Welcome to The Company of Whales latest news page! This area of our site brings you our latest sightings data of marine mammals and other wildlife from Biscay and northern Spain. This page is updated twice weekly during our operating season.
And remember... when travelling with the Company of Whales across Biscay, you will have: privileged and exclusive access to our dedicated whale-watching platform while we're onboard, exclusive pre-boarding facilities and exclusive access to our on-board lectures on whale and dolphin identification and ecology.
THE COMPANY OF WHALES - THE NUMBER ONE CHOICE - YET AGAIN!
The Company of Whales is delighted to announce that we have once again been awarded contracts to supply holidays to the RSPB, CSMA, ORCA, Bird Watching Magazine, Battersea Dogs Home, the Environment Agency and La Société Guernesiaise. Naturally, such high profile organisations choose their partners very carefully - we are therefore very proud to be their number one choice for operating wildlife adventures across the Bay of Biscay!
LATEST RESEARCH NEWS
We are proud that our huge database of marine mammal sightings is being put to good use. Company of Whales Field Director Hugh Harrop said "We are 100% committed to collating sightings data that can be used by the scientific community for in-depth analysis of marine-mammal life in the Bay of Biscay and The English Channel. We now know an awful lot more about the status, distribution and abundance of marine life in these waters thanks to the team of professional guides we are lucky to have working for us."
Analysis of data collated by our team on all of our Bay of Biscay trips has culminated in a number of scientific papers. Some recent papers that have been published utilising our data include: (click on the title to download and open the document as a pdf or right click to save to disc)
Predictive Habitat Suitability Mapping of Common Dolphins & Fin Whales in the Bay of Biscay
Using Oceanographic Features to Predict Areas of High Cetacean Diversity
LATEST CETACEAN & OTHER WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS
PLEASE NOTE: Reference to any of the cetacean sightings recorded on Company of Whales cruises can only be quoted or reproduced with the prior permission of The Company of Whales. Please also note that our sightings are actual observations made by our guides and accompanying guests. We take great pride in the cautious approach we take in recording cetaceans - eg. 28 Fin Whales and 32 unidentified large rorquals (animals seen 'blowing' but no body seen) are recorded as just that - and not 60 Fin Whales!
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PLEASE NOTE THAT THE IMAGES FEATURED ON THIS PAGE ARE OF ANIMALS PHOTOGRAPHED ON OUR TRIPS.
UNLIKE SOME WEBSITES, WE DO NOT USE STOCK IMAGES OF ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHED ELSEWHERE - AS AN EXAMPLE, IF WE CLAIMED TO SEE A BLUE WHALE IN BISCAY, WE WOULD NOT USE AN UN-LABELLED IMAGE THAT WAS TAKEN IN ICELAND SEVERAL YEARS AGO!! SIMILARLY, WE WOULD NOT USE IMAGES OF SEABIRDS PHOTOGRAPHED ELSEWHERE JUST TO JAZZ UP OUR SITE!
WHAT YOU SEE ON OUR LATEST NEWS PAGE IS WHAT OUR TRAVELLERS HAVE WITNESSED FOR THEMSELVES.
17 - 20 August 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea
aboard Pride of Bilbao
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a sightings map
Bad weather in the Bay seriously hampered observations on this particular trip but the weather is getting much better! 26 Fin Whales, 36 unidentified large rorquals, 1 Sperm Whale, 1 Minke Whale, 2 Pilot Whales, 1 unidentified beaked whale, 5 Common Dolphins, 10 Striped Dolphins and 2 Harbour Porpoise. Also 1 Basking Shark and 13 Ocean Sunfish. Not surprisingly, the bad weather brought good numbers of seabirds and we recorded six species of shearwater: 1 Little Shearwater, 6 Great Shearwaters, 114 Cory's Shearwaters, 10 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 Balearic Shearwater and 6 Manx Shearwaters. Also 9 Sabine's Gulls, 3 Grey Phalaropes, 14 Storm Petrels, 4 Arctic Skuas, 3 Great Skuas, 4 Sandwich Terns, 12 Arctic Terns, 1 Common Tern and 1 'commic' tern. In Spain, an excellent assortment of birds on the 'hill' included a dark morph Montagu's Harrier, 8 Griffon Vultures, 1 Booted Eagle, 5 Buzzards, 1 Sparrowhawk, 5 Kestrels, 1 Cuckoo, 3 Little Owls, 2 Hoopoes, 3 Tree Pipits, 2 Nightingales, 2 Black Redstarts, 4 Blackcaps, 2 Garden Warblers, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Red-backed Shrikes and 2 Serins. Butterflies included Adonis Blue, Short-tailed Blue, Grayling and Specked Wood. Other wildlife included Hummingbird Hawkmoth and Wasp Spider.
