2004 CETACEAN SIGHTINGS
14 - 17 September 2004 - Company of Whales and Bird Watching Magazine aboard Pride of Bilbao
44 Fin Whales, 1 Sei Whale (our first for 2004), 1 Northern Bottlenose Whale (our second for 2004), 2 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 58 Bottlenose Dolphins, 575 Common Dolphins, 150 Striped Dolphins, 7 unidentified large rorqual whales, 5 Ocean Sunfish, 50+ Tuna sp. and 20+ Atlantic Flying Fish. Seabirds included another Little Shearwater, 13 Great Shearwaters, 8 Cory's Shearwaters, 7 Sooty Shearwaters, 5 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Sabine's Gull, a Leach's Petrel, 36 Storm Petrels, 12 Bonxies, 2 Pomarine Skuas, 1 Arctic Skua and 2 Black Terns. Birds recorded on or from the ship included a superb Hobby, 2 'flava' Wagtails and 40 Meadow Pipits. Our walk in Spain was full of event once again - the undoubted highlight being two adult Golden Eagles - another first for us on 'the hill'. The juvenile Woodchat was still present and we also recorded 30+ Griffon Vultures, 3 Red-backed Shrikes, Wryneck, Sardinian, Melodious, Cetti's and Fan-tailed Warblers, Black and Common Redstarts, 20+ Pied Flycatchers and 20+ Serins. Butterflies included Adonis Blue, Speckled Wood and Clouded Yellow.
11 - 14 September 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
A quick moving depression through the region gave us very strong winds and heavy swells for two days and made viewing extremely difficult to say the least! Nevertheless, hardy souls were rewarded with 8 Fin Whales, 12 Pilot Whales, 230 Common Dolphins, 20 Striped Dolphins, 18 unidentified large rorqual whales and 3 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds had certainly picked up compared with recent trips and we were recorded a Little Shearwater, 5 Great Shearwaters, 4 Cory's Shearwaters, 2 Mediterranean Shearwaters, 16 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Sabine's Gulls, 2 Storm petrels, 1 Pomarine Skua and 20 Bonxies. In Spain we recorded a juvenile Woodchat Shrike - the second in the space of just four days and only our second for the 'hill'. We also recorded 15 Griffon Vultures, Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Sardinian, Melodious, Cetti's and Fan-tailed Warblers, 20+ Pied Flycatchers and a couple of Ravens. Butterflies included Adonis and Holly Blues, Speckled Wood and Clouded Yellow. We also recorded a Wood Mouse and several Wall Lizards.
7 - 10 September 2004 - Company of Whales and Bird Watching Magazine aboard Pride of Bilbao
46 Fin Whales, 1 Minke Whale, 2 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 4 Risso's Dolphins, 72 Common Dolphins, 155 Striped Dolphins, 2 Harbour Porpoise, 13 unidentified large rorqual whales and 28 Ocean Sunfish. Strong easterly winds meant very few seabirds were in the Bay but we recorded 1 Sooty Shearwater, 5 Storm Petrels, 4 Sabine's Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns, 6 Common Terns, 1 Arctic Tern, 6 Black Terns, 16 Bonxies and 1 Arctic Skua. Birds recorded on or from the ship included 3 Grey Herons, 1 Osprey, 2 Kestrels, 7 Ringed Plover, 2 Golden Plover, 5 Turnstone, 1 Redshank, 1 Snipe, 1 Swallow, 1 Tree Pipit, 3 Meadow Pipits, 1 'flava' Wagtail, 2 Reed Warblers and a Firecrest - our first record for the ship. Migrant insects included 2 Hummingbird Hawkmoths and a Clouded Yellow. Our walk in Spain was superb and the hill was alive with migrants. Undoubted highlight was an adult male Woodchat Shrike - our first on the hill. We also recorded an Osprey, a ringtail Hen Harrier, a Honey Buzzard, a Peregrine, 6 Turtle Doves, 2 Hoopoes, 2 Wrynecks, 5 Tree Pipits, 12 'flava' Wagtails, 4 Black Redstarts, 6 Wheatears, 3 Whinchats, 15 Whitethroats, 3 Sardinian Warblers, 1 Melodious Warbler, 100+ Pied Flycatchers, 10 Spotted Flycatchers, 5 Red-backed Shrikes and 10 Serins. Butterflies included Adonis and Holly Blues, Speckled Wood, Large Skipper and Clouded Yellow.
4 - 7 September 2004 - Company of Whales and Bird Watching Magazine aboard Pride of Bilbao
28 Fin Whales, 1 Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 22 Bottlenose Dolphins, 85 Common Dolphins, 83 Striped Dolphins, 5 Pilot Whales, 2 Harbour Porpoise, 9 unidentified large rorqual whales and 19 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 3 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Storm Petrel, 33 Sabine's Gulls, 8 Sandwich Terns, 5 Common Terns, 1 Black Tern, 11 Bonxies, 1 Pomarine Skua, 1 Arctic Skua. Birds recorded on or from the ship included 12 Grey Herons, 20 Pintail, a Marsh Harrier, 1 Grey Plover, 1 Turnstone, 14 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Snipe, 1 Whitethroat, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Melodious Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Pied Flycatcher, 1 Collared Dove, 2 House Martins, 6 White Wagtails and a Wheatear. In Spain we recorded Little Egrets, a Peregrine, 50 Avocets, 6 Tree Pipits, Grey Wagtails, Yellow Wagtails, Redstarts, Black Redstarts, 3 Whinchat, 50 Pied Flycatchers, 10 Spotted Flycatchers, 4 Red-backed Shrikes and 20 Serin.
31 August - 3 September 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
The undisputed highlight of this crossing was a sub-adult Blue Whale, found and identified by Hugh Harrop and Clive Martin. The animal surfaced three times just 500 metres off the vessel. We also recorded 48 Fin Whales, 7 Minke Whales, 3 Sperm Whales, 6 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 28 Pilot Whales, 4 Risso's Dolphins, 37 Bottlenose Dolphins, 388 Common Dolphins, 571 Striped Dolphins, 23 Harbour Porpoise, 31 unidentified large rorqual whales, 1 unidentified beaked whale and 105 unidentified dolphins. Other marine life included an impressive tally of 22 Ocean Sunfish, a superb Swordfish hunting bait balls in at the bow, a Thresher Shark and 30+ Yellow-fin Tuna. Seabirds included 2 Great Shearwaters, 2 Cory's Shearwaters, 7 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 6 Fulmars, 52 Storm Petrels, 1 Cormorant, 8 Bonxies, 3 Arctic Skuas, 2 Kittiwakes, 5 Sandwich Terns, 9 Common Terns and 4 Black Terns. Migrants visible on or from the ship included our first-ever Rose-coloured Starling (a juvenile bird), 4 Little Egrets, 2 Knot, 2 Sanderling, 15 Turnstones, 2 Curlew, a Collared Dove, a Yellow Wagtail and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. In Spain we recorded 6 Griffon Vultures, 2 Buzzards, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Hoopoe, 12 Tree Pipits, Nightjar, Tree Pipits, 1 Redstart, 2 Black Redstarts, 1 Whinchat, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Melodious Warblers, 1 Sedge Warbler, 1 Wood Warbler, 12 Pied Flycatchers, 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 10 Red-backed Shrikes, 1 Raven and 12+ Serins. Butterflies were thin on the ground but included Adonis Blue, Wall, Grayling and Speckled Wood. Quite a trip!
28 - 31 August 2004 - Company of Whales & The Environment Agency aboard Pride of Bilbao
98 Fin Whales, 7 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 44 Bottlenose Dolphins, 803 Common Dolphins, 551 Striped Dolphins, 7 Pilot Whales, 2 Harbour Porpoise, 33 unidentified large rorqual whales, 1 unidentified beaked whale, 12 unidentified dolphins. Other marine life included 4 Ocean Sunfish and 20+ tuna. Seabirds included 1 Little Shearwater, 1 Great Shearwater, 3 Cory's Shearwaters, 4 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Fulmar, 40 Storm Petrels, 17 Cormorant, 8 Bonxies, 1 Pomarine Skua, 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Common Tern and 3 Black Terns. Migrants visible from the ship included a Wheatear and a Turnstone. In Spain we recorded a Nightjar, Tree Pipits, a Nightingale, Redstarts, Sardinian, Fan-tailed, Cetti's and Melodious Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and several Red-backed Shrikes, 3 Ravens and 20 Serins. Due to light rain in Spain butterflies were thin on the ground but we recorded Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Small White and also 2 Jersey Tiger Moths. "Blow! 12 o'clock! Just below the horizon!"
Rebecca Coales joined us on this superb trip and writes of her adventure with The Company of Whales:
"Blow! 12 o'clock! Just below the horizon!"
