2007 CETACEAN SIGHTINGS

11 - 14 September 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

Our last trip of the season proved to be yet another successful one and we managed to break the 12,000 animal figure for our series of 2007 trips! We would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all 724 travellers who joined us in Biscay during 2007. This particular trip yielded 25 Fin Whales, 64 unidentified large rorquals, 5 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 2 probable Cuvier's beaked Whales, 1 possible Northern Bottlenose Whale, 3 Minke Whales, 462 Common Dolphins, 94 Striped Dolphins, 18 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 8 Risso's Dolphins, 7 unidentified dolphins and 30 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included an Ocean Sunfish and several small tuna species. Seabirds included 14 Sabine's Gulls, 22 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Manx Shearwater, 3 Arctic Skuas, 51 Bonxies, 4 Common terns, 1 Arctic Tern, 3 Guillemots and 67 Storm Petrels. Migrants recorded on or from the ship included a Merlin, a Common Buzzard, a Turtle Dove, a Goldcrest, 10 White Wagtails, 1 Grey Heron, 3 Swallows and an Angle Shades moth. Highlights in Spain were 2 Sparrowhawks, a Peregrine, Green Woodpecker, 5 Black Redstarts, 4 Red-backed Shrikes, 10 Serins, 5 Tree Pipits, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 2 Fan-tailed Warblers, 4 Cetti's Warblers, 6 Whitethroats, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, 2 Pied Flycatchers, 5 Whinchats, 2 Wheatears and 4 Cirl Buntings. 3 Turnstone, 6 Sandwich Terns, 6 Shags and a Kingfisher were in Santurtzi Harbour. 10 species of butterfly included Long-tailed Blue, Adonis Blue, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra and Geranium Bronze. We also recorded a Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

8 - 11 September 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

Another awesome trip, ultimate in every sense, with 10 definite species of cetacean recorded! Our 2007 cumulative total of cetaceans is now in excess of 11,000 animals! Highlight was a Northern Bottlenose Whales plus 32 Fin Whales, 26 unidentified large rorquals, a possible Sei Whale, 4 Sperm Whales, 6 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 2 Minke Whales, 39 Common Dolphins, 347 Striped Dolphins, 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 4 Risso's Dolphins, 155 unidentified dolphins and 2 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included 3 Ocean Sunfish and 75+ small tuna species. Seabirds included 7 Sabine's Gulls, 19 Sooty Shearwaters, 4 Mediterranean Shearwaters, 1 Pomarine Skua, 3 Arctic Skuas, 29 Bonxies and 2 Storm Petrels. Migrants recorded on or from the ship included another incredible record of a ROSE-COLOURED STARLING - our second record onboard Pride of Bilbao plus Turtle Dove, Grey Heron, Meadow Pipit, 50+ Swallows and 2 House Martins. Highlights in Spain were an out of range LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, another 2 RED-BILLED CHOUGHS and another juvenile WOODCHAT SHRIKE - plus Booted Eagle, Sparrowhawk, 6 Red-backed Shrikes, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Redstarts, 5 Black Redstarts, 1 Garden Warbler, 3 Whitethroats, 1 Melodious Warbler, 5 Sardinian Warblers, 5 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Pied Flycatchers, 2 Whinchats and 10 Serins. A staggering 17 species of butterfly included Swallowtail, Short-tailed Blue, Queen of Spain Fritillary, Mallow Skipper, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue and Clouded Yellow. Other wildlife included Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Jersey Tiger Moth and Wall Lizard.

 

5 - 8 September 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

Another great trip with a huge diversity of wildlife: 13 Fin Whales, 23 unidentified large rorquals, 2 Sperm Whales (including one which fluked right next to us!), 4 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 3 Pilot Whales, 2 Minke Whales, 234 Common Dolphins, 37 Striped Dolphins, 43 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 61 unidentified dolphins and 47 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included an Ocean Sunfish and several shoals of tuna. Seabirds included 3 Sabine's Gulls, 4 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 1 Arctic Tern, 5 Common Terns, 6 Arctic Skuas, 32 Bonxies and 4 Storm Petrels. Migrants recorded on or from the ship included an incredible record of a SAVI'S WARBLER - the first record for Biscay and another major find for our growing Biscay list. Also at sea were single Garden Warbler, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Wheatear plus 3 Swallows, 3 White Wagtails and 2 Meadow Pipits. Highlights in Spain was a flock of 12 RED-BILLED CHOUGHS - another first for the 'hill' - plus 4 Griffon Vultures, Sparrowhawk, Nightingale, 2 Red-backed Shrikes, 1 Hoopoe, Serins, Melodious & Cetti's Warbler, Black Redstart, Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher and Pied Flycatcher. 13 species of butterfly included Swallowtail, Cleopatra, Adonis Blue and Large Skipper. We also recorded Migrant Hawker, Wasp Spider and 2 Wall Lizards.

 

2 - 5 September 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

On this trip, our 2007 cumulative total of cetaceans reached the magical 10,000 figure - on just 21 trips thus far in 2007 a staggering 10,255 animals have been recorded by The Company of Whales! Trip totals for this particular departure were 19 Fin Whales, 41 unidentified large rorquals, 2 probable Cuvier's beaked Whales, 1 Pilot Whale, 3 probable Minke Whales, 1 unidentified small whale, 107 Common Dolphins, 15 Striped Dolphins, 38 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 60 unidentified dolphins and another good count of 73 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included 2 Ocean Sunfish and several shoals of tuna. Continuing easterly winds mean that seabirds remain very thin on the ground but we recorded 2 Sabine's Gulls, 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 6 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Pomarine Skua, 2 Arctic Skuas, 56 Bonxies, 2 Common Terns and 15 Storm Petrels. Migrants recorded on or from the ship included 1 Ringed Plover, 1 Golden Plover, 10 Bar-tailed Godwits, 2 Grey Herons, 1 Meadow Pipit, 3 Swallows, 1Yellow Wagtail and 2 White Wagtails. Highlights in Spain were 2 CRAG MARTINS - the first record for the 'hill'. Also 8 Griffon Vultures, Hobby, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, 7 Red-backed Shrikes, Fan-tailed, Cetti's and Sardinian Warblers, Pied Flycatcher, Whitethroat, Whinchat, Serin and Yellow Wagtail. Santurtzi Harbour held a Little Egret, a Shag and 2 Turnstones. 8 species of butterfly included Long-tailed Blue and Geranium Bronze.

 

30 August - 2 September 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

A total of 724 animals of 9 species: 17 Fin Whales, 45 unidentified large rorquals, 6 Sperm Whales, 5 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 2 unidentified beaked whales (probably also Cuvier's but we treat our identification of beaked whales with extreme caution!), 13 Pilot Whales, 1 Minke Whale, 435 Common Dolphins, 67 Striped Dolphins, 15 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 32 unidentified dolphins and a super count of 86 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included an Ocean Sunfish and several shoals of tuna. Seabirds included 14 Sabine's Gulls, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 4 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Mediterranean Shearwaters, 1 Arctic Tern, 2 Sandwich Terns, 2 Arctic Skuas, 55 Bonxies, a Puffin and 28 Storm Petrels. Migrants recorded on or from the ship included 1 Yellow Wagtail, 3 White Wagtails, 1 Dunlin, 1 Swift, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Willow Warbler and a superb Hummingbird Hawkmoth! Highlights in Spain included 15 Griffon Vultures, Hobby, Booted Eagle, 10 Red-backed Shrikes, 2 Wrynecks, Melodious, Fan-tailed, Cetti's and Sardinian Warblers, 5 Cirl Buntings, Black Redstarts and Common Redstarts, Whitethroats and several Serins. 2 Little Terns and a Turnstone were also recorded in Santurtzi Harbour. 10 species of butterfly included Long-tailed Blue and Clouded Yellow. Other insects included Wasp Spider and Heath Moth.

