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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Seawatching 2008 (1 Viewer)

18 - 21 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride of Bilbao

A great total of 528 animals included 1 immature male / female Killer Whale, 15 Fin Whales, 32 unidentified large rorquals, 14 Pilot Whales, 17 Bottlenose Dolphins, 191 Common Dolphins. 258 Striped Dolphins, a few Tuna sp and 11 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 6 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Great Skua, 5 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Storm Petrels, 21 Fulmars and 18 Kittiwakes. In Spain, highlights included 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Peregrine, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Zitting Cisticolas, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, Melodious Warbler, 5 Serins and a Cirl Bunting. Again, very few butterflies were on the wing but we recorded Holly Blue, Wall Brown and Speckled Wood. Other wildlife included a Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

A sightings map of the cetaceans is on our latest news page at:

http://www.companyofwhales.co.uk/html/news/news_fr.htm

Cheers

Hugh
 
Hugh Harrop said:
18 - 21 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride of Bilbao

A great total of 528 animals included 1 immature male / female Killer Whale, 15 Fin Whales, 32 unidentified large rorquals, 14 Pilot Whales, 17 Bottlenose Dolphins, 191 Common Dolphins. 258 Striped Dolphins, a few Tuna sp and 11 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 6 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Great Skua, 5 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Storm Petrels, 21 Fulmars and 18 Kittiwakes. In Spain, highlights included 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Peregrine, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Zitting Cisticolas, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, Melodious Warbler, 5 Serins and a Cirl Bunting. Again, very few butterflies were on the wing but we recorded Holly Blue, Wall Brown and Speckled Wood. Other wildlife included a Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

A sightings map of the cetaceans is on our latest news page at:

http://www.companyofwhales.co.uk/html/news/news_fr.htm

Cheers

Hugh
Click to expand...

Hi Hugh,

Re. your records of 'tuna sp.' from Biscay, the common species there is Albacore (Thunnus alalunga, also known as Long-fin Tunny). From my limited experience in the area, they are quite easy to identify on 'flight views', as it were, due to their prominent, very long pectoral fins. They are also relatively small as tuna go, with a maximum size of around 1.4 metres. The other main possibility, Bluefin, can get to three times that size.

A bit more about Albacore here: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=142

Cheers,

Stuart
 
Re : Tuna and Striped Dolphin

Hi,

I have often seen the odd 'tuna sp.' come rocketing out of the water from the Bridges of Ross in August over the years. The size range of Albacore would seem to suggest my sightings being something like this species as I have never seen anything the size of a large Bluefin.

Also, its amazing that Striped Dolphin is so rarely seen (alive!) off the south coast of Ireland given the numbers in the Bay of Biscay. It must really be a warm water species.

See Ya,
Niall
 
Hi Niall, I think its more to do to the fact that Striped Dolphins are Pelagic species and there like deep water. The sightings I have seen in Biscay usually occur in water over 1,000 metres deep.
Hope this helps?
Cheers,
Dave.
 
News just e mailed in from our guides in Portsmouth...

21 - 24 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride of Bilbao

8 Fin Whales, 30 unidentified large rorquals, 1 Sperm Whale, 170 Bottlenose Dolphins, 72 Common Dolphins. 116 Striped Dolphins, 2 Harbour Porpoise, a few Tuna sp and 6 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included superb views of 1 Little Shearwater, 11 Cory's Shearwaters, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Great Skua, 4 Storm Petrels, 13 Fulmars, 2 Kittiwakes and 8 'commic' terns. Migrants from the ship included 1 Whimbrel and 9 Swifts heading south. In Spain, highlights included 2 Black Kites, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Blackcap, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 1 Zitting Cisticolas, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, Melodious Warbler and 2 Serins. Fourteen species of butterfly included Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue, Holly Blue and Marbled White. Also Jersey Tiger Moth, Hummingbird Hawkmoth and 5-spot Burnet.

A sightings map of the cetaceans will be on our latest news page later tonight at:

http://www.companyofwhales.co.uk/html/news/news_fr.htm

Cheers

Hugh
 
Hugh Harrop said:
News just e mailed in from our guides in Portsmouth...

21 - 24 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride of Bilbao

8 Fin Whales, 30 unidentified large rorquals, 1 Sperm Whale, 170 Bottlenose Dolphins, 72 Common Dolphins. 116 Striped Dolphins, 2 Harbour Porpoise, a few Tuna sp and 6 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included superb views of 1 Little Shearwater, 11 Cory's Shearwaters, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Great Skua, 4 Storm Petrels, 13 Fulmars, 2 Kittiwakes and 8 'commic' terns. Migrants from the ship included 1 Whimbrel and 9 Swifts heading south. In Spain, highlights included 2 Black Kites, 2 Common Buzzards, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Blackcap, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 1 Zitting Cisticolas, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, Melodious Warbler and 2 Serins. Fourteen species of butterfly included Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue, Holly Blue and Marbled White. Also Jersey Tiger Moth, Hummingbird Hawkmoth and 5-spot Burnet.