A yell emanates from the far side of the deck; all heads turn to scan the horizon. A faint spray rises like a puff of smoke, indicating the presence of a large whale surfacing in the rippled waters of the Bay of Biscay. Eyes strain through binoculars to pick out the graceful curve of a dark, rolling back as the whale arches. A small dorsal fin glistens momentarily in the sunlight before the whale slides below the surface, leaving a characteristic pool of shimmering water as the tail fluke plunges into the depths.
This is a routine ferry crossing, aboard the 'Pride of Bilbao', from Portsmouth to the Northern Spanish town of Santurtzi. With expert guidance, good weather and a little patience the trip can yield astonishing sights. Our three-day journey through shallow coastal waters, deep-water canyons and abyssal plains reveals almost 100 confirmed sightings of fin whales. By adding a further 33 unidentified whale sightings, this is a likely record for the Company of Whales, an organisation that has operated wildife-watching mini-cruises across the Bay since 1996. The sightings from each trip are used to learn more about the ecology of the Bay of Biscay and help in the conservation of whales and dolphins.
The Bay of Biscay harbours over a quarter of all the world's whales, dolphins and porpoises (collectively known as cetaceans). The secret lies in the diversity of underwater habitat within the Bay ranging from 150m to 4,000m in depth. The depth, temperature and circulation of water determines the distribution of food and thus in turn the presence of cetaceans. The ferry crossing provides the perfect opportunity to learn more about the behaviour of these elusive creatures. The viewing platform above the bridge, named Monkey Island, allows a 10km view in all directions in fine weather. Observations can range from the ubiquitous common dolphin to the rarely sighted True's beaked whale and blue whale.
Before hitting Monkey Island on the first day, Hugh Harrop, one of our guides and founder of the Company of Whales, gives the group some cetacean spotting tips. This includes looking for pilot whales with "dorsal fins shaped like a Smurf's hat" and Cuvier's beaked whales whose bodies resemble "floating chorizo sausage". I'm relieved when our first encounter is with the instantly recognisable bottlenose dolphin, commonly known as the 1960's TV star Flipper.
By late morning, the ship has rounded the shoulder of the Brittany coast of France and heads south towards the continental shelf, where the sea-bed plummets to 4,000m in depth, forming the underwater equivalent of the Alps. Here, marine nutrients rise from the depths providing a food bonanza for fish, whales, dolphins and birds. Above water, there is little to indicate the beginning of the shelf, but evidence of its productivity is clear as some 500 common dolphins speed towards the ship with playful exuberance. The display is breathtaking elegant, streamlined bodies leap and twirl clear of the water displaying their characteristic yellow and grey hourglass patterning. A few play in arching waves formed at the bow of the ship; then the group moves on and disappears into the depths.
The first fin whale appears in the deeper waters at the edge of the continental shelf. A tall spray of water from the whale's blowhole (often to a height of 6m) is seen as a brief white puff on the horizon. The fin whale is the second largest animal on earth (after the blue whale) and reaches up to 26m in length. The giant feeds on the tiniest of oceanic creatures, scooping up large quantities of small fish and plankton in single mouthfuls, strained against large, comb-like baleen plates. On surfacing a third time, the whale rolls into a deep dive, remains unseen for 15 minutes and returns with a sharp blow some kilometres from the stern. By this time, however, there is competition from an exhilarating display of over 100 porpoising striped dolphins on the port side of the ship. These slender, deep-water specialists curve gracefully out of the water by the dozen, their white bellies patterned by thin stripes, distinct below darkened, glistening backs.
As the sun glows deep orange on the horizon at the end of a record-breaking day with over 40 fin whale encounters, we reflect on the fact that these species are more frequently seen in the southern Bay of Biscay; that the best was yet to come.
Early the next day, the ship greets Northern Spain shrouded in a deep mist. A short walk through the damp, foggy streets of Santurtzi leads the group into the hills where peregrines cruise the skies above, and melodious warblers sing amongst the shrubs. We spot a nightjar asleep on a nearby roof; a rare sight for even the most frequent visitors to these hills.
The mist clears rapidly on our return to the ship, and within 15 minutes of leaving the Spanish coast we spot a fin whale and four Cuvier's beaked whales. A male beaked whale surfaces, displaying a grey, heavily scarred back, the product of years of fighting. This vision could indeed pass as a lump of chorizo sausage. The deep-water canyons off the coast of Northern Spain are regular haunts for these curious-looking whales with bulbous heads and goose-like beaks. The southern Bay of Biscay is abundant with fin whales 24 are sighted within 90 minutes of leaving the Spanish port. From frequent surveys of the Bay, Hugh estimates that up to 15,000 fin whales enter the Bay each summer to feed.
Another fin whale lands on our list next morning, when an individual is sighted in the shallow waters of the English Channel. Two harbour porpoises are also spotted frolicking a few hundred metres from the bow. The noisy shipping channel probably deters any other ocean wanderers from these waters. We return to a sunny, Portsmouth afternoon cheerful in the knowledge that, although our fin whale record could be beaten by the end of the next trip, the sightings would be valuable in generating a greater understanding of these majestic creatures and the diversity of life that can be found in the Bay of Biscay.
24- 27 August 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
56 Fin Whales, 4 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 75 Bottlenose Dolphins, 102 Common Dolphins, 140 Striped Dolphins, 16 unidentified large rorqual whales, 2 unidentified beaked whales, 10 unidentified dolphins and 6 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 1 Little Shearwater, 2 Great Shearwaters, 39 Cory's Shearwaters, 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 6 Manx Shearwaters, 25 Storm Petrels, 9 Bonxies, 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Little Gull, 5 Sabine's Gulls, 2 Sandwich Terns, 15 Common Terns, 4 Black Terns and 12 Commic Terns. Migrants recorded from the ship included 1 Ruff and 3 Turnstone. In Spain we recorded 11 Griffon Vultures, Shoveler, Peregrine, Tree Pipits, 'flava' Wagtail, Nightingale, Black Redstarts, Sardinian, Fan-tailed, Cetti's and Melodious Warblers, Pied Flycatchers and lots of Red-backed Shrikes. Butterflies were thin on the ground but we recorded Large White, Clouded Yellow, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown and Wall Brown.
21- 24 August 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
34 Fin Whales, 5 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 52 Bottlenose Dolphins, 284 Common Dolphins, 190 Striped Dolphins, 1 Risso's Dolphin, 18 unidentified large rorqual whales, 2 unidentified beaked whales, 3 unidentified dolphins, 9 Ocean Sunfish and 50 unidentified tuna. It was an excellent trip for seabirds which included 2 Great Shearwater, 20 Cory's Shearwater, 4 Sooty Shearwater, 8 Manx Shearwater, 260 Storm Petrels, 1 Leach's Petrel, 10 Bonxies, 1 Pomarine Skua, 5 Arctic Skua, 1 Sabine's Gull, 1 Kittiwake, 120 Common Terns, 5 Arctic Terns, 25 Black Terns. Migrants recorded on or from the boat included a superb Hoopoe in the Southern Bay, 8 Ringed Plover, 5 Grey Plover, 120 Golden Plover, 165 Knot, 16 Turnstone, 20 Dunlin, 95 Redshank and a Pied Flycatcher. In Spain we recorded a Barred Warbler, the first record for the Company of Whales, 11 Griffon Vultures, 2 Booted Eagles, 4 Common Buzzards, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Peregrine, 2 Wryneck, 1 Nightingale, 3 Black Redstarts, Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Melodious Warblers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 5 Red-necked Shrikes, 2 Ravens and 20 Serin. We recorded 17 species of butterfly including Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra, Adonis, Long-tailed, Holly and Common Blues, Painted Lady and Comma. Other insects included Green Bush Cricket and Bombardier Beetle.
17- 20 August 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
An unseasonal weather pattern which gave us very strong winds and heavy swells for two days made viewing extremely difficult to say the least. Nevertheless, 32 hardy souls braved the elements and were rewarded with 9 Fin Whales (including one which breached four times!), 4 Sperm Whales, 1 Minke Whale, a probable Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 5 Bottlenose Dolphins, 8 Common Dolphins, 30 Striped Dolphins, 7 Harbour Porpoise, 25 unidentified large rorqual whales, 3 unidentified dolphins, 1 Basking Shark and 3 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds were not surprisingly more evident and included 2 Sabine's Gulls, 1 Grey Phalarope, 19 Great Shearwaters, 40 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 8 Mediterranean Shearwaters, 6 Manx Shearwaters, 40 Storm Petrels, 25 Bonxies, 1 Black Tern, 10 Common Terns and 10 Fulmars. Migrants recorded from the ship included 1 Knot, 1 Sanderling, 11 Ringed Plovers, 1 Dunlin and 3 Turnstones. Due to the inclement weather, our arrival in Spain was slightly later than normal so we were unable to complete our normal walk. However, beautiful clear skies brought out the raptors and we enjoyed a super adult Egyptian Vulture, 6 Griffon Vultures and a Kestrel.