 

27 - 30 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

9 Fin Whales, 15 unidentified large rorquals, 1 Minke Whale, 6 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 139 Common Dolphins and 7 Striped Dolphins. Other marine life included 2 Ocean Sunfish. Very few seabirds once again due to easterly winds but a good total of 11 Sabine's Gulls, 4 Sooty Shearwaters, 1 Manx Shearwaters, 37 Bonxies, 2 Arctic Skuas and 21 Storm Petrels. Migrants recorded on or from the ship included 50 Shoveler, 5 Grey Herons, 3 Ringed Plovers, 1 Reed Warbler, 1 Willow Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, a White Wagtail and a Red Admiral. In Spain we had a great morning on the hill with yet another Woodchat Shrike, 15 Red-backed Shrikes, 2 Hoopoes, 3 Wrynecks, 3 Cirl Buntings and several Serins. Black Redstart, Melodious Warbler, Tree Pipit, Whinchat and both Pied and Spotted Flycatchers were also recorded. Butterflies were few and far between with just three species recorded.

 

Company of Whales at the 2007 Rutland Bird Fair - well....kind of!

We are so busy every summer and autumn running trips back-to-back in Biscay that we just cannot commit the time to get to the Bird Fair. So in August 2007, The Company of Whales teamed up with our research partners at Organisation Cetacea (ORCA) to give live updates by SMS of what we were seeing out in the Bay of Biscay. As we were out in the Bay enjoying record numbers of Cuvier's beaked Whales, Fin Whales, a fluking Sperm Whale, Pilot Whales, Common Dolphins, Striped Dolphins, Harbour Porpoise and six species of shearwaters, our landlubbing Biscay "competitors" were firmly ashore! Read all about it here.

24 - 27 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

7 Fin Whales, unidentified 19 large rorquals, 3 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 1 Minke Whale, 4 Pilot Whales, 36 Common Dolphins, 50 Striped Dolphins, 12 Harbour Porpoise and 12 unidentified dolphins. Other marine life included 4 Ocean Sunfish. With the wind blowing from the east there were, as we would expect, very few seabirds but 6 Sooty Shearwaters, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 14 Bonxies, 2 Arctic Skuas, 1 Common Tern and 2 Storm Petrels were recorded. On the flip side, it was an incredible trip for observing visible migration at sea. A superb Wryneck made landfall on the boat along with 2 Pied Flycatchers, 3 White Wagtails, 1 Garden Warbler, 1 Wheatear, 1 Redshank, 1 Grey Heron and a Silver Y Moth! In Spain we also witnessed a large arrival of migrants on the hill with 35 Spotted Flycatchers, 15 Red-backed Shrikes, a Hobby, 2 Hoopoes, a Wryneck, 15 Melodious Warblers, 2 Sardinian Warblers, a Fan-tailed Warbler, 8 Tree Pipits, 6 Pied Flycatchers, 10 Wheatears, 2 Whinchats, 4 Black Redstarts, 1 Redstart, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 4 Yellow Wagtails and a Whitethroat all recorded! Overhead we watched 6 Griffon Vultures, a Booted Eagle, 2 Peregrines and a Kestrel and in the harbour at Santurtzi, we found 3 Mediterranean Gulls, 3 Little Egrets, 1 Turnstone and 2 Sandwich Terns. Butterflies on the hill totalled 13 species with highlights being Wood White, Clouded Yellow, Long-tailed Blue, Cleopatra and Geranium Bronze. Other insect life included a Yellow-veined Darter, Hummingbird Hawkmoths and an unidentified Bee-Fly.

 

21 - 24 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

For the second trip running, unseasonal wet weather and strong northerly winds in the Bay hampered most of our viewing efforts. Sightings included 9 Fin Whales, 11 large rorquals, 43 Common Dolphins, 5 Striped Dolphins, 6 unidentified dolphins, 2 Harbour Porpoise and 5 Ocean Sunfish. Seabirds included 4 Sabine's Gulls, 6 Sooty Shearwaters, 7 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Pomarine Skuas, 7 Arctic Skuas and 16 Bonxies. Migrants from the ship included a Sand Martin, a Wheatear, a Dunlin and a Red Admiral. Wet weather in Spain also hampered us but we found 2 Red-backed Shrikes, Wryneck, Fan-tailed, Melodious and Cetti's Warblers, Whitethroat, pied Flycatcher and Black Redstart. Due to the wet weather, butterflies were non existent!

18 - 21 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

Unseasonal wet weather and strong northerly winds in the Bay hampered most of our viewing efforts on this particular trip. Sightings included 1 Fin Whale, 10 large rorquals, 155 Common Dolphins, 5 Striped Dolphins, 4 unidentified dolphins, 5 Ocean Sunfish and several shoals of unidentified tuna. It was a pretty good trip for seabirds however with 12 Great Shearwaters, 66 Cory's Shearwaters, 9 Sooty Shearwaters, 5 Manx Shearwaters, 1 Arctic Tern, 3 Common Terns, 1 Sandwich Tern, 10 Bonxies and 28 Storm Petrels. Wet weather in Spain yielded a surprising diversity of birds which included 2 Booted Eagles, 13 Griffon Vultures, 2 Peregrines, presumably the same Woodchat Shrike from four days ago, 7 Red-backed Shrikes, a Hoopoe, a Wryneck, Melodious, Sardinian and Cetti's Warblers, Whitethroat, Tree Pipit, Serin and 2 Cirl Buntings. The damp weather kept the butterflies down with just two species recorded - Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper. A Jersey Tiger Moth was also recorded.

15 - 18 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

A record breaking trip involving our highest ever-count of Cuvier's-beaked Whales. A staggering 24 individuals were recorded proving that being on a Company of Whales trip in the southern Bay of Biscay is THE way to see this species! We also recorded 40 Fin Whales, 65 large rorquals, 1 Sperm Whale (which provided an amazing spectacle as it 'fluked' right next to the ship!), 32 Pilot Whales, 33 Common Dolphins, 17 Striped Dolphins and 3 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included an Ocean Sunfish. It was also a great trip for birds with a six-species shearwater bonanza: 1 Little Shearwater, 26 Great Shearwaters, 24 Cory's Shearwaters, 17 Sooty Shearwaters, 30 Manx Shearwaters and 2 Mediterranean Shearwaters were all logged. Also 4 Sabine's Gulls, 1 Pomarine Skua, 4 Arctic Skuas, 1 Bonxie and 23 Storm Petrels. Highlights in Spain were a Woodchat Shrike (very rare on our 'hill' and only the fourth record), an impressive count of 14 Red-backed Shrikes, 3 Cirl Buntings, 19 Griffon Vultures and both Sardinian and Melodious Warblers. 15 species of butterfly included Clouded Yellow, Geranium Bronze, Cleopatra and Marbled White. Other wildlife included Hummingbird Hawkmoth and a Wall Lizard.

Sperm Whale Video taken by John Young on our 15 - 18 August trip. Please note you will require Adobe Flash to view this video.

