Off Tarifa, Cadiz Province, Spain.

Another successful Pelagic Trip with Javi from Birding the Straits.

A link to Birding the Straits blog post for the trip.

 

Morning light just out of the port.

I got a message from Javi yesterday to say can i get to the port at Tarifa for 07.30 instead of the 08.30 as originally planned as the weather was forecast to turn windy as the day progressed and of course I was more than happy to if it meant more chance of getting out there.

One many rafts of Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis) seen.

I arrived and we were all soon at the meeting point and Javi gave us a chat about the day and what was expected of us before we boarded the boat and headed out of the Port to sea.

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis).

We were soon finding rafts of Cory's Shearwaters (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis) and getting a few Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) were also picked up during the run out but still fairly close to shore as were 3 Western Cattle Egrets (Garcilla Bueyera / Bubulcus ibis) coming across from Africa.

Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

During this time we also had a single Sooty Shearwater (Pardela Sombría / Puffinus griseus) which did  couple of passes but I only managed to get a bum on shot!!!!

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus).

We also had a couple of pods of Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) which showed off very nicely.

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) or Yelkouan / Mediterranean Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan)?????? or a Hybrid.

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) or Yelkouan / Mediterranean Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan)?????? or a Hybrid.

Balearic Shearwater (Pardela Balear / Puffinus mauretanicus) or Yelkouan / Mediterranean Shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan)?????? or a Hybrid.

After a while the captain took us out in to the deeper waters where for me we hit gold when Javi picked up a Wilson's Storm Petrel (Paño de Wilson / Oceanites oceanicus) which did a couple of distant passes but I could not get the camera on it so I just kept it in the Bins.

Bum end of a Sooty Shearwater (Pardela Sombría / Puffinus griseus).

As we moved around further out we had a pod of Long-finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melas) some of which were quite inquisitive and came in close to the boat.

Northern Gannet (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

We cruised back in toward the port seeing more of the Cory's and Balearic's on the way and several passing Northern Gannets (Alcatraz Atlántico / Morus bassanus).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis).

Cory's Shearwater (Pardela Cenicienta / Calonectris borealis).

As we reach the port we had several Yellow-legged (Gaviota Patiamarilla / Larus Michahellis) and a single Mediterranean Gull (Gaviota Cabecinegra / Larus melanocephalus) as well as a couple of Sandwich Terns (Charrán Patinegro / Sterna sandvicensis).

Long-finned Pilot Whale (Globicephala melas).

Long-finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melas).

During the trip several Yelkouan / Mediterranean (Puffinus yelkouan) type shearwaters were seen but due to the possibility of hybrid birds such as those of the Menorca population they cannot be Identifed for sure out side there breeding range and get labeled as Balearic / Yelkouan / Mediterranean .