14- 17 August 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
47 Fin Whales, 3 Minke Whales, 1 Sperm Whale, 4 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 24 Pilot Whales, 103 Bottlenose Dolphins, 263 Common Dolphins, 175 Striped Dolphins, 7 Harbour Porpoise, 32 unidentified large rorqual whales and 80 unidentified dolphins. Other marine species included 12 Ocean Sunfish and 20+ Yellow-fin Tuna. Seabirds included 1 Little Shearwater, 40 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Manx Shearwater, 1 Fulmar, 40 Storm Petrels, 2 Bonxies, 1 Arctic Skua, 10 Common Terns and 2 Sandwich Terns. Migrants visible from the ship included 1 Black-tailed Godwit, a Pied Flycatcher and a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. In Spain we recorded Red-backed Shrikes, Serins, Griffon Vultures, Fan-tailed, Melodius and Sardinian Warblers and several Tree Pipits. Butterflies included Long-tailed and Adonis Blue, Cleopatra and Clouded Yellow.
7- 10 August 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
The highlight of this superb trip was our first-ever confirmed sightings of Pygmy Sperm Whales. Three animals were recorded in the southern Bay. This record mirrors a possible individual which was seen by Hugh Harrop, Dylan Walker, Dave Gray and Glenn Overington in August 2001. Interestingly, a single animal live-stranded at Ondarroa in the Basque Country on 24 July 2004. The distribution and abundance of Pygmy Sperm Whales is poorly known. Most information comes from strandings, the majority of which have come from North America. In north western Europe there are very few records of the species. Well done to guides Rob Still and Mike Weedon and all our guests! We also recorded 4 Northern Bottlenose Whales (our first confirmed record since 2002), 1 Killer Whale, 107 Fin Whales, 5 Sperm Whales, 3 Minke Whales, 5 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 26 Pilot Whales, 190 Bottlenose Dolphins, 160 Common Dolphins, 100 Striped Dolphins, 8 Risso's Dolphins, 12 Harbour Porpoise, 3 unidentified large rorqual whales, 276 unidentified dolphins, 150+ Yellow-fin Tuna and 12 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 3 Little Shearwaters, 20 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 8 Storm Petrels, 10 Common Scoters and 3 Bonxies. Migrants visible from the ship included 1 Sand Martin and 6 Black-tailed Godwits. In Spain we recorded Wryneck, Dartford Warbler, Melodious Warbler, Cetti's Warbler and Red-backed Shrikes. Butterflies included Large White, Small White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Small Heath, Gatekeeper, Clouded Yellow and Speckled Wood. We also recorded Wasp Spiders and a Jersey Tiger Moth.
4- 6 August 2004 - Company of Whales aboard MV Norrona to Faroe & Iceland
This pioneering trip undertaken by Hugh Harrop and Paul Harvey was sadly hampered by thick fog for around 75% of the journey. Nevertheless, an impressive 8 Fin Whales were encountered just north of the Shetland - Faroe trench. Also recorded were 4 Minke Whales, 67 White-sided Dolphins, 1 White-beaked Dolphin, 53 Harbour Porpoise and 3 unidentified dolphins.
3 - 6 August 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
57 Fin Whales, 10 Sperm Whales, 2 Minke Whales, 2 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 61 Pilot Whales, 16 Bottlenose Dolphins, 86 Common Dolphins, 125 Striped Dolphins, 17 Risso's Dolphins, several groups of breaching tuna and 4 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 80 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Sooty Shearwater, and 1 Manx Shearwater. The autumn migration is starting to pick up with 15 Bar-tailed Godwits, 20 Whimbrel / Curlew, and a steady increase in the number of Swifts crossing the Bay. The walk in Spain produced an impressive 14 species of butterfly including 3 Swallowtails, Cleopatra, Clouded Yellow, Holly Blue and Red Admiral. Other highlights included a pair of Wrynecks at their nest site, a family of Kestrels mobbing a Magpie, Stonechat families everywhere, friendly goats and a Cuckoo.
31 July - 3 August 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
58 Fin Whales, 2 Minke Whales, 2 Sperm Whales, 3 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 17 Pilot Whales, 6 Bottlenose Dolphins, 1332 Common Dolphins, 296 Striped Dolphins, 5 Harbour Porpoise, 12 unidentified large rorqual whales, 37 unidentified dolphins and 12 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 3 Cory's Shearwaters, 2 adult Sabine's Gulls and 1 Storm Petrel. In Spain we recorded 5 Red-backed Shrikes, Sardinian & Fan-tailed Warblers, Wheatears and Spotted Flycatcher. Butterflies included Long-tailed Blue, Common Grayling, Wall Brown and Marbled White..
27 - 30 July 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
59 Fin Whales, 3 Minke Whales, 1 Cuvier's beaked Whale, 39 Pilot Whales, 60 Bottlenose Dolphins, 84 Common Dolphins, 978 Striped Dolphins, 24 unidentified large rorqual whales, 2 unidentified beaked whales, 1 unidentified small whale, 85 unidentified dolphins, 6 Ocean Sunfish and 1 unidentified shark. Due to easterly winds in the Bay, seabirds were non-existent! However, birds recorded from the boat included a migrant Honey Buzzard and a Shag. In Spain we recorded an Egyptian Vulture, a Griffon Vulture, a Little Owl, a Wryneck, Tree Pipits and Sardinian Warblers. Butterflies included Wall Brown, Clouded Yellow, Marbled White and Speckled Wood.
20 - 23 July 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
17 Fin Whales, 1 probable Minke Whale, 4 Pilot Whales, 7 Bottlenose Dolphins, 246 Common Dolphins, 350 Striped Dolphins, 5 Harbour Porpoise, 50 unidentified dolphins, 10 unidentified large rorqual whales and 1 Ocean Sunfish. Birds included 3 Cory's Shearwaters, 2 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Storm Petrels. In Spain we recorded Red-backed Shrike, Hoopoe, Cuckoo and Black Redstarts. It was also an excellent morning for butterflies and we recorded a staggering 19 species including Swallowtail, Large Chequered Skipper, Lulworth Skipper, Clouded Yellow and Cleopatra.
17 - 20 July 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
11 Fin Whales, 3 Minke Whales, 6 Pilot Whales, 5 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 30 Bottlenose Dolphins, 447 Common Dolphins, 425 Striped Dolphins, 30 Harbour Porpoise, 433 unidentified dolphins, 5 unidentified large whales, 4 Ocean Sunfish, 1 unidentified shark, 1 probable Swordfish. Birds included 25 Black-tailed Godwits, a summer-plumaged Red-throated Diver (heading south on the 3000m contour!), 2 Cory's Shearwaters and 30 Storm Petrels. A migrant Hummingbird Hawk Moth was also seen from the boat. In Spain we recorded Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Melodious and Sardinian Warblers. Butterflies included Clouded Yellow and Speckled Wood.
10 - 13 July 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
24 Fin Whales, 7 Pilot Whales, 4 Bottlenose Dolphins, 15 Common Dolphins, 30 Striped Dolphins, 1 probable Sperm Whale, 1 probable Minke Whale, 23 unidentified dolphins, 22 unidentified large rorquals and 4 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 35 Storm Petrels, 1 Cory's Shearwater & 1 Balearic Shearwater.
22 - 25 June 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
15 Fin Whale, 12 Bottlenose Dolphins, 91 Common Dolphins, 136 Striped Dolphins, 2 Harbour Porpoise, 5 Unidentified dolphins, 21 Unidentified whale (mostly rorqual blows). 120 Cory's Shearwaters, 8 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Storm Petrel, 1 Sabine's Gull.
"It's nice weather - for December", Captain McFadyen announced as we rounded the Brittany Peninsula three hours behind schedule! The weather was unseasonably stormy, and a heavy swell meant that whale-watching from Monkey Island was out of the question. Instead we watched from the relative comfort and stability of the sun deck at the back of the ship. The forecast was not good for the rest of the day, but every storm cloud has a silver lining. Bad conditions for watching cetaceans are often good conditions for watching seabirds! In the wake of the ship were Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwakes, Manx Shearwaters and a lone Storm-Petrel. As we turned into the Bay of Biscay the swell dropped and we were hopeful of getting to deeper water before dark. As we sailed south we observed unseasonably large numbers of Cory's Shearwaters, arcing high above wave crests before disappearing into troughs. Then came the highlight, a very early record of a superb adult Sabine's Gull. This beautiful seabird, which breeds in the Canadian Arctic, was presumably swept in by the windy weather after a failed breeding attempt. As the day drew to a close we finally saw dolphins as a small group of 10 Common Dolphins passed close by to the ship, but it was too dark to see them properly.
