8 September 2012 - Sabine's gulls and allies

Sabine's gull (Xema sabini) was one of the highlights of the trip offshore SW Galicia. Also other species of gulls (Larus spp.) and common terns (Sterna hirundo) were photographed. Pictures taken by Juan Gómez Escáriz and Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero. All photos were kindly sent for this blog and are (c) of the authors.

Sabine's gull, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Sabine's gull, adults, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Sabine's gull, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Sabine's gull, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Sabine's gull, adults, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Sabine's gull, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Sabine's gull, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Sabine's gull, adults, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Sabine's gull, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Sabine's gull, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Sabine's gull, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Sabine's gull, juvenile, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), adult, 8/9/2012, ría de Arousa. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), 'pinkish' adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Common tern, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Common tern, juvenile, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Common tern, juvenile, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Common tern, possible juvenile, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Common tern, possible adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Common tern, adult, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

8 September 2012 - skuas

Now, a portrait of skuas (Stercorarius spp.) taken by Juan Gómez Escáriz, Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero and José Manuel Arribas González during the pelagic performed off O Grove on 8th September 2012. All photos were kindly sent for this blog and are (c) of the authors.

Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), adult, dark morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), adult, dark morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), adult, dark morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), adult, dark morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus), adult, light morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Pomarine skua (Stercorarius pomarinus), adult, light morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Pomarine skua (Stercorarius pomarinus), adult, light morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Pomarine skua (Stercorarius pomarinus), adult, light morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Pomarine skua (Stercorarius pomarinus), adult, light morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Pomarine skua (Stercorarius pomarinus), adult, light morph, 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. M. Arribas González

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Great skua (Stercorarius skua) and lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Great skua (Stercorarius skua) and lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Great skua (Stercorarius skua) and lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus), 8/9/2012, off SW Galicia. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

8 September 2012 - Cory's shearwaters

Here you are some pictures of Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis) taken by Juan Gómez Escáriz, Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero and José Manuel Arribas González during the pelagic performed off O Grove on 8th September 2012. All photos were kindly sent for this blog and are (c) of the authors.

Cory's sheawater off SW Galicia, 8/9/2012. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Cory's sheawater off SW Galicia, 8/9/2012. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Cory's sheawater off SW Galicia, 8/9/2012. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Cory's sheawater off SW Galicia, 8/9/2012. (c) J. Gómez Escáriz

Cory's sheawater off SW Galicia, 8/9/2012. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Cory's sheawater off SW Galicia, 8/9/2012. (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero

Cory's sheawater off SW Galicia, 8/9/2012. (c) J. M. Arribas González

Seabirds Galicia's 1st birthday

Today, 10th September 2012, Seabirds Galicia celebrates the first aniversary for its very first pelagic trip. That was not a successful journey, as sea was too rough, and we could not go further from Sagres archipelago (information here). However, ongoing pelagics were successfully performed up to the end of October, even with a surprise (see here). After a productive journey in the ría of Arousa in December (click here), pelagics were restarted in February, running up to July. Bad sea conditions were responsible of cancellations in July and August, but on the 8th of September sea was almost perfect and the first pelagic of the postbreeding migration was successfully performed (see here).

For celebrate this birthday, we are preparing a special wear, hoping it will be finished before the trip of 22nd September (pelagic already full).

Thank you for your trust and support.

Isidro, the skipper of the 'Chasula' [photo (c) Jesús Menéndez]

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

12th August 2012 - Radio Galega interview!