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Monday, July 29, 2013

20/07/2013 - two Arctic Skuas, another Wilson and a freed Gannet

On Saturday 20th July 2013 another pelagic trip aboard of 'Chasula' was performed. The boat was full when we left O Grove harbour at 8:00 a.m. Sky was cloudy and sea and wind were calm. First bird species were soon noted (Mediterranean gull, great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull, little egret, grey heron, among other species), and first sightings of Cory's shearwater, Balearic shearwater and Arctic skua (first of 'autumn' migration) at the mouth of the 'ría' of Arousa. Sea was still calm and the forecast for the pelagic was presumably 'comfortable'. Hundreds of gulls were feeding at the horizon, suggesting food supply (in this case swimming crabs Polybius henslowii) near shoreline. Gannet passage by that time was good, and there was no evidence of the 'blank' between 3 and 12 nm offshore: only a couple of birds and two common dolphins were seen! First chum, 12 nm off W Ons island, was not successful at all, and the skipper decided to go northwards, till 12 nm off Sálvora island. In this second chumming, one or two Wilson's storm petrels, an European storm petrel, some great skuas and dozens of gulls showed well, and sun, mussels and albariño wine made photographers happy. Back route was quite up to 2 nm off Couso point (Ribeira), with hundreds of gulls feeding on swimming crab 'flocks', along with Cory's and Balearic shearwaters and five common dolphins. Short after sailing inside the 'ría' by North channel, an immature Northern gannet was seen entagled alive in a fish net. We managed to pick up both the bird and the net and, with a knife, freed the gannet from its torture, releasing it into the wild with apparently no damage. Fish net was carried to harbour. A flock of 35 Balearic shearwaters near Rúa island was highly appreciated by photographers in our way to O Grove harbour.

Here you are the complete list of sightings. In bold, highlights. In italics, approximate numbers:


Latin nameEnglish nameTOTAL (non repeated)Notes
Melanitta nigraCommon scoter10Migration southwards
Calonectris diomedeaCory's shearwater9Low number
Puffinus mauretanicusBalearic shearwater69Good number; high proportion of juveniles
Hydrobates pelagicusEuropean storm petrel1Low number (cf with June pelagic)
Oceanites oceanicusWilson's storm petrel1Moulting
HydrobatidaeUnidentified storm petrel1Possibly Oceanites oceanicus
Phalacrocorax carboGreat cormorant4Early in the season
Phalacrocorax aristotelisEuropean shag80Very low number
Morus bassanusNorthern gannet42One of the freed from a fish net (see pictures)
Ardea cinereaGrey heron1
Egretta garzettaLittle egret1
Stercorarius skuaGreat skua7'Average' number (cf with June pelagic)
Stercorarius parasiticusArctic skua2First of 'autumn' passage
Stercorarius sp.Unidentified skua1Possibly Stercorarius skua
Larus melanocephalusMediterranean gull6Five adults and one immature
Larus ridibundusBlack-headed gull1Low number
Larus michahellisYellow-legged gull1487Great group W of Sálvora island, feeding on swimming crabs
Larus fuscusLesser black-backed gull351Lots of birds in the group of gulls W of Sálvora island, feeding on swimming crabs
Larus marinusGreat black-backed gull2Adults, one of the apparently holding territory
Sterna hirundoCommon tern3Adults
Motacilla albaWhite wagtail1




Delphinus delphisCommon dolphin7Two individuals and a party of five




Prionace glaucaBlue shark1


And some pictures, (c) Germán Ibarra, José Luis Lorenzo "Colón", Xoán Diéguez and Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Common scoter (Melanitta nigra), migrating, 20/07/2013, off Couso point, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c)
José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c)
Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Wilson's storm petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c)
José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c)
José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez.
Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), adult moulting, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Balearic shearwater (Puffinus mauretanicus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis), 20/07/2013, 2 nm off Couso point, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea borealis), 20/07/2013, 2 nm off Couso point, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, North channel of the 'ría' of Arousa, near Aguiño, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), juvenile, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), immature, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), juvenile, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), juvenile, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), adult, colour-ringed, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), adult, colour-ringed, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), adult, colour-ringed, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), adult, colour-ringed, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), subadult, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), near-adult bird, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Yellow-legged (Larus michahellis) and lesser-black backed gulls (L. fuscus), 20/07/2013, off Couso point, Ribeira (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Adult yellow-legged (Larus michahellis) (background) and lesser-black backed gull (L. fuscus) (moulting), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".


Juvenile yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) fighting for food, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Moulting yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Moulting yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez.

European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), 20/07/2013, Sálvora islands (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez.

European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), 20/07/2013, Sálvora islands (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

European shags(Phalacrocorax aristotelis), 20/07/2013, Sálvora islands (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Common tern (Sterna hirundo), adult, 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Great skua (Stercorarius skua) behind an adult lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Germán Ibarra.

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xosé Luis Fernández Carnero.

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) Xoán Diéguez.

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".

Great skua (Stercorarius skua), 20/07/2013, 12 nm W of Sálvora island (SW Galicia) (c) José Luis Lorenzo "Colón".