On the following day the Pride of Bilbao was due to arrive around two hours behind schedule so we decided to do a dawn watch in the southern Bay of Biscay. To our relief, the sea was serenely calm as we made our way onto deck 11 at 5.30. We were still in deep water with the mountainous Spanish coast approaching fast. Cory's Shearwaters were present again, but in much larger numbers, and we had excellent views of some "ship-hugging" individuals. There were Common Dolphins too, a close-knit pod of 10 travelling past. Four larger dolphins were amongst them but we failed to identify them.
The walk in Spain was slightly shortened by our late arrival, although we recouped some time by taking a taxi ride to the edge of town. Luckily for us, our nesting Wrynecks were again on top form, as the male and female returned to the nest hole with beaks crammed with caterpillars for their hungry chicks. Butterflies were also more obliging than on the previous trip, with Adonis Blue, Large Skipper, Ringlet, Clouded Yellow and Marbled White amongst the highlights. Warblers too, were keeping us on our toes, as they let rip with various territorial songs from the scratchy Sardinian Warbler to the melodious Blackcap. In between the two, of course, was the Melodious Warbler, which despite its name only beats the monotonous Fan-tailed Warbler for melody. A rather large Glow Worm and a Bloody-nosed Beetle impressed Bug fans. Finally, we spent some time botanising, and found Hemp Agrimony, Thyme, Viper's Bugloss, Teasel, and two species of orchid, Pyramidal Orchid and Heart-tongued Serapias.
Returning northwards we were relieved to see that the sea was still calm and with ideal whale watching conditions, we headed up onto Monkey Island for the first time. After just half an hour we were watching 50 Striped Dolphins travelling past, some leaping high. Our first Fin Whale of the afternoon was amongst a convoy of local fishing vessels that we believe may have been fishing for anchovies. Could the Fin Whales also have been hunting the same fish? More Fin Whales and Striped Dolphins followed, including a mother and calf Fin Whale pair off the starboard side. In stark contrast to the previous day, sightings came thick and fast, with the longest gap between encounters during the entire day only 50 minutes. In the middle of the afternoon we found 12 Bottlenose Dolphins in very deep water over the abyssal plain just before we had our best encounter of the day. The captain kindly took the ship off course in order to obtain a closer look as four magnificent Fin Whales surfaced side-by-side. Their enormous blows shone golden in the evening sun as they changed direction in unison and followed the ship. As the sun dropped towards the skyline and we approached the shelf slope of the northern Bay once more, we started to see Common Dolphins. Over the last hour before dark they put on a magnificent display, racing into the bow in small groups to keep us entertained as the sun disappeared and a fabulous pink skyline faded.
On the final morning we headed north east through a flat English Channel. Above us the occasional swift drifted past, probably returning from a mini-break on the continent where insect feeding would have been easier than in England during a typically wet first week of Wimbledon. Also in attendance were several flocks of racing pigeons, circling the ship whilst readjusting their internal navigational equipment and heading off out to sea again. There was only one cetacean encounter but it was a very good one, as two Harbour Porpoises swam leisurely close in front of the bow. The views were exceptional as we watched them swimming through the clear water. Normally Harbour Porpoises avoid the ship, so encounters such as this are rare indeed. As we sailed back into Portsmouth we were left to reflect on another excellent trip. We had seen Biscay in all of its forms, and been wowed by its amazing wildlife once more.
19 - 22 June 2004 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao
21 Fin Whales, 11 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 610 Common Dolphins, 105 Striped Dolphins, 12 Long-finned Pilot Whales, 2 probable Harbour Porpoise.
The first mini-cruise of the year began with moderate weather conditions and a few white caps, so we were all hopeful of some good encounters with cetaceans. June is typically one of the best months to see dolphins, with large numbers congregating along the slope of the continental shelf, particularly in the northern Bay of Biscay. The early part of the afternoon of the 20th was quiet, except for the usual stream of Gannets soaring in front of Monkey Island. As we headed south a couple of probable Harbour Porpoises passed close in and we watched several French trawlers. Our first dolphins appeared at 14.40 - a pod of seven Bottlenose Dolphins were travelling fast on the starboard side.
We were approaching the shelf slope and expectations were on the up. As the water depth increased we encountered our only Long-finned Pilot Whales of the trip. A family of 12 gave us excellent views as they passed close by, the shiny black backs of mothers and calves glistening in the sun. By now the sea was calming down and the white caps had disappeared. Then came the longest encounter of the day. For half an hour we watched in amazement as 500 Common Dolphins came leaping in towards the bow. At times it was impossible not to miss dolphins, as they charged in from the left and right to play in front of us.
The captain of the Pride of Bilbao had kindly altered the course of the ship in order to increase our chances of encountering dolphins and whales. As we sailed into waters over 1,000m deep, we saw our first blow. Then another! They appeared tall and column-shaped. This could only mean one thing: a large baleen whale! Three whales were blowing ahead of the ship now as we slowly approached them. The blows were regular but slow, and many of them were quite small. Strangely, we could not see any of the back or a dorsal fin as the animals surfaced. What was going on? Eventually, as the whales drew close, we could make out the shape of their heads just below the surface. The white right lower jaw revealing that we were watching Fin Whales. The whales were clearly either resting or sleeping, as they continued to show little of themselves as we passed by, merely lifting their heads to maintain breathing whilst resting horizontally with their flippers outstretched. An amazing encounter! As we continued into deeper water we encountered several more Fin Whales, including one on its side with half of its tail flukes lifted clear of the water, a sign that the whale may have been feeding.
The following day dawned cloudy but warm as we disembarked and headed for the foothills outside Santurtzi. Meadow Brown butterflies flapped lazily over the first hedgerows as we began to walk along the country lane. A nearby bush hosted a brief Spotted Flycatcher and behind it, bold as brass, sat a Wryneck. This ancient member of the woodpecker family usually avoids obvious perches, preferring to skulk amongst the undergrowth, which matches its bark-like plumage. When the Wryneck flew we found ourselves watching it even closer, and at the nest site, an appropriately positioned hole in a dead tree. We all enjoyed fantastic views, with a Melodious Warbler trying to steal the show by singing from the same dead branch!
Despite the damp weather, birds of prey were to prove a real highlight. As we reached a bend in the road with a view inland, we watched a Buzzard circling beneath before a couple of falcons caught our eye. The lower bird was a Kestrel, but above it, slightly larger, with sickle-shaped wings, a Hobby was gaining height. We must have just missed a mid-air kill as the Hobby was labouring in flight and carrying a small bird (probably a Swift) in its talons. We watched in amazement as the Hobby flew closer whilst plucking the bird in mid-air, clouds of feathers released as if it were beating up an old cushion. As if this were not enough, a pair of Black Kites circled beneath us and a Griffon Vulture soared like a B52 Bomber over a distant hillside.
Back onboard and heading northwards once more under calm seas, we were soon amongst dolphins again. This time, they were Striped, in pods of 70, and a little later, 25. Both groups were moving at pace, swimming across the bow before turning. As usual, a few boisterous individuals were putting on the amateur dramatics, with leaps, belly flops and pirouettes. Finally we reached the deepest waters of the Bay, and started to encounter Fin Whales once more. The best encounter involved an animal on the port side, which released a cloud of brown water as we passed. Yes - it was going to the loo! Not a pleasant thing to see you might think, but this indicated that the whales were in the area to feed as well as sleep! Usually Fin Whales appear in numbers in Biscay about three weeks later than this, with an average June trip resulting in just one encounter in recent seasons. Incredibly we saw 21 Fin Whales during the trip before the weather picked up and we were forced to retire in early evening.
Our final day in the English Channel dawned calmer than anticipated but with the exception of the occasional Manx Shearwater and Fulmar, the seas were quiet. But after several hours of waiting, we were rewarded with our last, and one of our best sightings of the trip as a Bottlenose Dolphin breached repeatedly high into the air, its body twisting before landing with a big splash. With Guernsey and Alderney visible in the background, it was nice to end the trip with a cetacean sighting so close to home territory.