12 - 15 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

Another excellent trip with a great diversity of wildlife. 25 Fin Whales (including one calf), 55 unidentified large rorquals, 2 Minke Whales, 5 Sperm Whales, 27 Pilot Whales, 276 Common Dolphins, 95 Striped Dolphins, 5 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 43 unidentified dolphins and 2 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included 4 Ocean Sunfish, a Basking Shark, an unidentified shark and several shoals of Tuna. Birds recorded from the ship included a Grey Phalarope, 4 Great Shearwaters, 3 Sooty Shearwaters, 7 Manx Shearwaters, 70 Storm Petrels, 1 Arctic Tern, 4 Sandwich Terns, 12 Bonxies and a flock of 11 Dunlin. In Spain we recorded Griffon Vultures, Black Kite, Booted Eagle, Cetti's, Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Melodious Warblers, Nightingale, Black Redstart, Serin, Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Tree Pipit, and both Pied and Spotted Flycatcher. 15 species of butterfly included Spanish Argus, Adonis Blue, Holly Blue, Clouded Yellow and Cleopatra. Other wildlife included Hummingbird Hawkmoths, Heath Moth, a Stick Insect and a Wall Lizard.

9 - 12 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

64 Fin Whales, 57 unidentified large rorquals, 1 Sei Whale, 1 Sperm Whale, 1 Cuvier's beaked Whale, 3 Minke Whale, 22 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 145 Common Dolphins, 594 Striped Dolphins, 36 unidentified dolphins and 24 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included 2 Ocean Sunfish and several shoals of unidentified Tuna. Birds recorded from the ship included 9 Sabine's Gulls, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 2 Manx Shearwater, 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 2 Arctic Skuas, 7 Bonxies, 3 Black Terns, 30 Common Terns and 12 Storm Petrels. Migrants recorded on or from the ship included 2 Swifts and a Willow Warbler. In Spain we recorded Booted Eagle, Peregrine, 5 Red-backed Shrikes, Cuckoo, Sardinian and Melodious Warblers, Serins, Lesser Whitethroat and Tree Pipit. A Mediterranean Gull, a Turnstone and a Ringed Plover were in the harbour at Santurtzi. 13 species of butterfly included Cleopatra, Adonis Blue, Holly Blue and Clouded Yellow. We also recorded Hummingbird Hawkmoth, Heath Moth and a Stick Insect.

 

6 - 9 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

10 Fin Whales, 38 unidentified large rorquals, 2 Sperm Whales, 3 Cuvier's beaked Whales, 1 Minke Whale, 2 Pilot Whales, 15 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 263 Common Dolphins, 32 Striped Dolphins and 36 unidentified dolphins. Other marine life included 2 Ocean Sunfish and several shoals of unidentified Tuna. Birds recorded from the ship included the first Sabine's Gulls of the autumn plus 2 Cory's Shearwater, 2 Sooty Shearwaters, 8 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Mediterranean Shearwaters, 4 Arctic Skuas, 2 Bonxies, 1 Black Tern, 12 Common Terns and a Puffin. Migrants recorded on or from the ship included a Ringed Plover and a Grey Heron. In Spain we recorded 55 Griffon Vultures, 5 Red-backed Shrikes, 1 Peregrine, Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Melodious Warblers, Serins, Black Redstarts, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Pipit. A Mediterranean Gull, a Sandwich Tern and 3 Shags were in the harbour at Santurtzi. 11 species of butterfly included Adonis Blue, Holly Blue and Long-tailed Blue plus Clouded Yellow. We also recorded Leopard Moth and Wood Tiger moth.

 

3 - 6 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

Another superb trip with the highlight for most being a lunge-feeding Fin Whale being bow-ridden by Striped Dolphins! Cetacean totals were 14 Fin Whales, 16 unidentified large rorquals, 7 Sperm Whales (a pod of three and a pod of four), 1 unidentified beaked whale, 1 unidentified medium sized whale, 9 Pilot Whales, 1 Risso's Dolphin, 90 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 57 Common Dolphins, 500 Striped Dolphins, 114 unidentified dolphins and 29 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included an Ocean Sunfish and a shoal of unidentified Tuna. Birds recorded from the ship included 1 Cory's Shearwater, 3 Manx Shearwaters, 6 Storm Petrels and 13 Bonxies. In Spain we recorded Griffon Vultures, Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Melodious Warblers, Serins and Red-backed Shrikes. 11 species of butterfly included Adonis Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Clouded Yellow and Cleopatra. We also recorded several Hummingbird Hawkmoths.

 

 

31 July - 3 August 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

A superb trip with nine species of cetacean, totalling 861 animals! Undoubted highlight was a party of Northern Bottlenose Whales. Our group were treated to some amazing views of at least four animals, one of which breached just fifty metres from the boat! Northern Bottlenose Whales are still very rare in the Bay of Biscay and are still very much 'claimed' more than they are probably seen. This now brings our 2007 tally of cetacean species to 13 - on just 11 trips! Well done once again Nigel and Wendy for finding these creatures and for confirming this valuable observation! We also recorded 31 Fin Whales (including one calf), 39 unidentified large rorquals, 2 Minke Whales, 6 Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 9 Pilot Whales, 14 Risso's Dolphins, 320 Common Dolphins, 330 Striped Dolphins, 101 unidentified dolphins and 5 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included a Basking shark, an unidentified shark and a large shoal of unidentified Tuna. Birds recorded from the ship included 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 6 Manx Shearwaters, 2 Storm Petrels, 4 Arctic Terns, 1 Bonxie and 7 Common Scoter. Migrant land birds onboard or seen from the ship included a superb Icterine Warbler, a Swift and 2 Ringed Plovers. In Spain we recorded Griffon Vultures, Booted Eagle, Cetti's, Sardinian, Fan-tailed, Grasshopper and Melodious Warblers, Black Redstart, Serin and Red-backed Shrike 12 species of butterfly included Swallowtail, Adonis Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Clouded Yellow and Large Chequered Skipper. We also recorded 4 Hummingbird Hawkmoths.

28- 31 July 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

22 Fin Whales, 30 unidentified large rorqual, 1 Minke Whale, 132 Common Dolphins, 30 Striped Dolphins, 10 Bottle-nosed Dolphins and 22 unidentified dolphins. Other marine life included 6 Ocean Sunfish and hundreds of unidentified Tuna. Birds recorded from the ship included 2 Manx Shearwaters, 7 Great Skuas, 5 Storm Petrels, 1 Common Tern and a migrant Oystercatcher. Highlights in Spain included Sandwich Tern, a Cirl Bunting, Peregrine, Melodious, Sardinian and Fan-tailed Warblers, Black Redstart and several Serins. 10 species of butterfly included Clouded Yellow and Long-tailed Blue.

25 - 28 July 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

The weather wasn't very kind to us on the southbound journey but the diversity of species certainly made up it! We recorded 5 Fin Whales, 1 unidentified large rorqual, 1 possible Sei Whale, 3 Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 6 Pilot Whales, 15 Risso's Dolphins, 20 Common Dolphins, 8 Striped Dolphins and 60 unidentified dolphins. Other marine life included 5 Ocean Sunfish and several shoals of unidentified Tuna. Birds recorded from the ship included 3 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 2 Manx Shearwaters, 4 Storm Petrels, 1 Arctic Skua, 1 Sandwich Tern, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Swallows and a Willow Warbler. Highlights in Spain included Wryneck, Red-backed Shrike, Melodious and Fan-tailed Warblers and Serins. 15 species of butterfly included a superb Scarce Swallowtail, Clouded Yellow, Cleopatra and Long-tailed Blue. We also recorded several Hummingbird Hawkmoths.