14 - 17 August 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea
aboard Pride of Bilbao
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map
14 Fin Whales, 32 unidentified large rorquals, 3 Cuvier's beaked Whale (including one breaching), 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 348 Common Dolphins, 1 Harbour Porpoise and 5 unidentified dolphins. Also 8 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 4 Great Shearwaters, 90 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 7 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Grey Phalarope, 9 Storm Petrels, 1 Pomarine Skua, 5 Arctic Skuas, 13 Great Skua, 7 Sandwich Terns, 9 Common Terns and 9 'commic' terns. Migrants at sea included 1 Grey Heron, 40 Knot, 2 Whimbrel, 1 Wheatear and 1 Chiffchaff. In Spain, highlights included 5 Griffon Vultures, 3 Buzzards, 1 Peregrine, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 1 Wryneck, 1 Black Redstart, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Sardinian Warbler, Zitting Cisticola, 3 Melodious Warblers, 6 Red-backed Shrikes and a Cirl Bunting. 15 species of butterfly included Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue, Short-tailed Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Holly Blue, Marbled White and Wall Brown. Other wildlife included Jersey Tiger Moth and a Wall Lizard.
11 - 14 August 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea
aboard Pride of Bilbao
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map
8 Fin Whales, 19 unidentified large rorquals, 3 Cuvier's beaked Whale (plus 1 probable), 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 133 Common Dolphins, 13 Striped Dolphins and 12 unidentified dolphins. Also 22 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 1 Little Shearwater, 6 Great Shearwaters, 102 Cory's Shearwaters, 2 Sooty Shearwater, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 6 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Sabine's Gulls, 1 Little Gull, 1 Grey Phalarope, 9 Storm Petrels, 4 Great Skua, 3 Sandwich Terns and 19 'commic' terns. Migrants at sea included 2 Dunlins. In Spain, highlights included 4 Griffon Vultures, 2 Peregrines, 1 Cuckoo, 5 Black Redstarts, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 3 Zitting Cisticolas, 5 Melodious Warblers, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Long-tailed Tits, 4 Red-backed Shrikes and a Serin. 17 species of butterfly included Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Holly Blue, Large Skipper and Marbled White. Other wildlife included 3 Wall Lizards.
8 - 11 August 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea
aboard Pride of Bilbao
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map
40 Fin Whales, 53 unidentified large rorquals, 3 probable Cuvier's beaked Whale, 3 unidentified beaked whales, 2 Pilot Whales, 112 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 43 Common Dolphins, 38 Striped Dolphins and 11 unidentified dolphins. Also 4 Ocean Sunfish, 1 Dogfish and several Tuna. Seabirds included 1 Great Shearwater, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 6 Storm Petrels, 1 Great Skua, 6 Arctic Skuas, 2 Sandwich Terns, 10 Common Terns and 14 'commic' terns In Spain, highlights included Booted Eagle, Common Buzzard, 5 Black Redstarts, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 3 Zitting Cisticolas, 2 Melodious Warblers and 3 Red-backed Shrikes. 15 species of butterfly included Wood White, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Holly Blue and Marbled White. Other wildlife included Hummingbird Hawkmoth and 3 Wall Lizards.