8 - 15 June 2004 - Bay of Biscay & Picos de Europa
As we all met for the final Biscay and Picos extravaganza of the season, the weather looked promising for a great crossing on the Pride of Bilbao. And so it proved - on Wednesday morning the sea was pretty calm, with hardly a wave to mask a rising fin, as we paid our first visit to Monkey Island (after the customary slide show and cetacean ID lesson). With such good conditions, hampered only by hazy mist over the horizon, we soon struck gold with a Minke Whale coming right beneath the bow. Once more, the unique advantage of Monkey Island was clear, as many of us got superb views of the whale under the water, including the distinct white stripes round the flippers. In a week with many great sightings, this fantastic view of a baleen whale was considered by many of us to be the highlight. The conditions got progressively calmer and calmer, and we did not have to wait too long before we were seeing our next cetaceans: a pod of Pilot Whales in exceptionally shallow waters (over the shelf) for this species. Pilots were to be a major feature of the day, with a total of 63 animals being seen by sundown. Very calm waters are needed to pick out Harbour Porpoises. These tiny cetaceans barely rise above the waves to breathe, showing just a small triangular dorsal fin and a bit of dark back. But with these flat seas, we were soon picking out groups of two or three animals, including a couple producing 'rooster-tail' splashes as they hastened to avoid our enormous ferry. Porpoises are generally regarded as inshore animals, but with these still seas we were surprisingly able to encounter them even out over the shelf edge, far from their expected depth. Wednesday's conditions also brought great numbers of Bottle-nosed Dolphins, with a total of 75 seen in the day. We were able to watch these animals carrying out some very interesting behaviour, including repeated tail-slapping while belly-up in the water and a group driving forward ahead of a pod of Pilot Whales, while repeated raising their heads clear of the water.
As the day progressed and we approached the shelf edge, we encountered our first smaller dolphins, with an interesting group of tiny juvenile striped dolphins with no accompanying adults, and a mighty 'front' of hundreds of common dolphins spread over a broad front of at least 2km. The last few hours of viewing over the shelf edge brought one of those thrilling spells Biscay is capable of throwing up. There seemed to be wave after wave of Common Dolphins (often to the bow) and Striped Dolphins, mixed feeding groups of Pilot Whales and Bottle-nosed Dolphins, and we were lucky to encounter a group of six Cuvier's Beaked Whales, followed not long after by another lone individual. Just when we were getting to thinking how lucky we were to be seeing so much, a call went up of Atlantic White-sided Dolphins. A party of at least six of these rare dolphins in Biscay was feeding in among a pod of Pilot Whales. By sunset we had about 50 encounters with eight species of cetacean, including more than 350 Common Dolphins and more than 130 Striped Dolphins. And they were still coming to the bow as we left Monkey Island...
Birds played second fiddle, with a handful of Storm Petrels, two or three Cory's Shearwaters, a couple of Manx Shearwaters, a Bonxie, a flock of 12 Common Scoters, a couple of Swifts and a resting Turtle Dove providing the main avian distractions. We were also visited by a Hummingbird Hawkmoth and saw a couple of unidentified large sharks.
There was a foggy, low-cloud start to arrival in into Spain. Once the minibuses were loaded we went straight for the marshes at Santoña, west of Bilbao. Here we got our first taste of Black Kite action, watched a Cormorant swallow an eel which seemed larger than its throat, and saw a very close and obliging Yellow Wagtail showing characteristics of the Spanish race. One or two Purple Herons gave unusually excellent views as Cetti's Warblers sang and Zitting Cisticolas 'zitted'. A few Spoonbills obliged us by feeding rather than sleeping, we all got great views of Little Egret and there were a couple of Cattle Egrets in the distant cow fields. Flowers at this site included the splendid orchid, Heart-flowered Serapias.A quick visit to the petrol station outside Santoña town allowed us side-by-side comparisons with Starlings and Spotless Starlings as we got used to the ubiquitous 'tinkling' jangle of Serin-song. From Santoña, we drove through the progressively hilly country toward the Picos. A picnic lunch stop brought Common Sandpiper and close views of a low Buzzard. The low cloud had prevented the usual range of raptor sightings en route, but all was to change at our first stop in the spectacular gorge heading to the Picos De Europa. We parked at a viewpoint with a leaping salmon statue, and the first thing we saw was a Golden Eagle moving past the ridge, followed closely by a furious, constantly-mobbing Kestrel (barely the size of the eagle's tail). Soon, another Goldie came by the same area, followed by the Kestrel's mate. The cloud cover was breaking and the thermals brought out more and more raptors, high above the Crag Martins over our heads. Griffon Vultures started gliding by and just as the group were getting used to one of the species everyone wants to see well, we picked out one of the scarce monsters of the Picos - a Black Vulture. These birds are very rare locally and this individual may be one of the two young birds seen on the April trip (see report below). This huge dark vulture drifted slowly by and over the cliff, later to drift back the other way. While it was away, we saw more Griffons and a couple of Egyptian Vultures taking advantage of the fresh thermals. A spectacular highlight was to see one of the Golden Eagles (with attendant Kestrel) grappling claw to claw with a Griffon Vulture. What an introduction to the best of Picos raptor action! We were all still buzzing as we proceeded on toward the Parador at Fuente De, picking up tantalising views of Dipper along the way as well as the odd Hummingbird Hawkmoth. As we arrived at the Parador, Griffons were still patrolling the high ridges alongside flocks of high Alpine Choughs.
The weather was clear and fine for our first morning at Fuente De and a few of us went for an early stroll behind the nearby village of Espinama. A glorious male Red-backed Shrike was waiting for us by the parking spot, and we were soon seeing Black Redstarts and Serins and seeing salamander tadpoles in the puddly trickle of a stream alongside the track. Great weather is an open invitation to head for the tops, take the earliest cable car and shoot 800m up in five minutes to the plateau at 1,800m. These high areas are always a special place to be with their unique flora and fauna. Our group were soon getting used to the spiralling song flight of Water Pipits and trying to pick out singing Black Redstarts and Wheatears from the boulders. Highlights from this superb place included very close views of a breeding pair of Alpine Accentors as well as close Snowfinch action. The real highs, however, came from three bird species. Firstly, a mixed group of at least a dozen Griffon Vultures and at least one splendid adult Egyptian Vulture dropped down to a carcass (irritatingly just out of sight), not far from one of the main tracks. Seeing them spiral down was brilliant, but it was topped by their exit. The (now full) vultures, some clearly with blood-matted heads and necks, could not get enough lift from the dip they were in. So they flew a short distance to some low rocks and climbed up the rocks like a party of Turkeys, forming a disorderly queue before take-off form a higher point. Some paused to hang their wings out like Cormorants, while the rest just queued and went. The other great highlight was a reward for much patience: a single Wallcreeper among the boulders and flashing red, black and white as it flew - half-bird, half-butterfly - back to the cliff-face. Some of our party got a rude awakening while waiting for the Wallcreeper to return, when a Chamois fell 20 feet from the cliff behind them, regained its footing and pounded straight past them at Cheetah pace! Back-up fare on the high peaks came from the sublime display of flowers including Alpine Toadflax (a mini snap-dragon), and Trumpet and Spring Gentians and brief glimpses of Snow Vole. A quick after-lunch dibble in one of the high ponds brought Alpine Newt and Midwife Toad plus splendid views of an emerging Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly.
Our early morning walk on Saturday took us up the track behind Fuente De, into the beechwoods. Before we left, we had a chance to admire the spectacular gathering of moths drawn by the night lights to the Parador walls. Lime and Small Elephant Hawkmoths were among the many species which draw a constant stream of Nuthatches, Redstarts, Black Redstarts and White Wagtails to devour them. Our walk brought brief glimpses of a couple of the many singing Firecrests and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. During this rather overcast day of low cloud our main destination was Lebeña. On the way, we stopped on the road up to Brez. The hills there are rich in small birds and there seemed a particular abundance of male Red-backed Shrikes on the way up. A brief stop brought lucky dividends, as we soon hit upon Middle Spotted Woodpecker and were able to watch one through our scopes. Western Bonelli's Warblers seemed to be singing from every bush, but were painfully invisible. After a chance to spend a brief hour and a half in the pretty town of Potes, we headed for Lebeña. A picnic lunch at the pretty church of Santa Maria is always a pleasant affair and as we dined, each of the surrounding peaks seemed to have its own collection of rising Griffon Vultures. Among these giants we managed to pick out the first Short-toed Eagles of our holiday. The walk behind the village of Lebeña brought splendid views of Serin and glimpses of Firecrest and Western Bonelli's Warbler and some lovely Bee Orchids. Insects are plentiful here and the butterflies included a superb, dainty Wood White along the track. One of the highlights at this locality was seeing a resident pair of Egyptian Vultures chasing off an intruder.