A sightings map of the cetaceans will be on our latest news page later tonight at:

http://www.companyofwhales.co.uk/html/news/news_fr.htm

Cheers

Hugh
Click to expand...

Hi Hugh, looks like Biscay is slowly coming to the boil!:t:
 
More news just in from our 24 - 27 July 2008 trip:

24 - 27 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride of Bilbao

Another incredible trip - the highlights were two encounters with Killer Whales. A pod of 6 in the northern Bay on day two were followed by 2 in the southern Bay on day three, which came right in to the bow! Also 40 Fin Whales, 24 unidentified large rorquals, 3 Minke Whales, 4 Sperm Whales, 2 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 6 unidentified beaked whales, 26 Pilot Whales, 50 Bottlenose Dolphins, 203 Common Dolphins, 179 Striped Dolphins, 58 unidentified dolphins and a high count of 96 Harbour Porpoise. Also 1 unidentified shark, 6 Yellow-fin Tuna and 6 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 19 Cory's Shearwaters, 4 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 3 Great Skuas, 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 17 Storm Petrels, 6 'commic' terns Migrants at sea included a Swift and a Collared Dove. In Spain, highlights included 7 Griffon Vultures, 1 Booted Eagle, 1 Black Kite, 1 Black Redstart, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Zitting Cisticolas, 3 Grasshopper Warblers, 5 Melodious Warblers, 7 Serins and 2 Cirl Buntings. 14 species of butterfly included Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue and Marbled White.

A sightings map of the cetaceans will be on our latest news page tomorrow at:

http://www.companyofwhales.co.uk/html/news/news_fr.htm

Cheers

Hugh
 
Friday 25th July St Johns Point Co Down 6.30-8.15 am

1 Bonxie
142 Puffins
5 Storm Petrel
350Manx Shearwater
250 Gannet
45 Fulmar
60 Kittiwake
700 Guillemot
200 Razorbill
29 Common Scoter
50 Common Tern
40 Sandwhich Tern
3 Swift

Also one Grey Heron which i watched head out to sea until i lost it. Twenty minutes later i seen presumabley the same bird come back the same way! Interestingly the heron seemed to attract attention from the Maxys. It was flying fairly low over the water and the Shearwaters seemed to fly back and forth round it.
The Puffins (and indeed all auks) were all seen flying out of Murlough Bay north past the point. The Shearwaters all seemed to be local birds with birds passing north and south.

On Sunday 3 Arctic Skuas and a Basking Shark were seen.

Derek
 
Last edited:
Seems to be more Shearwaters being reported on Birdguides today than most recent days. Things should be on the move so it could be worth a watch.
 
500+ Cory's and 4 greats off The Lizard up to 15.00hrs today. Not so many at PG, just 7 Corys and 1 great up to midday. The weather is very s*** down here today!
 
teamsaint said:
is that kind of number of cory's very unusual or does it happen for a few days each year?
Click to expand...

Seems to happen on single days or over a period of two or three days.
Past big numbers (above 500 birds per day)have all been at Porthgwarra and include:

3000 on 5th September 1995
1470 on 26th August 1999
1311 on 28th July 1990
1202 on 12th August 1980
655 on 16th August and 570 on 17th August 1993
641 on 11th August 1992
600 on 29th August 2000.

Last year they were very early with 55 on the 4th of July.
 
27 - 30 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride of Bilbao

41 Fin Whales (including two breaching!), 40 unidentified large rorquals, 2 probable Cuvier's beaked Whales, 1 unidentified beaked whale, 69 Bottlenose Dolphins, 280 Common Dolphins (inc 25+ calves), 100 Striped Dolphins (inc 11 calves), 56 unidentified dolphins and 2 Harbour Porpoise. Also 2 Yellow-fin Tuna and 12 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 146 Cory's Shearwaters, 2 Great Skuas, 2 Storm Petrels, 2 Sandwich Terns, 10 Common Terns, 1 Arctic Tern, 87 'commic' terns, 8 Black Terns and 8 Fulmars. Migrants at sea included 10 Ringed Plovers and 1 Whimbrel. In Spain, highlights included Peregrine, Tree Pipit, 1 Sardinian Warbler, 2 Zitting Cisticolas, 1 Grasshopper Warbler, several Melodious Warblers, 6 Starlings (a notable record!), 4 Ravens, 3 Serins and 2 Cirl Buntings. 10 species of butterfly included Clouded Yellow, Adonis Blue and Marbled White. Also Hummingbird Hawk Moths and European Wall Lizard also recorded.

A sightings map of the cetaceans will be uploaded in the morning on our latest news page at:

http://www.companyofwhales.co.uk/html/news/news_fr.htm

Cheers

Hugh
 
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