22 - 25 July 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

10 Fin Whales, 14 unidentified large rorquals, 1 Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 1 Minke Whale, 7 Risso's Dolphins, 22 Common Dolphins, 77 Striped Dolphins, 2 Harbour Porpoise and 1 unidentified dolphin. Other marine life included 5 Ocean Sunfish and 1 Basking Shark. Birds recorded from the ship included 11 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Sooty Shearwater, 5 Mediterranean Shearwaters, 1 Manx Shearwater, 41 Storm Petrels, 8 Sandwich Terns and 3 Bonxies. Migrants recorded at sea included a Kestrel, 2 Curlews and a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. In Spain we recorded 25 Griffon Vultures, a Black Kite, 2 Common Buzzards, 2 Peregrines, Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Melodious Warblers, Serin and 5 Ravens. 11 species of butterfly included Long-tailed Blue, Clouded Yellow and Marbled White. Two Hummingbird Hawkmoths were also recorded.

 

19 - 22 July 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

20 Fin Whales, 36 unidentified large rorquals, 3 Sperm Whales, 1 probable Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 6 Pilot Whales, 83 Common Dolphins, 107 Striped Dolphins, 68 unidentified dolphins and 4 Harbour Porpoise. Birds recorded from the ship included 1 Great Shearwater, 2 Cory's Shearwaters, 1 Mediterranean Shearwater, 4 Sandwich Terns and 2 Dunlin. Other marine life included an Ocean Sunfish and a shoal of unidentified Tuna. In Spain we recorded 2 Griffon Vultures, a Black Kite, Cetti's, Sardinian, Fan-tailed and Melodious Warblers, Wryneck and Serin. 10 species of butterfly included Cleopatra, Mallow Skipper and Holly Blue. We also recorded several Hummingbird Hawkmoths and Iberian Wall Lizards.

16 - 19 July 2007 - Company of Whales aboard Pride of Bilbao

Highlight of this trip was a probable FEA'S PETREL found by our eagle-eyed guide Nigel in the Northern Bay - a long overdue event! The nearest breeding grounds of this charismatic species are on Bugio, an island that lies just off Madeira. The species is virtually impossible to identify at sea from the similar and incredibly rare Zino's Petrel. We also recorded 5 Fin Whales, 16 unidentified large rorquals, 4 Cuvier's Beaked Whales, 236 Common Dolphins, 140 Striped Dolphins, 66 unidentified dolphins, 7 Pilot Whales and a superb count in the English Channel of 57 Harbour Porpoise. Other marine life included 4 Basking Sharks and 2 Ocean Sunfish. Birds recorded from the ship included the first Great Shearwater of the autumn plus 84 Cory's Shearwaters and 6 Storm Petrels. In Spain we recorded Fan-tailed, Sardinian and Melodious Warblers (including a chick being fed by its parents!), Serins, Sandwich Tern and Kestrel. Butterfly highlights included Comma, Long-tailed Blue and Wall. We also recorded Hummingbird Hawk Moth.

13 - 16 July 2007 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride of Bilbao

13 Fin Whales, 6 unidentified large rorquals, 2 unidentified whales, 1 Minke Whale, 8 Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 40 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 243 Common Dolphins, 70 Striped Dolphins, 109 unidentified dolphins, 14 Pilot Whales and 2 Harbour Porpoise. Birds recorded from the ship included 2 Great Skua, 1 Storm Petrel, 7 Swift and 1 House Martin. On leaving Spain there were a large number of ladybirds on board . In Spain we recorded 1 Grey Heron, 1 Booted Eagle, 1 Black Kite, 1 Griffon Vulture, 3 Kestrel, 2 Sardinian Warblers, 1 Fan-tailed Warbler, 4 Melodius Warblers, 6 Serin, 1 Wryneck, 1 Red-backed Shrike and 1 Jackdaw. We also recorded 15 species of butterfly including Long-tailed Blue, Cleopatra, Coulded Yellow, Brimstone and either Swallowtail or Scarce Swallowtail. Other wildlife included 2 probably Wall Lizards and 2 dead White-toothed Shrews.

22 - 25 June 2007 - Company of Whales and Organisation Cetacea aboard Pride of Bilbao

Highlight of our dedicated research and recording trip was an encounter with two male Cuvier's beaked Whales very close to the ship. Twenty other encounters with cetaceans saw us logging 2 Pilot Whales, 602 Common Dolphins, 12 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, 1 Striped Dolphin and 45 unidentified dolphins. Seabirds are always thin on the ground in June but included 1 Cory's and 1 Mediterranean Shearwater plus a Storm Petrel. In Spain we recorded 4 Griffon Vultures, Sardinian, Fan-tailed, Grasshopper and Melodious Warblers and a Wryneck. Butterflies included Adonis Blue, Marbled White, Speckled Wood and Wall Brown. Other wildlife included a Wall Lizard and a Hummingbird Hawk Moth. Click here for further information on this trip.

Bay of Biscay and Picos de Europa 1 - 7 June 2007
Guided by Judd Hunt and Rob Still

Days 1 and 2

The group met up and boarded our ship, The Pride of Bilbao, at Portsmouth without a hitch and we set sail on time. The following morning the group enjoyed the slide show on the wildlife of the Bay of Biscay and the Picos de Europa and everyone seemed eager to commence our watch on deck.

Once the Master of the ship had granted access to our exclusive viewing platform upon Monkey Island the group assembled and were greeted by good weather and fine viewing conditions. We didn't have to wait long before the action started and were soon treated to views of 5 Harbour Porpoises behaving in a typically unobtrusive manner and testing everyone's powers of observation! This set the scene for the remainder of the day and the group rarely had time to settle as binoculars were constantly being raised to view the wildlife on show.

One of the highlights was undoubtedly a group of 200+ Bottle-nosed Dolphins that appeared in a loose association and we were lucky enough to see good numbers of these powerful dolphins coming in to bow-ride. Later, one eagle-eyed member of the group spotted a Minke Whale but, despite our best efforts, the rest of us could not locate it. However, we were soon compensated with good views of a group of Pilot Whales and subsequently we recorded a very impressive total of 40+ animals in the northern section of the Bay. Other cetaceans seen included a total of 20 Common and 150 Striped Dolphins but a close encounter with a beaked whale caused much excitement. Good views were had of an animal that rolled 7 or 8 times off the starboard side of the boat and initially we were unable to identify it. However, after some deliberation and consultation of the field guides we agreed that it had been a Sowerby's Beaked Whale based on size, beak/head structure and behaviour - a "first" for Judd!

Plenty of birds were also recorded during the day and we saw Northern Fulmars, Gannets, Manx Shearwater, European Storm Petrel, Great and Arctic Skuas, Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern, Guillemots and a single Puffin. Also seen during the afternoon were a single Ocean Sunfish and 2 unidentified sharks. The second of these was seen well by several members of the group plus P&O's Wildlife Officer and the possibility of it being an immature Great White Shark was discussed although this remains unproven. We ended our watch towards dusk and retired below decks feeling very satisfied with the rewards of our efforts.

Day 3

This morning saw us arrive early in Bilbao and in no time we had collected the minibuses and were en route towards Fuente De, our base in the Picos de Europa for the next few days.

