Observers: Antonio Sandoval Rey, Ricardo Hevia Barcón, Antonio Martínez Pernas, Pablo Pita, Amaia Alzaga, Pablo Lado, Rubén Moreno-Opo, José María Fernández Zapata, Diego García Ventura, Isabel García-Rodeja, Óscar Bargalló and others.

Great days at Estaca de Bares. After a once again boring 26th, with all of the species typical species watched in low numbers, things started to change on 27th, the first of three with WNW winds. That day 127 Little Terns, 375 Sandwich Terns, 58 Black Terns and 238 “commic” Terns were counted in 8,30 hs, as well as 418 Bar-Tailed Godwits and several other species of waders.

On 28th the 11 h count provided VERY good sightings:

1 SOUTH POLAR SKUA – very close. First sat on water, then flying.
1 Fea’s/Zino’s Petrel
1 Northern Fulmar
2 Red Crested Pochards (1st sighting in Estaca; rare in Galicia)
60 Arctic Skuas
29 Pomarine Skuas
23 Great Skuas
2 Long Tailed Skuas
259 Sandwich Terns
127 Little Terns
53 Black Terns 
34 “commic” Terns116 Manx Shearwaters
409 Cory’s Shearwaters
17 Sooty Shearwaters
15 Balearic Shearwaters
3 Great Shearwaters
116 Common Scoters
264 Bar Tailed Godwits
79 Oystercatchers
​Etc.

On 29th the movement was even better for some species. In 8,15 hs we counted for instance 107 Arctic Skuas, 8 Long Tailed Skuas, 40 Pomarine Skuas or 1,489 Cory’s Shearwaters.

On 30th winds blew again from NE and numbers plummeted. But at least one Sabine’s Gull was watched in the evening count.

Observers: Antonio Sandoval Rey, Ricardo Hevia Barcón, Isabel García-Rodeja and others

​Only a few birds on the move these days. Calms and NE winds returned, and it was rainy and foggy on 24th and 25th. Consecuently the sea was not as full of birds as on last weekend. The most interesting sightings were the first Wrynecks of the season at the headland on 23th, a nice passage of Little Tern in groups of up to 15 birds on 22th and 23th, and the arrival of several Wheateaters on 24th. 24 Arctic Skuas were counted in a total of 17 hours of count all through these days, with daily sightings, as well as 12 Pomarines and 14 Bonxies. Also a few Great and Sooty Shearwaters, and low numbers of all of the usual species here, as well as some groups of Oystercarcher and Bar-tailed Godwit.

The morning of 24th there was a "Pokemon-cloud" over the horizon. You never know what are you going to find here at Estaca de Bares...

Observers: Antonio Sandoval Rey, Ricardo Hevia, Enrique Carballal, Pierre Crouzier, Pablo Pita, Isabel García-Rodeja, Pablo Lado, David Martínez Lago, Antonio Gutiérrez, Pablo Gutiérrez, Carla Soaje, Daniel Monteagudo and others.

The passage of the front proved to be quite productive!

On 20th, with the wind blowing from W, the 1st Fea’s type Petrel of the season was found at 19:00 (local hour). A bit later the 2nd Northern Fulmar flew far. Skua numbers were the higuest up to now this year, with 44 Pomarines, 28 Arctic, 2 Long-tailed and 22 Bonxies. Another Grey Phalarope was found, and the Bar-tailed Godwit migration went on with several groups. Cory’s were also nice to count: 576 in 11,30 hours. Manx Shearwaters also started to build up good numbers. The total for Sandwich Tern was 176.

