September 9th 2008

Mini Cruise Bay of Biscay Day Two
I’m an old hand at this game so wasted no time when we docked in getting too Santurtzi Hill and getting soaked. It was obvious that there had been a fall of migrants with Wheatear 3, Willow Warbler 14, Spotted Flycatcher 2, Pied Flycatcher 16, Tree Pipit 10 around the cottage and picnic area half way up supported by a local Cirl bunting female, Sardinian Warbler 2, Melodious Warbler 2, Red-backed Shrike 3 and Stonechats 10. Further down the hill there were more Willow Warblers 10+, Blackcap, Turtle Dove, Garden Warbler 2, Firecrest, Pied Flycatcher 6, Serin 3, Cetti’s Warbler, another Sardinian Warbler and Zitting Cisticola 2. The bird of the morning was the Spotless Starling seen perched near the farm showing well and its been a few trips since I have seen one on the hill. Returning to the docks a male Black Redstart had been found by other birders near the railway bridge entrance and back on board there were Common Sandpiper, Turnstone 2, and Spotted Redshank in harbor along with thousands of Yellow-legged Gulls while the ship it self was attracted to the local Greenfinches and Chaffinches feeding on tit bits given by the passengers.
We set sail with the wind increasing from the south and within 20 minutes of leaving we had the first of three groups of Sabine’s Gull with parties of 4, 16 & 7 followed by a party of 15 Cory Shearwaters resting on the surface and 2 Balearic Shearwater ten minutes later going north. Over the next hour I had a small party of Common Dolphins (10+), Striped Dolphin 8, Sooty Shearwater being mobbed by two Great Skua, 20 Cory’s Shearwater and Cuvier’s beaked Whale 2 showing there pinkish heads and brown bodies then things were quiet for a while until 5 Common Dolphins started bow riding and while watching this I managed to see a Little Shearwater on the surface which fluttered out of the way, going down the port side. Activity increased late afternoon when a Sooty Shearwater 2, Grey Phalarope 3, Great Skua 4 and Common Tern went past with in a short period of each other then the first of 24 Fin Whales showed followed by 6 Long-finned Pilot Whales, 14 Bottled-nosed Dolphins and Sunfish 2 but all this activity was put on the back burner when an all dark petrel flew past heading south. It was unformed dark, forked tail showing no wing or rump pattern and had the size, shape and flight of Leach’s so presumably it was either a had dark pigmentation or was oiled. Still it got the heart beat racing and Leach’s is most unusual in the bay. Birds on board were a Chaffinch, Wheatear, Greenfinch and Yellow Wagtail.

Richard