5 - 8 August 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride
of Bilbao
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map
16 Fin Whales , 17 unidentified large rorquals, 1 Minke Whale, 2 Sperm Whales, 1 Cuvier's beaked Whale, 3 unidentified beaked whales (all breaching), 5 probable Pilot Whales, 30 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 78 Common Dolphins and 135 Striped Dolphins. Also 3 Ocean Sunfish and 15 Tuna. Seabirds included 45 Cory's Shearwaters, 2 Manx Shearwater, 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 26 Storm Petrel, 2 Great Skuas, 1 Pomarine Skua, 2 Arctic Skua, 1 Mediterranean Gull, 11 Common Terns, 1 Arctic Tern, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Cormorant and 27 Fulmar. In Spain, highlights included Booted Eagle, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Tree Pipit, White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Sardinian, Cetti's & Melodious Warblers, Zitting Cisticola, Red-backed Shrike and Serin. Nine species of butterfly included Clouded Yellow, Adonis Blue and Long-tailed Blue. Slow Worm and Stick Insect were also recorded.
2 - 5 August 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride
of Bilbao
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map
36 Fin Whales (including 1 calf), 38 unidentified large rorquals, 1 Minke Whale, 11 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 1 unidentified beaked whale, 4 Pilot Whales, 20 probable Pilot Whales, 42 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 97 Common Dolphins (inc 3 calves), 334 Striped Dolphins, 7 Risso's Dolphins, 95 unidentified dolphins and 7 Harbour Porpoise. Also 51 Ocean Sunfish and 2 unidentified sharks. Seabirds included 78 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Great Shearwater, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 9 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 1 Storm Petrel, 2 Great Skuas, 1 Pomarine Skua, 1 Arctic Skua, 227 Gannets, 10 'commic' terns, 43 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Shag and 9 Fulmar. In Spain, highlights included 3 Booted Eagle, 2 Black Kite, Kestrel, Peregrine, Merlin, Tree Pipit, White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Red-backed Shrike Zitting Cisticola and Sardinian and Melodious Warblers. 12 species of butterfly included Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra and Long Tailed Blue. Jersey Tiger moths and European Wall Lizard were also recorded.
30 July - 2 August 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard
Pride of Bilbao
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map
26 Fin Whales (including one breaching and eight lunge feeding), 27 unidentified large rorquals, 2 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 133 Common Dolphins (inc 5 calves) and 75 Striped Dolphins. Also 50 Ocean Sunfish (including one breaching). Seabirds included 54 Cory's Shearwaters, 3 Great Skuas, 1 Pomarine Skua, 1 Arctic Skua, 113 Gannets, 1 Sandwich Terns, 1 Common Terns, 11 'commic' terns, 36 Lesser Black-backed Gulls, 1 Shag and 1 Fulmar. In Spain, highlights included 2 Griffon Vultures, Tree Pipit, White Wagtail, Black Redstart and Sardinian and Grasshopper Warblers. 6 species of butterfly included Red Admiral and Common Blue. A Hummingbird Hawk Moth was recorded at sea.
27 - 30 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride
of Bilbao
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map
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. Hummingbird Hawk Moths and European Wall Lizard also recorded.
24 - 27 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride
of Bilbao
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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.
21 - 24 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride
of Bilbao
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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.
18 - 21 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride
of Bilbao
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map
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.
15 - 18 July 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride
of Bilbao
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A great total of 449 animals included 11 Fin Whales (including one calf), 7 unidentified large rorquals, 2 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 2 unidentified beaked whales, 217 Common Dolphins (many with calves), 174 Striped Dolphins, 2 Harbour Porpoise, 30 unidentified dolphins, 20+ Tuna sp and 2 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 1 Great Skua, 1 Manx Shearwater and 5 Fulmars. In Spain, highlights included 7 Griffon Vultures, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 1 Zitting Cisticola, Melodious Warbler, Red-backed Shrike and Serin. Very few butterflies were on the wing but we recorded Marbled White, Wall Brown and Speckled Wood. Other wildlife included a couple of Hummingbird Hawk Moths and 2 unidentified lizards.
27 - 30 June 2008 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride
of Bilbao
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map
Our first 4-day cruise of 2008 proved to be an awesome trip! Totals included 10 Fin Whales, 1 Sperm Whale, 2 Minke Whales, 2 Cuvier's beaked Whales, (plus another two probables), 14 Pilot Whales, 502 Common Dolphins, 80 Striped Dolphins, 30 Bottle nosed Dolphins, 12 Harbour Porpoise, 1 Ocean Sunfish, 23 unidentified dolphins, 2 unidentified beaked whales and 1 unidentified large rorqual. Seabirds included an adult Sabine's Gull, 80+ Cory's Shearwaters, 7 Great Skuas and 2 Manx Shearwaters. Highlights in Spain included Melodious Warbler, 2 Red-backed Shrikes, 2 Cirl Buntings, 2 Griffon Vultures, 1 Black Kite and a Little Owl.