Sunday saw us taking a different route toward the destination of the Mirador San Glorio, a spectacular mountain viewpoint over the hills, with landscape dominated by an erosion-resistant ridge of coarse conglomeritic rock. But, as with everything on these holidays, the route is at least as fun as the destination. Our first stop, not far from Potes, brought the sound of Middle Spotted Woodpecker, but no further views. Among the raptors above the valley were hovering Short-toed Eagles, Buzzards and a couple of Honey Buzzards. Near Enterrias, we watched another Honey Buzzard being gently attacked by a Buzzard - a nice chance to compare their structure and flight-style side-by-side. Also at this site we saw some great butterflies including a few fritillaries and good numbers of Black-veined Whites. A parachuting Tree Pipit consistently returned to its favourite signpost song-perch - but the real highlight was a low-flying male Goshawk which passed over our heads. Lunch at the Mirador viewpoint brought brief views of Rock Bunting. One of the great things about staying at the Parador at Fuente De is that there is a great richness of wildlife on the doorstep. We spent the rest of the afternoon gorging on the wildflowers and butterflies near the Parador. Flowers included Man Orchid, Fly Orchid, Burnt Orchid, Early Purple Orchid and Tongue Orchid, plus delightful meadows of the blue/purple Viper's Bugloss. A mass of Small Blue Butterflies covered searched for moisture and minerals in the muddy areas, while other blues, fritillaries, whites and browns covered the meadows. A Black Woodpecker could be heard form the nearby woods, as evening descended on the Parador.
After an early start and farewell to the Parador (the highlight of which was a few huge Privet Hawkmoths on the walls of the building), we were soon once more boarding the Pride of Bilbao. Though not the millpond of the outward journey, conditions were still pretty good for cetacean-watching. Dylan picked out some Bottle-nosed Dolphins while still quite close to Santurtzi, but for the rest of us the first encounter was with a close pod of eight Pilot Whales - close enough to be counted underwater - which included a small calf amongst them. The trip included some superb groups of Common and some Striped Dolphins causing great excitement as they came near to the bow. Most of these were concentrated near the end of the day up well over the rich waters of the shelf edge, including a group of at least 200 Stripeys catching the last rays of the low sun. We added another cetacean species to bring our tally to an excellent nine, with pretty distant views of a single blowing Fin Whale. Our final total of recorded whales and dolphins for the trip was a remarkable 1,153 - not bad for the 'quiet' month of June.
The shallow waters of the Channel provide a chance to unwind on the last day. Our last spell on Monkey Island bringing no further whales or dolphins, but a chance to have close views of Gannets riding the updrafts of the vessel. As we got closer to Portsmouth a Carrion Crow was the main bird of interest, passing the bows, and a few Swifts provided some migrant interest. So ended another superb trip to the Picos de Europa via the wonderful Bay of Biscay.
25 May - 1 June 2004 - Bay of Biscay & Picos de Europa
As we met in the terminal building at Portsmouth anticipation was already building following the great success of our first Picos de Europa holiday three weeks previously. Early conversations between us suggested that the group was made up of people with a general interest in all aspects of natural history and a particular interest in whales and dolphins, birds and wild flowers. Having settled into our cabins, we were informed by the Captain that the weather in the Bay of Biscay should be settling down, with a forecast of light winds and calm seas for the voyage ahead. Following a guided tour of the ship and a hearty meal we chatted about the exciting possibilities for the rest of the week before retiring for the night.
After breakfast we all gathered in the appropriately named Dolphin room for an illuminating lecture from Dylan on the ecology and identification of cetaceans. Following a quick bite to eat we then headed up to the upper deck to put some of our newly learned knowledge into practice. Amazingly, we had barely a few minutes to wait as John immediately spotted a couple of 'fins' half a mile away on our starboard side. Minor panic then ensued as everyone made a dash to the starboard rail, but we all soon picked up the animals, and as they porpoised clear of the surface we could clearly make out the hourglass flank patterns of Common Dolphins. More dolphins quickly appeared, many of which made a beeline for the bow of our ship. Sleek, strikingly patterned and very gregarious, the Common Dolphin is one of the most beautiful dolphins to be found in this region. Over the next quarter of an hour we counted over a hundred animals, with several individuals putting on a spectacular display as they breached clear of the ship's bow wave. It was a fabulous start to the day and everyone was definitely in the mood for more encounters.
As we headed south of the Brittany coast the weather continued to improve and we were now sailing in light winds and glassy seas. The occasional Bonxie drifted past along with small numbers of Gannets and a few European Storm-Petrels. A party of three Collared Doves alighted briefly on Monkey Island before continuing their journey north. As we scanned over the sea some 100 metres below us we spotted the characteristic triangular dorsal fin of a solitary Harbour Porpoise. As it rolled briefly to the surface we caught a glimpse of reflected sunlight on its brown back and then, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Over the next hour we saw at least another 10 porpoises and everyone managed to get a good view of this diminutive and cryptic cetacean. Around mid-afternoon the ship had reached the edge of the continental shelf and the anticipation amongst the group was building as the waters deepened. We encountered the last Harbour Porpoises of the day over the 600 metre depth contour - the deepest waters we have ever encountered this species. A lone Puffin popped up next to the surfacing porpoises and these were quickly followed by two groups of Bottlenose Dolphins. These stocky dolphins appeared to be foraging and were seen in association with plunge-diving Gannets. Just 20 minutes later we encountered our third pod of Bottlenose Dolphins, this time accompanied by several Long-finned Pilot Whales. The sightings were now coming thick and fast and we had clearly entered a cetacean 'hotspot'. The Pilot Whales typically moved slowly at the surface, seemingly indifferent to the ship, and we had excellent views of several animals including an adult male and a couple of calves. Two more groups of dolphins then appeared, moving rapidly in a tight-knit chorus line and on initial views the animals appeared to resemble Common Dolphins. However, we soon noted a pale-yellow patch on their chunky tail-stocks - a diagnostic feature of Atlantic White-sided Dolphin. This was the first encounter of this species for the Company of Whales and only the third time that they have been recorded from the Pride of Bilbao! We spotted a few more Pilot Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins and then a quieter period ensued allowing us to get our collective breaths back and review a few dolphin id pointers from the earlier sightings. We were now cruising in waters over 2,500 metres deep and the weather conditions had remained kind to us - good visibility, light winds and only a slight swell - a whale-watcher's delight! As the sun dipped towards the horizon a shout of "dolphins dead ahead" rang out and we were back in the action again. We had found more Common Dolphins and over the next hour at least 30 individuals were encountered. Finally, as dusk approached, we saw our first group of Striped Dolphins. These dolphins were in a tight 'huddle', 400-500 metres ahead of the ship and stayed together in a close group without approaching the vessel. As we drew level with the pod several animals made spectacular leaps completely clear of the surface - a fitting end to a glorious day's whale-watching.
Arriving in Bilbao on Thursday morning we collected our mini-buses and then made our way west along the coast before turning south toward the mountains of the Picos. As we drove across the foothills and rolling farmland of Cantabria we spotted the first of many Black Kites, a single Red Kite, several Buzzards and a solitary White Stork. As we travelled further south we criss-crossed the river Diva before finally entering the spectacular La Hermida gorge. Our first main stop of the day was next to the river just beyond the tiny village of Urdon. Limestone pinnacles towered 600 metres above us and here we saw our first Griffon Vultures of the trip along with several Crag Martins and a solitary Sparrowhawk. Lower down amongst the Fig trees and Bay Laurel we watched Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Wrens, whilst we caught glimpses of Grey Wagtails by the water's edge. Butterflies were also much in evidence with both Swallowtail and Scarce Swallowtail, Moroccan Orange Tip, Grizzled Skipper and Specked Wood. We continued to zig-zag through the gorge and along the Rio Diva, and eventually arrived at the magnificent Parador at Fuente De around 5 o'clock. Once we got settled into our wonderful surroundings, we all ventured out to explore the grounds around the hotel and the nearby hillsides. Some of the more 'eagle-eyed' observers picked out a distant Chamois on the cliffs near the upper cable car station. The meadows behind the hotel held a spectacular array of wildflowers and would have kept the keen botanists amongst us preoccupied for hours. Here we discovered several species of orchids, including Fly, Early Spider and Burnt Tip, with some particularly stunning spikes of Early Purple. Alongside the orchids was a host of other indigenous flora including many Trumpet Gentians. For those who could look away from their feet there was also plenty to see. High overhead several more Griffon Vultures could be seen along with a solitary Egyptian Vulture, whilst in the hillside Hazel coppice we found several Common and Black Redstarts and a striking Rock Bunting.
