca.blogspot.com)

With this post, we present our first pelagic trip from O Grove (SW Galicia). It is scheduled for the 10th September 2011, and will be done aboard of the 'Chasula' boat (14 m LOA, 3.5 m beam). This is the first birdwatching trip of the 'Chasula', and we will try to observe interesting pelagic birds W and SW of the islands of Sálvora and Ons, reaching up to 12 nm offshore.

Provisional route of the 'Chasula' (10 Sep 2011) (Google Maps)

Target species will be Sabine's Gull (Larus sabini), Wilson's Storm-petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) and Great Shearwater (Puffinus gravis). It is very likely that Balearic (P. mauretanicus), Cory's (Calonectris diomedea) and Manx Shearwaters (P. puffinus) will be showy during most of the trip. Dolphins and even whales can be sight as well.


'Chumming' will be performed to attact birds near the boat.


This trip is almost full ('Chasula' has a maximum capacity of 12 people plus crew). We are planning another pelagic before mid-October.

More information:

Good birding!