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July 24th-25th: Cory's and Great Shearwaters

7/25/2016

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Observers: Antonio Sandoval (24th and 25th), Ricardo Hevia (24th) and Alfonso Valderas (24th)

Wind: NE both days

Not much to count in these two days. The evening of 24th there was a passage of 130 Cory's Shearwaters / hour and 12 Great Shearwaters / hour. The following day 5 Great Skuas were watched, one of them chasing Cory's Shearwaters over a pod of dozens of Common Dolphins. Cory's numbers were similar to those of the previous day, but only 2 Great  Shearwaters were watched.

Instead, there was a nice passage of sailing vessels, including this one from Australia, the Katherine:
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​We don't watch many australian vessels in Galicia...
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​July 21th-23th: First Long-tailed Skua & Fulmar, and a few Great Shearwaters

7/23/2016

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Observers: Antonio Sandoval (21th, 22th, 23th), Javier Ramos Villena (22th, 23th), Alfonso Valderas (23​th)
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The evening of 21th (NW Wind) Cory's passage was close to 160-h, and 1 Pomarine, 1 Arctic and 2 Great Skuas were counted in 2 hours. Also a few Whimbrels, as well as 5 Balearic Shearwaters, and a few Northern Gannets.

22th (WN wind) was nice for Common Scoters in the morning: 151 in several groups in 3 hours. The afternoon and evening were nice instead for Great Shearwaters (18), and for the first groups of commic Tern (24) and Bar-tailed Godwit (40) of the season. A Scopoli's Shearwater was also watched, as well as 5 Pomarine, 3 Arctic and 3 Great Skuas, 1 Mediterranean Gull, Dunlins, Manx and Balearic Shearwaters, etc.

23th (NNE wind) started with a Fulmar during the sun-up, and the first Long-tailed Skua of the year one hour later. It was a nice day for Cory's (1,416 in 7 hours) and Great Shearwaters (34). The evening produced 4 Great Skuas, 1 Pomarine and 1 Arctic. Only 1 Sooty and 6 Manx Shearwaters were watched. 
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During the three days Common Dolphins were abundant in the area, several times feeding in company of Cory's and Gannets.
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The Lighthouse from the main road of the headland - Antonio Sandoval
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July 15-17th: E winds + Fog = no passage

7/17/2016

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Observer: Antonio Sandoval Rey

Truly boring days, with strong E winds keeping seabirds far from the headland.

Only several gropus of Common Scoter in the mornings and a movement of 50 Balearic Shearwaters / hour eastwards in the morning of 17th before the fog appeared for the rest of the day. 
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Antonio Sandoval Rey
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http://www.meteogalicia.es/observacion/satelite/sateliteDiaActual.action?tipo=hrviberia&hora=ultima
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Jul 12th: NW winds bring in 55 Great Shearwaters

7/13/2016

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Observers: Antonio Martínez Pernas and Ricardo Hevia Barcón

Very nice seabird passage this afternoon and evening in 4 h: 2,300 Cory's, 55 Great Shearwaters, 11 Manx Shearwaters, 11 Pomarines and the first Little Tern of the season on the move. 
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Great Shearwater - Antonio Martínez Pernas
Also Whimbrels, Common Scoters, Northern Gannets (250/h), Arctic Skua, Balearic Shearwaters and Sooty Shearwaters.
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Pomarine Skuas - Antonio Martínez Pernas
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July 8-10th: 1st juv Balearic & 1st juv Medgulls

7/11/2016

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Red-billed Chough - Antonio Sandoval
Observers: Antonio Sandoval, Daniel Fernández, Pablo Pita

Red-billed Chough visits to the Observatory were welcome all through these days, as the seabird passage was a bit poor, due to the NE winds.

Anyway, on 8th a few Mediterranean Gulls were on the move:
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Antonio Sandoval
The first two juveniles of the season of this beautiful gull was seen the following day. Also the first juvenile Balearic Shearwater and a Common Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). The usual pods of Common Dolphins and Harbour Porpoise also visited the area. Cory's Shearwater and Northern Gannet's passage was below 100 birds/hour.
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The path to the Observatory - Antonio Sandoval
The soundtrack of the dawn of 10th were the songs of Melodious Warblers:
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Melodious Warbler - Antonio Sandoval
Dartford Warblers, instead, were mostly silent, hiding in the Common Gorse:
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Antonio Sandoval
During the night only one British Storm Petrel had been caught in the ringing net by Pablo Pita.

​At sea the seabird movement kept poor, even when the wind changed to NW. At least one Pomarine Skua was a nice sighting, as these birds always are!
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July 1-3, 2016: restarting with Pomarines

7/4/2016

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Observer: Antonio Sandoval Rey

The seawatching season started this year with an evening 2-hs count with WNW wind:

2 Pomarine Skuas - S. pomarinus
2 Great Skuas - S. skua
102 Cory's Shearwaters - C. diomedea
3 Balearic Shearwaters - P. mauretanicus
1 Manx Shearwater - P. puffinus
91 Northern Gannets - M. bassanus

The weather was autumn-like. Here they say it's "julyember":
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Antonio Sandoval Rey
The following day, July 2, the weather improved (still NW)...
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Antonio Sandoval Rey

​...and so did the seabird passage, during the 5 h count (morning, afternoon and evening):

3 Great Shearwaters 
- P. gravis
1,801 Cory's Shearwaters - C. diomedea
2 Sooty Shearwaters 
- P. griseus
3 Manx Shearwaters 
- P. puffinus
4 Balearic Shearwaters 
- P. mauretanicus
2 Pomarine Skuas 
- S. pomarinus
2 Great Skuas 
- S. skua
1 Kittiwake 
- R. tridactyla
2 Mediterranean Gulls 
- L. melanocephalus

Also pods of Bottlenose and Common Dolphins, and Harbour Porpoises.

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​July 3 was a bit boring, as the wind changed to NE. 

There was not much to count. A British Storm Petrel and a few Sandwhich Terns flying eastwards, and a soft passage of c. 200 Cory's Shearwaters / h in the morning, but very few later. Instead, it was a good chance to photograph land birds such as this Cirl Bunting:


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Antonio Sandoval Rey
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    Who we are

    The main birders at Estaca de Bares cape, in alphabetical order:

    - Ricardo Hevia Barcón
    - Pablo Gutiérrez Varga
    - Daniel López Velasco
    - David Martínez Lago
    - Antonio Martínez Pernas
    - Pablo Pita Criado
    - Antonio Sandoval Rey
    - Alfonso Valderas Farfante

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