Seabirds Galicia - Pelagics (2011-2015): 2014

Friday, December 19, 2014

20.12.2014. Christmas' boat trip by the 'ria' of Arousa.

Eurasian oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus. Ría de Arousa, SW Galicia (c) Xoán Diéguez.

Due agenda issues with our boat 'Chasula', the next trip of Seabirds Galicia will be held on 20th December 2014, with departure and arrival to the marina of Cabo de Cruz (Boiro, A Coruña). The geographic coordinates are 42º36 '6 "N: 08º 53 '3"W (Boiro A Coruña.).

This trip will be performed within the 'ria' of Arousa, where we can observe wintering birds as red-breasted mergansers (Mergus serrator) and black-necked grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), with great concentrations, amongst the highest of Galicia and Spain. In this route you can see also crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus), common scoters (Melanitta nigra), waders, cormorants, spoonbills, herons, egrets and oystercatchers roosting on islets.

We also announce the second route this winter, towards the fantastic bay of A Lanzada, well known in Galicia due the wintering divers (great northern Gavia immer and black-throated G. arctica), common scoters, razorbills (Alca torda), Sandwich terns (Sterna sandvicensis), Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) and even great skuas (Stercorarius skua).

And, with a little bit of luck, bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) will be seen aswell.

Come on, and book your 'seat'!: seabirdsgalicia@gmail.com.

Razor-billed auk Alca torda. Ría de Arousa, SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernández Carnero.

Friday, October 17, 2014

11/10/2014: a great list.

As usual, the "Chasula" left the harbour of O Grove by dawn.

As we head offshore, we began to see lesser and great black-backed gulls, black-headed gulls, grey herons, little egrets, dunlins, sanderlings, cormorants, shags and Sandwich terns.

Once we passed by Sálvora island, and up to 6 nautical miles offshore, large groups of Northern gannets of all ages approached the boat along with huge flocks of gulls that gave color and life to the drab blue.

At the 'chums' we enjoyed a great frenzy of shearwaters: great, sooty, Manx and Balearic shearwater. A nice 'trio' of skuas popped up: great, Pomarine and Arctic, along with some European storm-petrels.

In the last point of the route the gannets were still going on, and, remarkably, a flock of pipits flew over our heads. No less than 70 common dolphins were seen playing and interacting with the boat for nearly an hour... and even a couple came to copulate near the 'Chasula'!

Some bottlenose dolphins and 2 sunfish were also spotted...

It was an unforgettable day!

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

SEA-BIRDS GALICIA	11/10/2014
Scientífic name	TOTAL
*Puffinus puffinus*	2
Calonectris diomedea	4
*Puffinus gravis*	38
Puffinus mauretanicus	25
Puffinus griseus	9
Hydrobates pelagicus	5
Hydrobatidae	1
Phalacrocorax carbo	20
Phalacrocorax aristotelis	687
Morus bassanus	651
Ardea cinerea	5
Egretta garzetta	8
Calidris alba	25
Calidris alpina	8
Stercorarius skua	16
*Stercorarius pomarinus*	3
*Stercorarius parasiticus*	2
Larus melanocephalus	155
Larus ridibundus	81
Larus michahellis	2859
Larus fuscus	89
Larus marinus	6
Sterna hirundo	4
Sterna sandvicensis	8
*Anthus sp.*	12
Motacilla alba	1
Corvus corone	5

Delphinus delphis	77
Tursius truncatus	14

Mola mola	2

An some pictures of the trip, (c) Xoán Diéguez, X. L. Fernandez Carnero, Stefán Aki Ragnarsson and Ramsés Pérez.

Chasula. 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) R. Perez.

Puffinus gravis. 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.

Morus bassanus. 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.

Larus marinus. 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.

Puffinus griseus 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. Dieguez.

Puffinus griseus 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernandez Carnero.

Puffinus gravis. 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernandez Carnero.

Morus bassanus. 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernandez Carnero.

Sterna hirundo 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernandez Carnero.

Larus melanocephalus 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernandez Carnero.

Delphinus delphis 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernandez Carnero.

Puffinus mauretanicus 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernandez Carnero.

Calonectris diomedea 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) X. L. Fernandez Carnero.

Puffinus griseus 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) S. A. Ragnarsson.

Puffinus gravis. 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) S. A. Ragnarsson.

Stercorarius pomarinus. 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) S. A. Ragnarsson.

Delphinus delphis 11/10/2014. SW Galicia (c) S. A. Ragnarsson.

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

Puffinus puffinus

Calonectris diomedea

Puffinus mauretanicus

Phalacrocorax carbo