'Seabirds and marine mammals off SW Galicia, all year-round. Didactic, exciting experience at the best value!'

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

21/09/2014: Pelagic of the end of summer

After several days of bad weather and not-so-good sea condition, that Sunday dawned with sun and calm sea.

We started from O Grove harboir nearly in the dark with the hope of seeing what we like the most: birds and marine animals.

Short after heading towards our destination, we saw the first yellow-legged gulls, black-headed and lesser black-backed gulls, with great cormorants and their their smaller relatives the European shags.

As we navigate through the 'ria' we could spot grey herons and little egrets resting in the mussel rafts, some great black-backed gulls, Sandwich terns and some Balearic shearwaters.
As we sail past Sálvora Island (p. Atlantic Islands National Park), things became more interesting and Balearic, Cory's and Manx shearwater popped up, with lots of Atlantic gannets, great and arctic skuas, common terns, and early razorbill, common scoters and even a marsh harrier. Chumming was also productive, with lots of shearwaters and gulls.

Once back in the 'ria' we located a nice Pomarine skua near the mussel rafts, adding turnstones, whimbrels, common sandpipers and a white wagtail.

We also observed common dolphins, that played at the bow of our boat, and bottlenose dolphins with calves, plus sunfish and a beautiful red admiral.


Here below is the detailed list of species, with highlights in bold and approximate numbers in italics:

SEA-BIRDS GALICIA
    21/09/2014
N.   CIENTÍFICO
TOTAL 
Melanita nigra 
15
Puffinus puffinus
1
Calonectris diomedea
8
Puffinus mauretanicus
69
Phalacrocorax carbo
48
Phalacrocorax aristotelis
451
Morus bassanus
240
Ardea cinerea
13
Egretta garzetta
5
Arenaria interpres
6
Actitis hypoleucos
8
Numenius phaepus
84
Stercorarius skua
9
Stercorarius pomarinus
1
Stercorarius parasiticus
2
Larus melanocephalus
10
Larus ridibundus
29
Larus michahellis
977
Larus fuscus
149
Larus marinus
7
Chilidonias niger
2
Sterna sanwicensis16
Alca torda
1
Motacilla alba
1
Circus aeruginosus
1
Delphinus delphis
12
Tursius truncatus 
17
Mola mola
3








        (c) Xoán Diéguez, J. M. Carregal, J. Gómez.

           Stercorarius skua. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X.  Dieguez.






Puffinus mauretanicus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X.  Dieguez.

Larus michahellis. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X.  Dieguez.

             Morus bassanus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.

Pardela pichoneta Puffinus puffinus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X.  Dieguez.

Puffinus puffinus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.

Puffinus puffinus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.

Morus bassanus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.

 Phalacrocorax aristotelis. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.
Morus bassanus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. Gómez.
Stercorarius skua. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. Gómez.
Puffinus puffinus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. Gómez.
 Morus bassanus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. Gómez.

Stercorarius skua. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. Gómez.

 Puffinus mauretanicus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. Gómez.

Chlidonias  niger. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J.  Gómez.

Tursius truncatus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. Gómez.
Tursius truncatus. 21/09/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. M. Carregal.




Monday, August 4, 2014

26/07/2014: Balearics and a Wilson's!

In this first pelagic of July, we left the harbour of O Grove early in the morning excited by the good weather forecast. There was a good visibility and high temperatures throughout the cruise, but we were somewhat worried about the NE wind. 

As we left the port we saw a flock of common swifts and while sailing through the 'ria' of Arousa towards its mouth we saw many yellow-legged and Mediterranean gulls, European shags and a peregrine falcon flying to the NW in the mussel rafts. 

Balearic shearwaters appeared soon and were able to enjoy their shallow dives near the boat. Off Sálvora island a group of common dolphins traveled also with us next to the bow, and a sooty shearwater and several Sandwich terns were spotted too. Once in the 'chumming' places (12 nm offshore), a Wilson's storm petrel, a single great skua, more Balearic shearwaters and sunfish approached to the boat. 

In the way back, once in the 'ria', there was also a lonely bottlenose dolphin. 

Here below is the detailed list of species, with highlights in bold and approximate numbers in italics:


SEABIRDS  GALICIA26/07/2014
Latin nameEnglish nameN 
Puffinus mauretanicusBalearic shearwater56
Puffinus griseusSooty shearwater2
Oceanites oceanicusWilson's storm-petrel1
Phalacrocorax carboGreat cormorant6
Phalacrocorax aristotelisEuropean shag231
Morus bassanusNorthern gannet21
Stercorarius skuaGreat skua3
Larus melanocephalusMediterranean gull5
Chroicocephalus ridibundusBlack-headed gull2
Larus michahellisYellow-legged gull1062
Larus fuscusLesser black-backed gull9
Larus marinusGreat black-backed gull3
Sterna sandvicensisSandwich tern 2
Apus apusCommon swift10
Falco peregrinusPeregrine falcon1
Delphinus delphisCommon dolphin24
Tursiops truncatus Bottlenose dolphin1
Mola molaSunfish1


And some photos (c) Xoán Diéguez, Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero, Cosme Damián Romay, Atocha Ramos ans José Luis Lorenzo:

The pattern. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.
Some participants in the pelagic. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c)
 J. L. Lorenzo.

Some participants in the pelagic. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c)
 J. L. Lorenzo.
Some participants in the pelagic. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c)
 J. L. Lorenzo.
Northen gannet Morus bassanus and great skua  Stercorarius skua. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.
Northen gannet Morus bassanus .26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.
Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.

Wilson's storm-petrel  Oceanites oceanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.
Wilson's storm-petrel  Oceanites oceanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.

Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.
Balearic shearwater  Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.

Balearic shearwater  Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) J. L. Lorenzo.

Northern gannet Morus bassanus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero.
Northen gannet Morus bassanus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xosé L. Fernández Carnero.
European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xoán Diéguez.

Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) C.D. Romay.

Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xoán Diéguez.
Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) C.D. Romay.

Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia. (C) X. L. Fernández Carnero.
Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia. (C) X. L. Fernández Carnero.

Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Atocha Ramos.
Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Atocha Ramos.
Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus and yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Atocha Ramos.
Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xoán Diéguez.
Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xoán Diéguez.

Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia. (C) X. L. Fernández Carnero.


Wilson's storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) C.D. Romay.

Wilson's storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xoán Diéguez.

Great skua Stercorarius skua. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.
Great skua Stercorarius skua. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) C.D. Romay.
Great skua Stercorarius skua. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xoán Diéguez.
Common dolphin Delphinus delphis. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Xoán Diéguez.

Common dolphin Delphinus delphis. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Atocha Ramos.


Sunfish Mola mola. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) Atocha Ramos.
Sunfish Mola mola. 26/07/2014. SW Galicia (c) C.D. Romay.