Dylan Walker (Organisation Cetacea) summarises the trip:
"The statistics of this, our first ORCA / Company of Whales Interactive Training Course of 2008, tell their own story. It was an awesome trip! What better way to learn about surveying for, identifying, and understanding the behaviours of cetaceans at sea than on this course!
"Our first day at sea started with a series of illustrated talks in the ship's cinema. These covered details of a typical trip; the importance of collecting survey data; how our data contributes to science and conservation; and how to find, identify and interpret the behaviours of cetaceans. By mid morning, with our brains fizzing with all that new information, we headed up to the monkey island to begin surveying and hopefully spot our first cetaceans. Having set up a rota of teams of three, we began to record our effort data. Little did we realise just how busy each team was going to be! Throughout the afternoon and evening we were literally inundated with encounters, first involving Harbour Porpoises, a Minke Whale and some Ocean Sunfish, and then, as we approached deeper water, we witnessed pod after pod of Common Dolphins racing into the bow, with smaller numbers of Striped Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins and pilot whales appearing close to the ship. It was a breathtaking day, particularly for dolphin encounters – and we headed down at 21.20, squeezing the last light out of an evening which none of us wanted to end.
"The following day we took a break from surveying as we arrived in Santurtzi Harbour and headed for a walk in the Spanish foothills. The highlight was an incredibly obliging Little Owl hunting in broad daylight just 15 metres from us on the path. We also found butterflies, orchids, Griffon Vultures and much more. Heading back out in to the Bay we began surveying once more. If yesterday had been the day for dolphins, this was the day for whales, as we had some excellent encounters with Fin Whales, beaked whales and pilot whales. The highlight for many involved two very brown Cuvier's Beaked Whales surfacing close by on our starboard side. By now our survey teams were becoming adept at telling waves from splashes, picking out distant blows, and identifying different dolphin and whale species. In fact they were getting so good that the guides were in danger of being made redundant!
"On the final day in the English Channel we completed our survey with a fantastic display from a group of Bottlenose Dolphins, which raced in to the bow. A fitting way to end the trip! Mapping our sightings revealed some interesting trends in the distribution of Fin Whales, which appear to be arriving in the Bay earlier this year. During two sightings the previous day we had observed whales feeding on their sides with a tail fluke lifted in to the air - so clearly they are finding food in the area.
"Given the high number of sightings during the trip, the survey teams performed superbly, working well together and recording the information to a high standard. Having received their certificates, they will be eligible to join an ORCA survey on one of our suite of partnered vessels in future.
ORCA would like to thank The Company of Whales for providing us with the opportunity to run our training courses on the Pride of Bilbao, and for making a donation to the charity for each reservation made on this cruise. "
Bay of Biscay and Picos de Europa 31 May - 6 June 2008
Guided by Dylan Walker and Judd Hunt
31 May & 1 June
After meeting up with the guides, the group boarded the impressive Pride of Bilbao and we set sail on time from Portsmouth. Light winds and calm seas greeted us the following morning and after enjoying the updated illustrated lecture on the wildlife of Biscay and the Picos everyone assembled on Monkey Island. This area of the vessel is an unrivalled viewing platform and exclusive to Company of Whales guests/P&O Crew only. For the remainder of the day we enjoyed beautiful weather conditions and this helped compensate for a slow start on the wildlife watching front. However, some seabirds did put in an appearance and we logged a total of 10 Northern Fulmars, 1 European Storm Petrel, in excess of 100 Gannets, 2 Great Skuas, 1 Arctic Skua, 3 Kittiwakes, 4 Common Terns and 1 Guillemot. Even though we were at the tail-end of the spring migration period we managed to see several migrants onboard and these included single Collared and Turtle Doves (the latter such a rare sight in most of Britain these days), a remarkable 50+ Common Swifts, 4 Swallows, 3 House Martins and a very tired looking Reed Warbler. It was fascinating to watch some of the swifts, swallows and martins hawking hitchhiking insects above the decks and several birds spent hours escorting the ship southwards to mop up the unexpected bounty! A single Ocean Sunfish was also seen briefly. Suddenly, the peace was shattered when Judd shouted "blow!" and a superb Fin Whale was seen crossing the bows at about 300 metres. The group were in awe as they watched this leviathan of the deep pass by within 300 metres of our location! Throughout the remainder of the day, we recorded one more Fin Whale plus 111 Common Dolphins, some of which treated us to spectacular views as they came leaping towards the ship to "bow-ride".