It was not long after leaving port that we began to see a selection of the region's birds and during the journey west we noted Little Egret, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Black Kite, Common Buzzard, Yellow-legged Gull, Crag Martin, Dipper, Common and Black Redstarts, Blue Rock Thrush, Red-backed Shrike and Spotless Starling. To break up the drive we stopped twice along the way and added singing Firecrest and Bonelli's Warbler plus a wonderful cup of coffee.

We arrived at the Parador, checked in to our rooms and had some lunch. We then ventured outdoors to absorb the breathtaking views and search for the local wildlife. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking through the alpine meadows and adjacent beech woods. We were soon knee deep in orchids and recorded Bee, Sombre Bee, Fly, Man, Lizard, Burnt, Long-spurred, Early Purple and Heath Spotted. Reptiles and amphibians were well represented with European Wall and Viviparous Lizards, Fire Salamander, Western Spadefoot and Midwife Toads and Iberian Frog being seen. Red Fox and distant Chamois were the only wild mammals seen but the birds and butterflies on view kept the eyes busy; during the afternoon we saw Griffon Vultures, Peregrine, Crag Martins, Water Pipit, White Wagtails, Red-billed Choughs, Serin and Rock Bunting as well as Green-veined White, the gaudy Moroccan Orange Tip, regular Orange Tip, Cleopatra, Brimstone, Peacock and Dingy Skipper.

After our evening meal, some of the group went for a walk under the stars and used a "Bat Box" to try and detect the diagnostic calls of the bats that hunt around the Parador buildings at night and both "45kh" and "55kh" Pipistrelles were located plus a Horseshoe species and a possible Serotine. Up to 3 Tawny Owls serenaded us as we watched Jupiter and her 4 major moons rise above the hillside before retiring for a well-earned sleep.

Day 4

Before breakfast, some of the group took a walk into the beech forest above the Parador to listen to the dawn chorus and the undoubted highlight were a pair of Black Woodpeckers that called frequently to each other. Despite their raucous behaviour they proved quite difficult to spot but eventually most people had decent views of this most spectacular of European Woodpeckers. We listened to the subtle differences in the songs of Blackcaps and Garden Warblers, the familiar sound of a Yellowhammer and also noted Marsh Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Firecrest and Linnet. Along the way we also found a few spikes of the pallid looking Birds Nest Orchid.

After a hearty breakfast, we assembled at the Cable Car station where a pair of Goldcrests were seen busily tidying their nest. We then made the spectacular and rapid ascent to the alpine plateau and were greeted with fantastic weather conditions. Looking back down into the valley below, Fuente De and the surrounding habitations looked more like Toy Town; hardly surprising really as we had just climbed over a thousand metres! Alpine Choughs, one of the species that exclusively inhabits this remote region, greeted us and their distinctive whistling calls echoed around as we began our leisurely walk to the foot of the escarpment. Along the way we were treated to some fantastic views of Chamois and several young were seen accompanying their mothers, scampering across the boulder-strewn slopes. As we approached our designated lunch stop we also noted several Northern Wheatears, Water Pipits and Black Redstarts, many of which were in full song.

Soon after opening our packed lunches we located a pair of Alpine Accentors and these super-sized Dunnocks treated us with some great views while we loitered in search of our main target species. We weren't to be disappointed as the plaintive call of a Wallcreeper could be heard coming from the nearby rock face and the search was on to spot this gem of a bird! Eagle-eyed Rob picked out the male as he flitted about the nooks and crannies in search of food and over the course of the next hour or so we all had good, though distant, views of a pair of these magnificent creatures. On a few occasions we saw the birds flying and the explosion of magenta, black and white could be seen as they opened their wings whilst flying, almost butterfly-like, across the cliff face. A boisterous group of Alpine Choughs were in close attendance during this time, each hoping for a discarded piece of chorizo or tuna and they afforded excellent photo opportunities as they hopped around us, occasionally poking their bright yellow bills into any open rucksacks in search of plunder! At one point, a marauding Raven flew overhead and was immediately mobbed by the most valiant birds in the flock. Later on, several Snow Finches put in an appearance and one male was seen on several occasions to launch himself into his acrobatic song flight. Some of the group also spotted a Snow Vole scampering around the base of some boulders.

Well pleased with our tally so far, we made our way back towards the Cable Car station, stopping along the way to look for Alpine Newts. We easily found our quarry and at least 50 of these hardy little amphibians were noted. At the station, we saw another Alpine Accentor and loitered with coffees and up to 5 Alpine Swifts!

Back down at the Parador, 5 Red-billed Choughs, Rock Bunting, 2 Firecrests, Grey Wagtail and Sawfly Orchid were added to the day list before we retired for a well-earned dinner.

Day 5

As this was to be our last full day in this beautiful, wildlife rich area we made the most of the lovely weather and set off immediately after breakfast.

We spent the day searching the areas lower down in the valleys to the north-east of Fuente De and our first stop was near the village of Brez where the habitat comprises mainly of mixed woodland with surrounding arable pastures. Here, we took a leisurely walk along the quiet road for a few hours, stopping frequently to look at the wide array of wildlife on view, including a splendid spike of the Pink Butterfly Orchid. Later on we paused briefly in the town of Potes where we made a comfort stop, then continued down through the spectacular La Hermida gorge before arriving at our lunch stop besides the quaint little Santa Maria Church at Lebena. After our picnic, we strolled through the nearby village and its surrounding fields before returning to the minibuses via a circular route, regularly pausing along the way.

The highlights of an excellent day in the field included Red Fox, Roe Deer, at least 15 Griffon Vultures, 5 Egyptian Vultures, Golden Eagle, 2 Short-toed Eagles, 4 Booted Eagles, 3 Black Kites, 2 Honey Buzzards, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Cuckoo, 40 Common and 3 Alpine Swifts, 2 Wrynecks (including superb views of one bird carrying a beak full of grubs into it's nest hole), Tree Pipits, 2 Grey and a dozen White Wagtails, Dipper, 4 Common and 3 Black Redstarts, 2 Bonelli's Warblers seen plus many more heard singing, Firecrest, 5 Spotted Flycatchers, 3 Short-toed Treecreepers, 7+ Red-backed Shrikes, 4 Red-billed Choughs, 4 Serins, Cirl Bunting and Spotless Starling. Butterflies were more in evidence today with the warmer weather and the highlights were both Swallowtail and Scarce Swallowtail, Clouded and Pale Clouded Yellows, Sooty Copper, Adonis, Dusky Large, Green Underside and Small Blue, Queen of Spain, Marsh, and Spotted Fritillaries, Marbled White, Black-veined White, Large Wall Brown and Sloe Hairstreak while the reptiles on offer were Schreiber's Green and European wall Lizards.

Before returning to our Parador we made another stop in the town of Potes where the group had time to relax and do some shopping and sightseeing. Some of the group followed their guides to a local café and then on for a short walk along the river where we saw a family of White Wagtails, a Grey Wagtail and juvenile Dipper.

Day 6

After an early breakfast we said goodbye to our Parador in the Picos' and set off on our return journey to Bilbao. We made a riverside stop for coffee along the way and here we spotted an adult Night Heron - the first time either Rob or Judd had seen one in this part of Spain! Other birds noted en route were Cattle and Little Egrets, White Stork, Griffon Vulture, Black Kite, Spotless Starling and Serin.

We arrived at the port in good time and dropped off our minibuses before we boarded the vessel. By the time we set sail the group had assembled on the upper deck and we noted Yellow-legged and Lesser Blacked-backed Gulls as we moved through the outer harbour. Due to repair work and the installation of rubber matting upon Monkey Island we were unable to access this location but we found suitable points from which to watch on the top deck, Deck 11.