Friday dawned cool and misty and those of us who made the early morning walk were rewarded with good views of a Red Deer hind grazing in meadows behind the Parador. In the nearby Beech woods we heard the eerie calls of a distant Tawny Owl along with singing Firecrests and Serins. We also enjoyed cracking views of a Nuthatch practising its rock-climbing technique on the hotel's walls. Following a very tasty breakfast and with the weather set fair we decided to head for the high plateau of Fuente De. We caught the first cable car of the morning and made the exhilarating 800 metre ride to the upper station. As we emerged from the cable car we all took in the spectacular panorama of the southern Picos and had breath-taking views of Griffons soaring effortlessly by - almost at eye-level. We headed north along the main track which was still covered in patches of snow and ice. We soon saw our first Northern Wheatears and Waters Pipits continually serenaded us as we traversed over the rocky terrain. Several pairs of Snow Finches flitted between patches of boulder scree whilst a couple of Alpine Accentors were seen amongst one of the many patches of Spring and Trumpet Gentians. We continually scoured the towering cliffs and pinnacles for Wallcreepers, but apart from a brief view and a few calls this species was to elude us today. After lunch we had amazing views of tame Alpine Choughs squabbling over picnickers' leftovers - a great picture opportunity for the bird photographers amongst us. We also saw several Red-billed Choughs by the cafe along with a single Booted Eagle and a solitary Raven. A short excursion to a small tarn produced the gecko-like Alpine Newt with resplendent fiery-orange underparts. A thorough search around the marshy edge of the pool revealed several more newts, and to the delight of the amphibian enthusiasts a couple of Western Spadefoot Toads. As we gathered back at the cable car station we were joined by a very obliging group of four Alpine Accentors, rounding off an excellent day on the tops.
Saturday began with an early morning gathering around the lights outside the hotel, to admire the variety of moths present, before the Nuthatches and White Wagtails gorged themselves. It was surprising just how familiar some of the species were, Orange Footman, Angle Shades, Silver Y and Pebble Prominent were all found back home whereas others like Tawny Prominent are very rare vagrants to the British Isles.
After breakfast we headed off for the old church of Santa Maria at Lebena, this stunning location offered fantastic views of the escarpment whilst others spread out to search the surrounding meadows and church grounds for butterflies. A Spotted Flycatcher showed first launching aerobatic sorties on the abundant insects from its tree top perch, a male Cirl Bunting sang from the field opposite whilst a male Red-backed Shrike hunted from the nearby fence posts. Alpine and Common Swifts patrolled the airways occasionally coming lower but mainly hunting high up in the clouds. As the heat of the day built up a group of Griffon Vultures drifted overhead on route to the cliff face to soar on the warm updrafts, as Short-toed and Booted Eagles went about their daily business. The surrounding meadows provided a banquet of butterflies for our eyes to feast on and when the shout 'Camberwell Beauty' went up our weary legs were able to muster enough energy to sprint down the track to get a glimpse. Black-veined white, Short-tailed Blue and Provencal Fritillary were all notable additions to our list before we drifted back to the buses to move on, just as a Black Kite drifted low over the nearby meadows.
For lunch we stopped at Enterrias, en-route to the Mirador del Corzo viewpoint, the old farm buildings provided the character whilst the surrounding fields and hillsides the picturesque scenery to what was the ideal setting for a picnic lunch. Roe Deer grazed in the fields as a Western Bonelli's Warbler sang from the hedgerows, but the dead tree in the corner of the field soon became a focal point as a Wryneck perched in full view and began to sing. As we all settled back to enjoy a well-earned cup of coffee, the harsh call of a Middle Spotted Woodpecker brought everyone back into line. As we continued up to the Mirador the weather began to close in, so we headed back down the valley for a stop at Potes for shopping for some, or for others excellent views of Crag Martin and Black-bellied Dipper.
After rain on Saturday night Sunday began with an early morning walk that was shrouded in mist and low cloud, and the now customary checking of the hotel lights for moths. After breakfast we drove to the village of Espinama, for a leisurely stroll up the hillside to the disused village of Inys de iguedri, where we would stop for lunch before heading back. The walk began with a gentle incline tracking through the forest with spectacular Beech woodland on one side and a river valley on the other. Early Purple Orchids grew tall and proud on the banks, to be replaced by clusters of Common Spotteds as we climbed higher. Firecrests provided excellent views and the sound of Chiffchaffs echoed around the valley. As we climbed higher we came to a heathy plateau where the ground was covered with orchids and the trees were full of displaying Tree Pipits. The climb continued to throw up the odd surprise and when John (affectionately re-named Swampy) stooped to look into yet another puddle he was surprised to see some Salamander larvae staring back at him, their shape and proportions drew us to the conclusion that they were probably that of fire Salamander, unfortunately not as bright as their adult form. The disused village was a welcome sight, and we all set about our picnic lunches, Yellowhammers serenading us as we ate. A pair of Red-backed Shrikes carried on with their daily routine seemingly oblivious of our presence. After a break of an hour or so we began the slow walk back, re-acquainting ourselves with all we had seen on the way up. The late afternoon was spent wandering around the grounds of the hotel looking for orchids and birds, a stunning male Rock Bunting once again gave prolonged views, and the dull conditions were an excellent opportunity to photograph many of the assembled flora. Just as we were about to pack in for the day and a well-earned rest before dinner, an Elder-flowered Orchid was found rounding off a perfect day...we would all sleep well tonight.
Monday began with a predawn start and a drive to back to the ferry and after a slightly late departure we set sail full of anticipation of our forthcoming voyage. The weather conditions were bright and calm and after only an hour's sailing we encountered two medium-sized beaked whales, which after three of four tantalizing glimpses without showing the parts of the body needed to clinch their identification we had to concede and log them as Mesoplodon species. No sooner was this encounter over we came across our first Cuvier's Beaked Whale, a difficult species to see in many places around the world, but fast becoming a Bay of Biscay speciality. As we continued to travel north we had more encounters with this mysterious species, the most memorable being the mother and calf surfacing along side the boat, not forgetting the pods of Striped and Bottle-nosed Dolphins. The weather was now starting to take a turn for the worst and as the swell began to build and the waves grew it became increasingly difficult to pick things out. 'Large blow straight ahead' was music to the ears of all those who had persevered as Graeme picked out the Fin Whale directly in front of us, which eventually provided most with sufficient views. By now the light was beginning to fade and visibility was drawing in, but the finale was yet to come, Common Dolphins excited by the choppy seas and wave of the ship took the opportunity to leap high as they raced into the bow - whoops and cheers erupted from the last remaining guests.
Our final morning saw no more cetacean sightings and on entering the Channel, sightings of Gannet, Fulmar and the odd Kittiwake made up the numbers.
20 - 27 April 2004 - Bay of Biscay & Picos de Europa
Our first Picos de Europa trip of 2004 was once again eagerly awaited by Hugh, Rob and Mike so when we met our group at Portsmouth on Tuesday we were a little disappointed to hear of the late arrival of Pride of Bilbao! A little bit of what is euphemistically called 'residual swell' after severe southerly winds caused the ship's tardiness, but luckily for us, the sea conditions on the previous trip were dissipating. It was dark by the time we left Portsmouth so for most, it was early to bed!
Wednesday dawned a little bit wet and windy with reasonable swells. Strangely enough, we soon found that Café Olivos on deck six presented the clearest viewing with warmth and delicious cappuccino on offer! The first Gannets, Fulmars and Kittiwakes helped us get our birding-at-sea eyes in. These birds were soon followed by good numbers of Manx Shearwaters, with 100 or so seen during the day - a record count for The Company of Whales. Later in the afternoon the swells died down and the sun came out so we headed for the outer decks. We recorded a good scattering of auks, with up to ten Razorbills and up to 20 Guillemots seen, plus the odd Puffin. Possibly the best bird was a pale-morph Arctic Skua in pursuit of a group of about ten Little Gulls (of 19 seen). Other gulls included 30-odd Black-headed Gulls, about ten Kittiwakes and the usual smatter of Lesser Black-backed Gulls. Two Great Skuas kept the pressure on the good numbers of Gannets approaching the shelf edge toward the end of the day. Most striking on this first day, though, was the complete absence of cetacean sightings - an unbeatable Biscay record for this trip! We were however still a bit behind schedule and well-away from the continental shelf edge due to the late sailing from Portsmouth.