2 June
We arrived on time in Bilbao, collected our minibuses and were soon on our way westwards towards our destination in the mountains. Soon after leaving port we began to encounter birds less familiar to us in the UK but typical of this region of northern Spain. We logged 200 Yellow-legged Gulls (a close relative of the Herring Gull and a recent "split"), Little and Cattle Egret, Booted Eagle and 4 Black Kites. To break up the journey, we stopped twice and during the second of these we encountered the mighty Griffon Vulture as several were seen soaring high up above the crags that form the impressive La Hermida gorge. As we were watching these huge raptors, 2 magnificent Golden Eagles appeared and joined the vultures. Although very large birds themselves, the eagles were dwarfed by the vultures as they circled high up in a thermal. Closer to earth, we saw several Crag Martins and Black Redstarts before heading on up towards our hotel via the local town of Potes. We soon arrived at our base for the next 3 nights, the Parador at Fuente De, which is set in one of the most dramatic backdrops in the entire Picos de Europa region. After taking a late lunch, the group began to scour the alpine meadows which lie just behind the hotel and we soon had fantastic views of a male Rock Bunting, a tantalising view of a male Firecrest, 2 Water Pipits, White Wagtail, 2 Red-billed Choughs, several Common Buzzards, and a single flyover Serin. Butterflies were scarce, probably due to poor weather before we arrived, but we still managed to see 7 species including Orange Tip, Cleopatra and Brimstone, species typical of early springtime this high up in the mountains. Orchids were well represented with Man, Burnt, Green-winged, Early Purple and Bird's Nest being located. 2 European Wall Lizards and several unidentified tadpoles rounded off the day before we returned to the Parador for dinner followed by a well earned sleep.
3 June
After a hearty breakfast we assembled at the Cable Car Station ready for our ascent to the high-tops of the Picos to search for the specialties that dwell in the remote, barren regions above. The Cable Car climbed 800 metres in just over 4 minutes and the whole experience was breathtaking and exhilarating! By now, we were standing at about 2,000 metres above sea level in perfect weather conditions and from this point the scenery was truly awe-inspiring! We set off at a leisurely pace and within no time we started to encounter the creatures that make this beautiful, but extreme environment their home. Wheatears and Water Pipits were regularly encountered and the males were watched as they climbed skywards uttering their delightful song flights. We saw several Black Redstarts and overhead, we watched small groups of both Red-billed and Alpine Choughs regularly pass by. A total of 8 Chamois were seen, so typical of this rugged, mountainous terrain and prior to stopping for lunch, 2 beautiful Egyptian Vultures soared by in the company of a few of their larger cousins, the Griffon Vulture. We also logged a total of 10 Alpine Accentors, the larger and gaudier cousin of the more familiar Dunnock and again, typical of the habitat we were in. Some sharp-eyed members of the group also managed to spot a Snow Vole scampering amongst the boulders. As we stopped and unpacked our lunches we were immediately joined by a single Alpine Chough who fed heartily on pieces of bread and chorizo. This bird was soon joined a several more and they remained with us until we departed. Suddenly, Judd spotted movement on a nearby rock face and shouted, "Wallcreeper!" Brilliant! This was THE bird everyone had most desired to see and before long we were thrilled to see not one, but a pair of these stunning birds, as they hunted insects on the boulders right alongside the track. Over the course of the next hour we were treated to the most incredible views of this enigmatic species and both Dylan and Judd commented that these views were unparalleled in their experience in the Picos! As we wandered back to the Cable Car Station Dylan and Judd spotted a total of 4 Snowfinches and most of the group managed to obtain some views of these. After a short rest at the hotel, we took the minibuses and drove a few kilometres away to the outskirts of the small village of Brez . The habitat in this area is comprised of arable pastureland, lightly wooded hillsides and rural township and a stark contrast from the scenery on view a few hours earlier! An hour or so spent here produced more Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed Eagle, 4 Common and 2 Honey Buzzards, Sparrowhawk, a calling Quail, Crag Martins, Common and Black Redstarts, Stonechat, 4 Red-backed Shrikes, 6 Spotless Starlings, Raven, Serin and a fine male Cirl Bunting. A Red Fox was briefly seen crossing the road. Some butterflies were evident with Clouded Yellow, Common Blue, Marbled White, Meadow Brown and Wall Brown being seen. After the short drive back to the hotel we relaxed and reflected on an outstanding days wildlife watching before taking dinner. Before retiring for the night a few of us stood outside the hotel and listened to several Tawny Owls which were hooting from the neighbouring forest.