As we progressed north we began to encounter several groups of Bottle-nosed Dolphins and approximately 40 were recorded in total. In a loose association with one of these groups we also spotted 5 Pilot Whales. 2 Ocean Sunfish, 2 Cory's Shearwaters, a Common Tern and a few Gannets were also seen over the shallower water but as we began to sail into the mouth of the Cape Breton Canyon, a vast underwater version of the Grand Canyon, things really started to hot up! This is the domain of the rare beaked whales and we were soon treated to some excellent views of Cuvier's Beaked Whales; several groups were encountered and these contained some heavily battle-scarred adult males, looking like huge, ghostly torpedoes as they swam down the sides of the vessel! In all, we counted 14 of these rarely seen and little studied animals and this is the highest single day count that Judd or Rob had ever recorded. Also noted as we sailed over deeper water were groups of Common and Striped Dolphins, several of which contained both species and we recorded totals of 153 and 120 animals respectively. As hoped for, some of these were in a playful mood and raced in towards the bow to ride the pressure waves we were pushing out - a truly unforgettable experience! To add to our excitement, Rob picked up a large "Blackfish" crossing the bows and as it rolled to breathe up went the shout of "Orca!" as a wonderful adult female Killer Whale sped down the port side. What an afternoon we were having!

Thinking that things couldn't get any better we began to cross the deepest part of the Bay, an area with an average water depth of over 4,000 metres known as the Abyssal Plain, when we encountered 2 species typical of this area of ocean. Firstly, a cry of "blow!" alerted us to the presence of a Fin Whale and we watched as the huge animal passed the starboard side of the ship and soon after, Judd picked up a Sperm Whale blowing more distantly.

We ended our vigil just after sunset and reflected on a superb day's wildlife watching which had seen us record 8 species of cetacean in the space of just 5 hours! Where else in the world could one expect to see that diversity of whales and dolphins in such a short space of time?!

Day 7

Our final morning saw us entering the English Channel and we assembled on deck at 7.30am to begin our watch. Seabirds were in evidence with Fulmars and Gannets dominating proceedings but we could not locate any cetaceans.

That afternoon, we met in our private function room for the final log. We all agreed that it had been a wonderful trip with the highlight being the 11 species of cetaceans seen - over 10% of the world's biodiversity! Later, we said our farewells and finally arrived in Portsmouth just ahead of time for disembarkation.

Bay of Biscay and Picos de Europa 26 May - 1 June 2007
Guided by Dylan Walker and Judd Hunt

Days 1 and 2

After meeting in Portsmouth we set sail and encountered some unsettled weather in the English Channel overnight. The following morning saw no change in the weather but after Dylan conducted his talk on the wildlife of the Bay of Biscay and the Picos de Europa we headed out onto deck to check the conditions. Unfortunately, the weather prevented us from accessing our favoured viewing platform on Monkey Island so we began our watch from the side decks.

Despite the testing conditions we encountered plenty of seabirds with Gannets and Fulmars much in evidence. We also saw Manx Shearwater, European Strom Petrels, both Great and Arctic Skuas plus several Kittiwakes. Solitary Sanderling and Spotted Flycatcher were also observed as they took shelter onboard. The sea state made viewing conditions far from ideal and this prevented us from recording any cetaceans on the journey south.

Day 3

After arriving in Bilbao, we collected our minibuses and headed off westwards across the area known as "Green Spain" towards our destination in the mountains beyond. The journey provided us with our first views of birds typical of this region and they included Black Kites, Cattle Egrets, Booted Eagle, Osprey and White Wagtails.

We stopped twice on route to allow for some leg-stretching and at the first of these we were afforded excellent views of 2 Alpine Swifts as they hunted insects low over the river. Single Kingfisher and Common Sandpiper were also noted here. The second stop at the famous Salmon Leap Viewpoint never fails to disappoint and here we had good views 4 Crag Martins and a male Blue Rock Thrush feeding young. The impressive backdrop of the La Hermida gorge provided a fitting setting for our first good views of the mighty Griffon Vulture, as several appeared soaring over the crags. Several tame European Wall Lizards were also seen at this site.

After arriving at the Fuente De Parador in its breathtaking surroundings we took lunch and then headed onto the alpine meadows and were rewarded with views of Water Pipits, 3 Rock Buntings, both Red-billed and Alpine Choughs, Firecrest, Short-toed Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, Common Buzzards, Black Redstarts and many more Griffon Vultures. Spring was late arriving in the Picos this year but we still managed to see several butterflies including Orange Tip, Green Hairstreak and Piedmont Ringlet. A drinking trough was found to contain Iberian Frog tadpoles, unidentified toadpoles and at least 6 Fire Salamander larvae! Several species of orchids were also identified and these included Sombre Bee, Fly, Man, Burnt and many Early Purples. The evening ended with several Tawny Owls hooting around the Parador after dinner.

Day 4

Prior to breakfast, some of the group went on an early morning walk into the nearby beech woods. We were rewarded with some fine views of the local melanistic race of Red Squirrels, a pair of Marsh Tits, Nuthatch, European Treecreeper, Jays, and Firecrest.

After breakfast, we took the brief but dramatic cable car journey up to the high plateau rising almost a thousand metres in the process. At the top, a thick veil of cloud greeted us but this soon began to break apart in the breeze. The view from here is truly fantastic, with deep valley floors far below and the ragged peaks of the mountains surrounding the vista. This is the world of the Chamois and during our time in this habitat we managed to see at least 40 of these delightful animals. Despite a strong, cold wind we managed to see many of the birds confined to these remote places and had superb views of 75+ Alpine Choughs, 3 Alpine Accentors, several Water Pipits, Wheatears and Black Redstarts. However, despite much effort we failed to locate any Wallcreepers but one lucky member of the group managed to glimpse a fly-past Snow Finch. Our stakeout for Alpine Next came up trumps with 30+ of these splendid, orange-bellied amphibians spotted. As we headed back down to the valley below several of us managed to see an Egyptian Vulture flying in front of the cable car but it soon disappeared from view.

To end the day, we wandered around the Parador and the adjacent meadows and added Heath Spotted Orchid to the list.

Day 5

Our last full day in the Picos saw us heading down the valley to explore the wildlife that inhabits the lower altitude woodland, pastureland, towns and orchards. The first stop near the village of Brez proved very productive and the highlight was undoubtedly a Black Vulture that appeared in association with the much commoner Griffons. Other raptors seen included Booted and Short-toed Eagle, 4 Honey and 3 Common Buzzards and 2 Sparrowhawks. A busy few hours also saw us record a brief view of a fly by Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Garden Warbler, 3 Bonelli's Warblers, Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreeper, 4 Red-backed Shrikes, Red-billed Chough, Raven, and at least 2 Serins.

After a brief stop in the town of Potes, which produced a few more Serins and another Short-toed Eagle, we headed for our lunch stop at the church of Santa Maria in the Lebena Valley. While eating our picnics we spotted Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vultures, Short-toed Eagle and several Black Kites. We then headed off on a short walk through a village and its surrounding cultivation. Here we noted Crag Martin, Cirl Buntings, Common and Black Redstarts, more Serins, Spotted Flycatcher, and Bonelli's Warbler in song.