Arriving in Bilbao on Thursday morning we headed west along the coast. First stop was the Santoña marshes. Viewing from the superb hide we found 30 Whimbrel, a few Black Kites, several Little Egrets and a single Black-necked Grebe in full breeding plumage. The nearby viewpoint over the lagoonal habitat brought five typically-sleepy Spoonbills, sharing the water's edge with a Grey Heron and a few Little Egrets. Cattle in a nearby field were accompanied by an impressive 50 or so Cattle Egrets. Cetti's Warblers were singing all around us and the odd Blue-headed Wagtail flitted about. A quick 'comfort stop' at a nearby garage found a few of our group feasting on views of our first singing Serins of the trip, while among the White Wagtails, a blue-headed Yellow Wagtail showed the darker cheeks and clean white throat suggestive of the iberiae race (Spanish Wagtail). And so to the Picos de Europa, picking up Griffon Vultures, Buzzards and Black Kites en route. Brief stops brought lunch, Swifts, Serins and Common Sandpiper, before we hit the gorges and striking hill country toward the Picos. This is Griffon country and every stop was bringing views of these massive birds, with everyone of us getting used to their characteristic shapes in the sky. Each stop held better and better views of Crag Martins, and we were soon picking up the sounds of Firecrests and Iberian Chiffchaffs. Not everyone saw an all-too-brief Dipper at the first attempt, so we stopped later at a promising rushing stream. Here we not only watched the world's most obliging Dipper - posing on a rock for several minutes, but had views of a second-year Bonelli's Eagle and four Short-toed Eagles which were threatening all reptile life on a single ridge! We arrived in the late afternoon at the magnificent Parador at Fuente De, while Griffon Vultures and Alpine Chough were still working the sunny high ridges. For those with the energy for exploration, the grounds of the Parador had plenty to offer, with about ten spring-plumaged Water Pipits, several Rock Buntings, Firecrests, White Wagtails and a few Black Redstarts outside our bedroom windows.
Those who braved the chill of the early morning walk on Friday were serenaded by Tawny Owls and rewarded with a few Roe Deer, great views of Nuthatch, tantalising Firecrests and a Jay that did a more-than convincing impression of a Buzzard's call. We also found Pyrenean Squill, Wood Anemone and Green Hellebore. A Ring Ouzel posed for a short time in a tree outside Mike's window. The after-breakfast weather was fine so the decision was simple: hit the high area via the cable car. Waiting for the first ride of the day we enjoyed a Red Squirrel and a pair of Firecrests building a nest at eye level in the conifers surrounding the cable car. The 1800m plateau was spectacularly snowy and splendid in the morning sunshine. Chamois were in small numbers all around. As we walked the snowy pass, we were serenaded by Water Pipits in display flight, a few Wheatears and plentiful Black Redstarts. Pairs of Snowfinches occasionally buzzed by. Though there is limited diversity of bird species up at this altitude, the birds seen there are special. Very special. At one of our favourite sites, a pair of Wallcreepers duly obliged us, the black-throated male showing off particularly well and singing its "Clangers on acid" song. Wow! While waiting for more views of the pair, we saw a monstrous Goshawk glowing brightly in the reflected snow, and picked up a couple of elusive Alpine Accentors. After lunch, we fed the waiting flocks of Alpine Choughs on bread, and enjoyed great views of Red-billed Choughs and Ravens. The rest of the afternoon we spent around the Parador, enjoying the local passerines and soaring raptors - including a brief visit by an adult Golden Eagle, as well as plentiful Griffons, Buzzards and the odd Short-toed Eagle. A notable diversion from birdwatching was a little daytime star-gazing! The new crescent moon was close to Venus, shining in broad daylight. Through our telescopes, the planet was a clear and distinct, moon-like crescent itself. As evening fell, a Black Woodpecker called from the nearby woods.
It is hard to top a day on the tops (as it were), but we were going to give it a go on Saturday. Some of us heard a Black Woodpecker during the morning bird-walk behind the Parador, but apart from a Great Spotted, no other woodpeckers were seen. After breakfast, we took advantage of a chance to look around the pleasant town of Potes, where Crag Martins nest in the buildings like House Martins. At a nearby orchard, we stopped and scanned for raptors. It turned out to be not a bad choice of venue, with eight species of show: Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle (both pale and dark morphs), Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine and Kestrel. Further viewpoints, as we rose into the hills, just piled on the goodies and we were able to leisurely scope obligingly hovering Short-toed Eagles, including one patient bird which eventually left the vicinity with a snake or lizard tail dangling from its beak. A couple of Western Bonelli's Warblers sang here, but did not show. This site, near our lunch stop at Enterrias, was also a butterfly hotspot - Rob soon picked up Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Green Hairstreak, Swallowtail and Small Copper among the vegetation. The beauty and peace of the whole area was startling during our picnic lunch of mouth-watering local produce, where apart from the chatter and laughter of happy birders, the only sounds were of bird song and the light buzz of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth's wings. An afternoon motorised climb to more spectacular views at Mirador San Glorio, over some great geology, took us up to Stonechat country where a turquoise, flightless oil beetle, half the size of your thumb, sitting on Rob's thumb, received the thumbs up as the day's oddest insect! Back at the Parador, the Griffons and Short-toed and Booted Eagles, were merely gilding the lily. A couple of Yellowhammers called from the grounds.
And so on to Sunday. By now the group had been spoiled with all the superb raptors. It was going to need something special to peak the previous day's viewing. An unscheduled visit to the grounds of the 15th Century church of Santa Maria at Lebeña was to do the trick. Here, our merry bunch scattered around to look at the church or try to pick out one of many singing Serins or Redstarts and Black Redstart. A large, unexpected raptor brought our group back into a solid unit: Black Vulture, a young bird, tightly circling and briefly perched, showed beautifully though scopes for all comers. Just when everyone was getting used to this dark giant, another of these black beauties came and circled with it, while eight or so Griffons sat on the nearby rocks as a suitably-impressed audience. A great extralimital record for the Picos, mirroring our Lammergeiers of 2003! It was like a November fireworks night, with the chorus of "oohs" and "aahs", as the two giants crossed the valley with a Short-toed Eagle escort, followed at a respectful distance by procession of a dozen Griffons. A couple of Egyptian Vultures, several Buzzards and one or two Sparrowhawks completed the raptor-fest. Nearby, in the olive groves of the Lebeña valley, we had our best views of Serins and Redstarts, and had some close visits by singing Western Bonelli's Warblers. Butterflies on the walk included Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Swallowtail and Mallow Skipper. Before lunch in Potes, an impromptu visit to the slopes of Brez got us cracking views of a stunning Middle Spotted Woodpecker (with another bird calling nearby), to the accompaniment of a singing Tree Pipit. The woodpecker was such a spectacular bird that few people turned to look as Rob called a Large Tortoiseshell at the same time! The journey down to Potes was enlivened by a pair of Wrynecks holding territory with twisted-neck display posturing. Our final evening at the Parador had a number of us searching the slopes around the area for flowers. Spring Gentians provided a dazzling blue display with the odd Trumpet Gentian dwarfing them. The first Burnt Orchids and a probable Early Spider Orchid (if not a close congener) were poking their heads up. A Whinchat and one or two Stonechats added fresh bird interest.
After departing Fuente De in the dark of an early Monday morning, the weather was fine and relatively still as we boarded the ferry, with Yellow-legged Gulls as the main avian companions. The conditions were a striking contrast to the journey down, and the sea a relative mill pond, with light north-westerlies and north-easterlies dominating the inoffensive breeze. Very soon after going up to Monkey Island - while Hugh was still detailing the routine for calling cetaceans - a Sperm Whale blew several hundred metres off the port bow. Eventually, the logging animal was re-found, showing its dorsal fin and occasionally blowing. Many of the group watched it as it fluked moments after a few others of us saw another Sperm Whale fluking directly in front of the bow! This was the start of a very productive day of spring cetacean-watching, with few very long waits for mammal action. Next on the agenda were a couple of pods of Pilot Whales numbering about ten animals in total. Sandwiched between the pods and showing at the same time was a Cuvier's Beaked Whale, gently rolling along as is their wont. Later we encountered a small pod of three of these amazing creatures, compared by Hugh to as "floating chorizo". Towards the end of the day, another beaked whale and a couple of other individual whales slipped by unidentified. In a rich spell in the southern Bay, we also encountered a succession of Fin Whales, with seven animals recorded in total. One of these mighty beasts was logging relatively close to the ship's starboard, giving a real impression of its immense size (perhaps 60 feet long) and even showing its pale jaw as a streak of swimming pool turquoise under the waves. Dolphins dominated the rest of the day's cetaceans, with 157 Common Dolphins, 60 Striped Dolphins and 112 unidentified small dolphins being logged. Unusually, many of the encounters were of mixed pods, with both species coming to the bows of the ships together. Seabirds on the return journey included many Gannets and a party of 17 Arctic Terns. A party of four Whimbrel close-in was a highlight, as were a couple of Swallows.
Our final day at sea, saw no further cetacean records. Coming into the Channel on Tuesday morning we once more encountered auks, with a few Guillemots and Razorbills and one Puffin. Five Great Skuas were on hand to keep the Gannets in check, but by now rather damp and dull day, with a fair amount of choppiness, precluded extensive serious searching. Two Swallows passed and, just as we were about to give up viewing from the deck, a party of three Linnets came close into the ship, rounding off a splendid trip.