4 June
Before breakfast, some of the group took a guided walk up into the beech forest and were rewarded with views of 2 Marsh Tits, Nuthatch, 4 Yellowhammers, 2 Garden Warblers and a Spotted Flycatcher but frustratingly, we only heard the calls of a Black Woodpecker and a distant Bonelli's Warbler. Several spikes of Birds Nest Orchid and 30 Pink Butterfly Orchids were also located. Following breakfast, we drove down towards Potes and stopped at the monastery which overlooks the town. From here we saw Short-toed Eagle, Common Buzzard and a splendid Firecrest. After a short stop in the town itself we continued to descend into the Lebena Valley and several short stops en route produced distant views of 4 Alpine Swifts plus Booted and Short-toed Eagles, Common Redstarts, Serins and a Cirl Bunting. Eventually we stopped alongside the Rio Deva and took our picnic lunches on the banks of this lovely little river. Several members of the group disturbed a Dipper but unfortunately it flew off before the rest of us arrived. We watched a female Blackcap scurrying around on the far bank. It's behaviour was more typical of an American waterthrush than a European arboreal warbler! After lunch we walked up a small, picturesque valley and in here we found at least 30 spikes of the lovely Bee Orchid. We also saw a Kestrel, several Griffon Vultures, Crag Martins but could not locate a calling Rock Bunting. On the way back up valley we stopped off in Potes for an hour so that people could relax and do a spot of shopping before heading back to Brez to round off the day. By the time we arrived there it had started to rain and this hampered our efforts as we tried in vain to locate a woodpecker which had flown across the road well ahead of the vans and had looked very much like a Middle Spotted Woodpecker. We were compensated by a calling Cuckoo and a singing Bonelli's Warbler before the weather forced us back to the vans and as it was towards the end of the afternoon we decided to call it a day.
5 June
An early start saw us on the road after breakfast and we said our goodbyes to the Parador and the Picos de Europa before heading our way back to Bilbao in time to catch our midday sailing. En route we spotted 4 Black Kites, a Kestrel, 2 Spotless Starlings and while refuelling the vans we saw a singing Zitting Cisticola. Having boarded the vessel, we gathered on the upper deck as the Pride of Bilbao departed its berth and sailed out beyond the outer harbour. We saw many Yellow-legged Gulls but little else and before long we were given permission from the Bridge to ascend onto Monkey Island. The weather was favourable as we began our journey northwards and Dylan soon spotted a Cory's Shearwater but unfortunately it evaded most people's eyes. Other birds began to put in an appearance and we logged 6 Northern Fulmars, 5 Gannets, more Yellow-legged Gulls and a Great Skua. However, it was cetaceans that we were all hoping to see and we weren't to be disappointed! While chatting with a member of the Biscay Dolphin Research Programme she cried, "Dolphins!" However, Dylan and Judd soon realised that, in fact, we were watching a group of beaked whales and after observing the animals' behaviour it became obvious that we were watching 5 Sowerby's Beaked Whales - wow!! This is one of the least known of all the world's cetaceans and a real rarity in Biscay and they could be seen to throw their diagnostically long beaks into the air at a 45 degree angle as they "rolled" to breathe. A young calf was accompanying the 4 adults but they were soon lost to view as they descended to the depths to hunt squid along the underwater canyon walls. After recovering from our excitement we began to see other cetaceans and during the remainder of the day we logged 5 Risso's Dolphins (another very good record), a close Minke Whale showing the white bands on its pectoral fins, 7 enormous Fin Whales, 1 unidentified beaked whale, 27 unidentified dolphins (either Common or Striped) and 80 Common Dolphins, many of which were observed very well later in day and were seen racing into the bow to ride the pressure waves. We ended our watch at sunset and congratulated each other on our efforts which had resulted in some truly memorable experiences!