The late afternoon saw us head back up to Potes where the group spent some time relaxing in this quaint town; some went shopping, some sightseeing and some accompanied their intrepid guides on a walk along the river where Dipper, Grey and White Wagtails, Spotted Flycatchers and Serins.

Butterflies noted during the day included Clouded Yellow, Orange Tip, Cleopatra, Brimstone, Common Blue and Meadow Fritillary and orchids were represented by Bee, Pyramidal, Burnt and Early Purple.

Day 6

An early start saw us heading back towards Bilbao and along the way we added Great Spotted Woodpecker and Spotless Starling to the trip list as well as seeing many other birds including 2 Dippers, Redstart, many Common Swifts, Swallows and House Martins, Little Egrets, Black Kites and Griffon Vultures.

After boarding the Pride of Bilbao we set sail on time and saw 3 Sanderlings, many Yellow-legged Gulls, 4 Sandwich and 2 Common Terns in the harbour. Half an hour later and the group had assembled on Monkey Island, full of anticipation about what the afternoon may have in stall. Again, the weather was against us and the viewing conditions deteriorated as we steamed north. However, the group's concentration never wavered and as we approached the exciting area over the Cape Breton Canyon we were rewarded with some superb views of 7 Cuvier's Beaked Whales which included a couple of heavily scarred males accompanying their harem of females. Continued efforts throughout the day produced a total of 6 Common Dolphins, 4 Striped Dolphins and 1 unidentified shark. Seabirds were in evidence and we recorded 30 Mediterranean Shearwaters, several European Storm Petrels, Gannets and a single Great Skua.

Day 7

As we passed the Channel Isles and moved back up into the English Channel the weather improved considerably and the sea conditions had abated sufficiently for us to record 7 Harbour Porpoises and 35 Common Dolphins on the morning watch. A total of 4 Manx Shearwaters plus late migrant Sand Martin and 4 Swallows supplemented the usual array of Gannets and Fulmars.

Later in the day we said our farewells after the final checklist before disembarking at Portsmouth on time.

Bay of Biscay and Picos de Europa 20 - 26 May 2007
Guided by Dylan Walker

Day 1 and 2

The first Bay of Biscay and Picos de Europa trip of the year is always greeted with great anticipation by both guests and guides eager for some great wildlife encounters - and so it should be! After all, there are few wildlife holidays that give you the opportunity to search for specialist animals living 2000m above sea level one day, before seeking marine mammals that dive to 1000m below sea level the next day! And so it was that we headed out into the Bay of Biscay on the Pride of Bilbao. Following an illustrated talk on the wildlife of the region, we arrived on a surprisingly sheltered Monkey Island to begin watch. Cetacean watching conditions were far from ideal, with a sea state 5, which is almost impossible for spotting porpoises. Amazingly, one did sneak past us on the port side - the only cetacean of the afternoon.

Despite this, the birds kept us entertained, as we learnt to age Gannets and watched the occasional Fulmar, Kittiwake, and Manx Shearwater pass by. Rarity highlight was a winter-plumage Red-necked Grebe - a Biscay first for The Company of Whales! There were also a few passerines migrating north. We saw Swallows and a House Martins, whilst a very obliging Sedge Warbler searched for tit-bits on deck, even singing from time to time! As afternoon turned to evening we were finally rewarded for our long wait, as several groups of Common and Striped Dolphins raced into the bow.

Day 3

Arriving in Bilbao we picked up our vehicle for the journey east to the Picos. Turning off the main road and heading into the mountains, we made our first stop at the Salmon Viewpoint. Cloud was clinging to the hillside here and it forced several species of raptor down to the lower slopes where they gave outstanding views. First, over 50 Griffon Vultures circled slowly skywards. Amongst them we found one Black Vulture - still an extremely rare bird in northern Spain. As the cloud began to lift we also spotted two Golden Eagles and a Booted Eagle, whilst Crag Martins circled over our heads - what a start!

Arriving at our Parador Hotel set spectacularly in a caldera of high peaks, we spent the afternoon strolling the nearby alpine meadows, pausing to admire Early Purple, Burnt and Man Orchids, Purple Kidney Vetch and White Asphodel. We also chased some butterflies - identifying Moroccan Orange Tip, but the fritillaries were just too fast for us! No matter, our attention was soon drawn to a fabulous male Rock Bunting. Meanwhile, a Peregrine wheeled overhead, Wall Lizards lazed on the rocks, and a very confused Common Sandpiper was found sitting under a bush!

Day 4

First stop today was the pretty village of Lebena, with its delightful Santa Maria Church. Here we found a fall of Spotted Flycatchers, as well as Redstart, Black Redstart, and White Wagtail, whilst a mixed flock of Swifts and Crag Martins wheeled overhead below roaming Griffon Vultures and Black Kites. Further up the hill we discovered both Common and Midwife Toad tadpoles in a water trough, a superb Red Helleborine Orchid, and a Speckled Wood butterfly. Two Firecrests showed fleetingly along the path, and we eventually found a singing Bonelli's Warbler.

 

Taking the road south from Potes to the Mirador (viewpoint) at San Glorio, we took lunch in the hills above Dobares. The biggest challenge here was completing the meal - as there was so much to see! A superb Egyptian Vulture flew low down the valley, whilst a Booted Eagle appeared from nowhere being mobbed by a pair of Carrion Crows. A Raven stole Geoff's sandwich as we began a short walk, which led to a superb mixed flock of Cirl Buntings and Yellowhammers, a pair of scolding Stonechats, a stunning male Red-backed Shrike, and a handsome singing Serin. We finished the day at the Mirador, with stunning views across the peaks and the constantly changing cloud formations enveloping them.

Day 5

In a rearrangement from our usual itinerary involving the cable car journey from Fuente De, we hired four-wheel drive cars to take us up to the high tops due to reparations being undertaken by the cable car company. The off-road journey from Espinama was spectacular - and when we arrived at 2000m, we had the peaks to ourselves - wow! First target was the stunning, yet elusive, Wallcreeper. It took us over an hour to find them and we pinpointed a pair feeding on the cliff-face above us. One bird was singing its haunting song, described perfectly by one of our guests as "like the sound you hear when you blow air across the rim of a milk bottle". Great views of the other alpine specialities came thick and fast after that, as Alpine Accentor, Snow Finch, Alpine Chough and Chamois appeared close by. Finally we made it to our favourite pool to watch fiery-bellied Alpine Newts. Ravens, Wheatears, Water Pipits and Red-billed Choughs completed the picture before we took the hour-long drive back to the hotel through a spectacular thunder and hail storm!

Day 6

An early drive to the ferry port allowed us to pick up a few new birds - Grey Wagtail, Grey Heron and Little Egret amongst them. Setting sail the sea was calm as we left port past Sandwich Terns and a few waders, including Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwit, whilst an immature Peregrine shot past at speed. It turned out to be a mixed weather afternoon in the Bay of Biscay, with squalls of wind causing lots of white caps for much of the day. Three Cuvier's Beaked Whales lurched forwards ahead of the ship but quickly disappeared. The sea was quiet then until late afternoon, when we had a string of excellent dolphin encounters, including a number of Common and Striped Dolphins racing into the bow or leaping alongside the ship. The day ended with the sighting of a single large blow, which was probably a Fin Whale, though we did not see the animal itself.

Day 7

With poor weather in the Channel, this was a day for rest and relaxation, with a little bit of Gannet watching thrown in for good measure. At our last checklist meeting we all agreed that it had been a great trip - with the birds of prey at the Salmon Viewpoint and leaping dolphins in Biscay the most memorable highlights for many of us. Thanks to everybody who travelled with us and we look forward to seeing you again in the future.

