15/09/2001 – Day1
Farlington Marshes (East of Portsmouth): - in order of sightings,
starling (3), stonechat (3), wheatear (4), lapwing (50), grey plover (c50), black-tailed godwit (c250), bar-tailed godwit (c30), shoveler (11), teal (13), moorhen, redshank (c50), curlew (c20), linnet (30), meadow pipit (3), kestrel (1), kingfisher (1), common gull (many), black-headed gull (many), oystercatcher (many), little stint (1), spotted redshank (1), herring gull (many), little egret (c30), grey heron (12), common sandpiper, wigeon (c250), greenshank (1).
Boarded ‘Pride of Bilbao’ at 20:00 hours
16/09/2001 - Day 2
Sightings for the outward trip in order were :-
Gannets (many), pied wagtail, fulmar, grey wagtail, great skua, white wagtail, sandwich tern, skua species, sabines gull (c40), great skua (4), feral rock dove (3).
Cetaceans: Harbour Porpoise, Common Dolphins (20), Leather Back Turtle, Sunfish, Fin Whale (4)
17/09/2001 –18/09/2001 – Day 3/4
Santurtzi-El Mazo :- magpie, pied flycatcher (3), griffon vulture (6), booted eagle (2), peregrine (1), kestrel (1), stonechat (many), goldfinch (many), blackbird (2), robin (1), serin (several), black redstart (1), cetti's warbler (6), chaffinch, meadow pipit (2), spotted flycatcher (2), swallow (many), whitethroat (3), white wagtail (2), house martin (many), sardinian warbler (2), greenfinch, house sparrow (5), starling (many), red-backed shrike (1), yellow wagtail (6), willow warbler.
Sightings for return trip in order were:-
Gannets (many), Sandwich Tern, Swallow, Sooty Shearwater (4), Great Skua (5), Sabine's Gull (1), Storm Petrel (10).
Cetaceans :- Striped Dolphin (10), Long-finned Pilot Whale (20), Whales blowing(unidentified).
The return leg was very disappointing; the third day with virtually five hours and hardly anything to record. The Wildlife Officer on board could not explain the lack of sightings. Shetland Wildlife Tours who had a group on board were perplexed at the lack of shearwaters. The last day dawned with a Northerly Force 7, and it was not possible to use the upper deck. We ended up two decks down in shelter looking to the seaward side, and managed a few, petrels, shearwaters and skuas but visibility was very difficult.
I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and found the ship and crew excellent. Our sightings however were rather disappointing affected possibly by bad weather on the return leg, with a Northerly Force 7.
Despite the lack of sightings I enjoyed the whole experience and I will certainly do it again, perhaps with a longer time in Spain!
Richard Wesley my website - http://spaces.msn.com/balvicar/
my email - richardwesley@btinternet.com