6 June
The final day of the trip saw us up on deck at 7.30 and the watch until 11.30 produced some seabirds with Northern Fulmar, 2 Max Shearwaters, 30 Gannets and a Kittiwake being logged. We assembled for our afternoon debrief and, with the aid of Dylan's photographs, began to rekindle some of the many wonderful memories of an excellent holiday. Before long, it was time to say our goodbyes and at 5.30pm we disembarked the ship on time and set off for home.
Bay of Biscay and Picos de Europa 25 - 31 May 2008
Guided by Dylan Walker & Dave Smith
25 and 26 May
The first trip of the year across the Bay of Biscay is always eagerly anticipated. When will the Fin Whale return? Where will the dolphins be? Will it be a seabird year? The best thing about the Bay is that it always throws a few surprises at us.
On the first morning Dylan presented the new and updated Company of Whales illustrated talk, after which everyone was keen to get onto Monkey Island to start what turned out to be a fantastic trip. After a slow start, small groups of Common Dolphin began to appear and continued to do so for the rest of the day. As we passed the northern shelf the dolphins did not disappoint, with many of them unable to resist the temptation of riding the Pride of Bilbao's bow wave. During the day the group saw a total of 118 Common Dolphin, along with 20 Striped Dolphins and 10 unidentified dolphins. Dylan managed to see a Sperm Whale just as it raised its flukes to plunge to the depths to feed. Just before we finished for the day two Fin Whales were seen. Other sightings of the day included Sunfish, Manx Shearwater, Great Skua, Storm Petrel and a migrating Swift hundreds of miles from land!
27th May
Having disembarked the ferry, we headed west along the coast until we reached the small town of Unquera - the gateway to the Picos de Europa. A quick stop by the River Deva yielded Bee Orchid, before we ascended through the pass heading south. Stopping at the Salmon Viewpoint to scan for birds of prey we were quickly rewarded by one of the highlights of the trip - three Bonelli's Eagles circling down the valley. Other birds of prey included Sparrowhawk, Short-toed Eagle, and countless Griffon Vultures. Meanwhile, two juvenile Firecrests appeared in a bush, and Crag Martins hawked for insects along the cliff edge. What a great start to our Picos experience!
Arriving at the hotel we took a late lunch before heading out to the adjacent meadow - a botanist's delight! Consisting of up to 80% flowering plants to 20% grasses, these meadows are a blaze of pink, yellow and blue at this time of the year. Amongst the many highlights are the orchids, including Early Purple, Burnt, Man, Fly, Bee, and Early Spider. We found a Chamois feeding at low-level, and a Red Kite alighted on a nearby rock, before rain stopped play and we headed in for dinner.
28th May
With cloud hugging the mountainsides and a mixture of sunshine and showers promised, we headed down the valley to the beautiful village of Brez. The track beyond the village is a wonderful mixture of meadow, oak woodland and open heath. Here we found Bonelli's Warblers amongst the Blackcaps and Garden Warblers, fabulous Red-backed Shrikes, Red-billed Choughs, Redstart and Black Redstart, Serin, Spotted Flycatcher and Firecrest. Dave discovered an Ocellated Lizard under a rock, and Clouded Yellow and Marbled White butterflies danced across the meadows.
After a brief pit stop in Potes we had lunch overlooking the Lebeña Valley. This excellent raptor viewpoint was quiet today, though a high-altitude Alpine Swift and Griffon Vultures on the nest were highlights. Heading across the valley to the Church of Santa Maria, we found Common Broomrape, Bush Crickets, and Common Blue butterfly. Birds of prey continued to soar over, including Black Kite, Griffon Vulture and Peregrine, and we found ourselves eye-to-eye with a group of Wall Lizards sheltering in the crack of a dead tree stump!
Returning to the hotel via Potes for a late afternoon ice cream and a walk through the delightful old town, it was still possible to combine retail therapy with birdwatching, as Serins, Black and Common Redstarts nest in town.