20 - 29 April 2007 - European Cetacean Society Conference Cruise onboard Pride of Bilbao

The Company of Whales was proud to launch the 2007 Bay of Biscay season with a special cruise to Northern Spain. For the first time ever, delegates of the European Cetacean Society Conference were offered the opportunity to whale watch all the way to and from the conference by travelling with us through the Bay of Biscay. With the conference venue just down the road from Bilbao in the delightful city of San Sebastian, this was the perfect opportunity to take the scenic route for Europe's annual cetacean conference.

And what a pleasure it was to be joined onboard by so many experienced marine biologists, resulting in some unique insights into our sightings and some fascinating discussions on "all-things-blubbery" when the seas were quiet.

We began our first watch early in the morning on the first day as we headed out of the English Channel and into the Bay of Biscay. The weather could not have been better with a sea state 2, although visibility was reduced at times due to fog.

 

Straight off the bat we were encountering cetaceans. Before we had even had chance to set up the survey equipment we had our first group of Common Dolphins racing past, apparently uninterested in the ship - what a start! As we settled down for a full day of watching, we chanced upon our only Minke Whale of the trip - sneeking past us on the starboard side, it turned and rode in the ship's wake behind us. As visibility dropped we headed down from the Monkey Island for an hour. Closer to sea level, we were able to pick up several small groups of Harbour Porpoise passing by.

By this time we were heading due south to the west of Ouessant and the fog retreated to allow us back up onto our whale watching platform. Our next sighting was in stark contrast to the Common Dolphins we had seen gracefully moving across the water earlier in the day. Ahead of the ship we saw a beak clear of the water, immobile. As we approached we realised that it was a dead Common Dolphin entangled in fishing gear. The animal was incredibly fresh, and was estimated by Nick, our guest pathologist, to have been killed within the last 48 hours and possibly just hours before. We quickly passed two more dead dolphins before encountering a trawler vessel (the only one of the entire cruise). Yanni, who studies cetacean bycatch with IFREMER, took a look at the GPS positions of the sightings and commented that this was a known "hotspot" for bycatch as a result of pelagic trawling for Sea Bass.

Heading further south we were soon cheered up by a string of dolphin sightings. A few Bottlenose Dolphin groups passed by, along with more Common Dolphins, six Striped Dolphins and the rarity highlight of the day - four Risso's Dolphins. Although they were distant, their large, dark dorsal fins and pale backs rendered them unmistakable!

The day ended with a quiet spell as we entered deep water, but by then we were all satisfied with some excellent cetacean encounters, as well as the sight of migrating Swallows, flocks of magnificent Gannets and a bizarre Horsefly that found Matt's hairstyle a more-than-adequate substitute for some tall vegetation!

 

 

The next day we picked up our coach and headed for San Sebastian, arriving in good time to catch some of the workshops already in progress. As in previous years the important research and educational work undertaken by The Company of Whales was well represented at the conference. This year, our data was utilised by Matt Hobbs for his presentation on the status of Sperm Whales in the Bay of Biscay. Groups of females and calves have been noted increasingly during ferry surveys in recent years, leading to speculation as to whether there has been a shift in the population of this species. Alternatively, the data may simply illustrate part of the long-term cycle of movements of these animals on a large scale. It was also great to see so many former Company of Whales guests attending the conference. For example, several of our guests joined us in attending and speaking at a workshop discussing the best ways to provide interpretative material and guide training on whale watching vessels.

Finally, after a great week in beautiful San Sebastian, we boarded P&Os Pride of Bilbao once more in eager anticipation of the return crossing. Once again we were blessed with fabulous weather with excellent visibility and a sea state 2. Back on Monkey Island and assisted by a light south easterly breeze, we were soon enjoying the aerial spring migration as several species of land and shore bird passed by on their way north. Small parties of Swifts and Swallows flew past at eye level, whilst flocks of Whimbrel hugged the waves as they headed northward. We also saw a flock of Cormorants, whilst a White Wagtail joined us for the entire afternoon, searching for insects around the deck. The bird highlight though, was undoubtedly a female Marsh Harrier which exceeded our speed of 20mph as she flew steadily in a north-easterly direction.

Of the day's cetaceans, the undoubted highlight was almost the first thing that we saw. Shortly after a group of dolphins raced past on our port side but remained unidentified, we located two beaked whales directly ahead of the ship. Amazingly, they turned towards us, revealing their long beaks which protruded clear of the water as they surfaced. "Sowerby's Beaked Whales" came the shout, as we all took our cameras out and started clicking. The animals approached closely before diving, giving us outstanding views of a species which has still only been seen alive by a handful of lucky people. Click here for an ID summary and discussion regarding this observation.

Sea conditions were excellent for spotting beaked whales, and before long we had more sightings. Two groups of Cuvier's Beaked Whales passed close by and another pair of unidentified "beaked whale-sized" animals also caught our attention. By now we were heading away from the canyons of Southern Biscay and into deeper water. Here we came across numerous groups of common and striped dolphins. Some were small, others involved groups of 50 or more individuals. The two species were present alone, near each other, and also in mixed groups, keeping us constantly on our toes when it came to identification.

 

Not to be outdone in terms of an ID challenge, we also had three challenging encounters with rorqual whales. Unfortunately, whilst all were reasonably close, none gave us the classic side-on profile that simplifies identification. The result was a Fin/Sei Whale, a Fin/Blue Whale and a probable Fin Whale! As the sun set and the last few dolphins of the day raced into the bow, we all headed to the Posh Bar for a well deserved celebratory drink!

Thick fog was forecast for our final day in the English Channel so it was no surprise that many of our guests found it tough to leave the comfort of their cabins after a tiring week. For those braving the early morning mist though, such as birthday boy Dan, the immediate reward was a large group of 50 Common Dolphins surrounding the ship in small sub-groups. As the morning progressed the weather deteriorated and there were to be no more cetaceans. Still, the Gannets flew past by the squadron and Manx Shearwater was added to the bird list, whilst our friendly White Wagtail remained on Monkey Island, determined to hitch a free ride all the way from Spain to the UK.

On behalf of myself, Morten, and The Company of Whales I would like to say a big thanks to everybody who travelled with us through the Bay of Biscay. We appreciate your assistance with the collection of survey data, and we hope that the sightings we had will live in your memories as they certainly will in ours. Finally, we hope to be able to welcome you onboard with us once more in the future.

Dylan Walker

Cetaceans: 1 Fin Whale (probable), 1 Minke Whale, 4 Cuvier's Beaked Whale, 2 Sowerby's Beaked Whale, 22 Bottlenose Dolphin, 95 Common Dolphin, 73 Striped Dolphin, 4 Risso's Dolphin, 6 Harbour Porpoise, 101 unidentified dolphins, 3 bycaught dolphins, 55 Common/Striped Dolphins, 2 large rorquals, 2 unidentified beaked whales.

Other wildlife: Gannet, Fulmar, Great Skua, Kittiwake, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, large diver sp., 1 Cory's Shearwater, 1 Manx Shearwater, 1 Balearic Shearwater, 1 probable Little Shearwater, 30 Whimbrel, 1 Dunlin, 20+ Sandwich Tern, 15 Cormorant, 15+ Swallow, 8+ Swift, 1 Chiffchaff, 1 White Wagtail, 1 Marsh Harrier.