On 21th the wind blowed from NE, but with little force. In 8,30 h count we watched 46 Arctic Skuas, 21 Pomarines, 5 Long-tailed and 35 Bonxies. A Sabine´s Gull was seen in the afternoon. But the best was to find TWO! Fea’s type Petrels in the evening, as the Cory’s (1,824 were counted) were started to form huge rafts. Another Northern Fulmar flew very close to land. Great Shearwater numbers were instead low: only 6. Sooty Shearwaters: 55. Sandwich terns: 176. 
​
The best of all is that there were a lot of birders at the headland to enjoy this great seabird passage:

Observers: Antonio Sandoval Rey, Ricardo Hevia, Quique Carballal, Pablo Lado & others

On 16th winds changed to SW and passage started to improve, with huge flocks of Bar Tailed Godwit and a few skuas. The following day 382 Common Scoters and more godwits were counted in 8 hs, as well as 12 Pomarine Skuas, 1 juv. Long Tailed Skua, 3 Arctic Skua and 9 Bonxies. Also a few ”Commic” Terns, and several species of waders.

Aug. 18th blew from E again, but the wind was not strong. At sundown 20 Pomarines, 15 Bonxies, 1 Long Tailed and 8 Arctic Skuas had been counted. Also 3 Great Shearwaters. The passage of Cory’s was nice all through the day.
​
Aug 19th started with heavy rains from the SW and quite a lot of waders on the move (Dunlins, Turnstones, Whimbrels, Black Tailed Godwits, Grey plovers…), but by mid morning the sun returned. By the end of the day, after 11,30 hs counting, we had watched 334 “Commic” Terns, 171 Sandwich Terns, 20 Arctic Skuas, 5 Pomarines and 13 Bonxies. The first Grey Phalarope of the season was observed at 20.00 h. Instead, Shearwater passage was poor.
​

Observers: Antonio Sandoval Rey, Luca Bergamaschi, Alfonso Valderas, Antonio Plata, Óscar Llama, Mar Caruncho, Quique Carballal, David Calleja.

NE wind kept blowing through these days, and it was foggy during the afternoon and evening of 13th, 14th and 15th. So seabird passage was not the best. The main sightings were 3 Great Shearwaters on 10th and 3 Great Skuas on 13th, as well as the arrival of huge numbers of Willow Warblers on 13th, together with the first Common Redstart and Common Whitethroat of the season.

Observers: Antonio Sandoval Rey, Alfonso Valderas Farfante, Ricardo Hevia Barcón, Xurxo Pinheiro, Ramón Tenreiro, Luca Bergamaschi, Antonio Platas

Boring days at the headland due to the NE winds. On 5th still 2 Long-tailed Skuas, 6 Great Shearwaters and a few Manx Shearwaters in the evening, but on 6th nd 7th numbers were very low for all the species. The first young Pomarine Skua of the year was watched on 8th, as well as 2 Great Shearwaters and a few Common Scoters. On 9th the first Black Tern was watched during the morning count, and the first young Northern Gannet in the evening, as well as 1 Long Tailed Skua, 3 Little Terns, a few “Commic Terns” and 1 Sandwhich Tern. Manx Shearwater passage kept low but regular.

Our friend Xurxo Pinheiro visited us on 5th and 6th:

Observers: Ricardo Hevia Barcón, Alfonso Valderas Farfante, Daniel Monteagudo, Carla Soaje, Pablo Pita

On August 3th the wind changed to NW for 48 hours, but the passage was not as good as expected. Instead, it was very similar to that of the preceding days. On 4th 9 Pomarines and 5 Arctic Skuas were counted in the evening, as well as 36 Manx Shearwaters and only 11 Sandwhich Terns.

Things are not expected to change in the followng week, as the winds will start to blow from NE again. 

On 3th this Japanese vessel sailed off the headland. You don't watch many Japanese vessels in this side of the world!

Observers: Antonio Sandoval Rey, Alfonso Valderas Farfante, Ricardo Hevia Barcón, Antonio Martínez Pernas

Not much to watch al through these six days, as the wind kept blowing from NE. 

Only a few Great Shearwaters, the usual Cory's and Northern Gannets, and groups of waders (Dunlin, Knot, Turnstone...). Skua passage was only nice on 30th, with 10 Pomarines and 1 Long-tailed. On 31th there was a little movement of Manx Shearwaters. Not many Terns...