29th May
Our last full day in the Picos began with a delightful dawn walk through the beech woods by the hotel. With the mist hanging on the mountain tops and the sound of cow bells in the meadows below, it is such a peaceful way to start the day! Approaching an open glade we found both Roe and Red Deer grazing together - a delightful comparison of these two similar-looking, but different-sized mammals. Further up we encountered Tree Pipit, Nuthatch, Spotted Flycatcher, and Griffon Vulture, and we heard the guttural sounds of a calling Black Woodpecker. We also discovered two outstanding orchids - Pink Butterfly Orchid and Bird's Nest Orchid!
After an excellent traditional Spanish farmers breakfast we took the cable car to the high tops. It's just 10 minutes from the hotel to the high mountains on a cable car that takes us 800m in altitude with the utmost ease! The landscape here is spectacularly barren. High mountains, boulder fields and snow patches predominate, with sparsely vegetated alpine pasture in the more sheltered areas. Here we encountered Chamois, Northern Wheatear, and Water Pipits conducting their spectacular parachuting display flights. Taking the path towards the high ridge we began searching for Wallcreeper, but the low cloud obscured the cliffs on which we regularly see them. The closest we got was a distant calling bird somewhere high above us. However, the other alpine speciality birds gave us tremendous views. Both Alpine Choughs and Alpine Accentors joined us for lunch as they searched for breadcrumbs, and a superb Snow Finch perched on a boulder for several minutes. Heading back to the cable car via a shallow pool, we found over 20 fiery Alpine Newts, and Common Toad spawn.
By mid afternoon we were back in the valley. We decided to take a short drive to the village of Pembes, stopping at a number of spectacular viewpoints along the way. Here we saw Ant Lions, Marbled White butterflies, Booted Eagle and a distant Honey Buzzard. Bonelli's Warblers and Blackcaps were singing in the trees, and the meadow flowers swayed in a haze of blues, pinks and yellows. Chatting to a local farmer, he told us that only the older generation were prepared to work the land in this traditional way, with younger people generally leaving the area to work in Santander and Bilbao. The future of this fantastically diverse habitat may therefore be in some doubt.
30th May
Leaving the hotel early in the morning we headed for Bilbao and the ferry port, making a stop at a cafe in the lowlands on the way. Here, we saw Black Kite, Melodious Warbler and Ramping Fumitory, before arriving at port to be greeted by a pair of Black Redstarts - the first time they have bred next to the terminal building in 10 years! Boarding the ship, we readied ourselves for another afternoon's whale watching in the Bay of Biscay!
The return trip across the Bay was in contrast to the south-bound crossing in that the action started from the very start and did not finish until the very end! Shortly after the group started watch on Monkey Island a group of 8 Risso's dolphins were observed slowly cruising at the surface. Risso's dolphin are not seen on every trip, so it was a great surprise when a group of 6 were seen only 45 minutes later. Eight Common Dolphin were seen between these sightings, and by the end of the day 73 Common Dolphin were seen in 15 encounters. Not to be outdone, the Striped Dolphins showed why they are considered to be the acrobats of the sea. Ninety-eight were seen during the day, during which animals were seen leaping several feet in the air whilst twisting and turning. May is usually a quiet month for Fin Whale, yet the group managed to see a total of 9 during the northbound crossing. On one encounter animals were seen pushing through the water on their sides whilst they fed. Two groups of Pilot Whale were seen, totalling 15 animals, which included two small calves. One unidentified Mesoplodon was seen as it breached three times and just as the group were about to pack up for the day a battle scarred bull Cuvier's Beaked Whale surfaced. It rolled slowly over as it swam within 100m of the boat. What a fantastic end to an amazing day's whale watching. Other sightings during the day included 3 Sunfish, Manx Shearwater, Great Skua, Sandwich Tern and Kittiwake.
31st May.
Thick fog hampered viewing for most of the morning, but a lucky few managed
to see 2 Harbour Porpoise later in the morning. Several Manx Shearwater, Fulmar,
Kittiwake, Gannet and 2 House Martin were also seen. As the Pride of Bilbao
entered Portsmouth Harbour those on the top decks were able to see the Warrior,
Victory and the aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Illustrious.