'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.