portsmouth-bilbao

[killdeer]

i have just booked to go on the portsmouth to bilbao ferry as i heard it is very good for birdwatching,does anyone know what i am likely to see.

[solus]

These are likely to be a bit out of date (July 2000 on) but might help:
surfbirds.com - Portsmouth, UK ferry to Bilbao
Surfbirds Birding Trip Report: Portsmouth, UK - Bilbao Ferry, March 2001
http://www.clevedon-portisheadbirds....ekend_14th.htm

If you do a Google search you should come up with more links to various reports.

[killdeer]

thanks for the links

[MagpieMick]

If you go on here ..............

Latest News - Company of Whales Cruises

You will see what was seen last week 30th July / 2nd Aug '10

Im on next weeks crossing for the 11th

Mick ........

[rlchew]

I did this trip with Company of Whales in September 2008 and recorded the following:

11th September 2008 (11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.) – Brittany coast to northern Bay of Biscay

Common Dolphin x c.50
Great Shearwater x 2
Corys Shearwater x 1
Manx Shearwater x 2
Balearic Shearwater x 2
Sabines Gull x c.10
Grey Phalarope x 1
Great Skua x c.10
Arctic Skua x1
“Commic” Tern x 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull x 1
Gannet x c.200
Wheatear x 1 resting on ship

Reported: Storm Petrel, Sooty Shearwater

12th September 2008 (8.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.) – Santurtzi, northern Spain

Griffon Vulture x c.25
Red-backed Shrike x 1
Black Redstart x c.5
Pied Flycatcher x c.5
Willow Warbler x 1
Blackcap x 1
Garden Warbler x 1
Common Buzzard x 1
Kestrel x 1
Stonechat x c.10
House Martin x 1
Cettis Warbler (1 heard)
Greenfinch x c.20
Goldfinch x c.30
House Sparrow
Collared Dove
Blackbird
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Wall Brown x 1

12th September 2008 (12.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.) – Santurtzi harbour and Bay of Biscay
Common Dolphin x c.10
Fin Whale x 2 plus c.30 “blows”
Cuviers Beaked Whale x 1
Yellow-legged Gull x c.150 – harbour and breakwater
Shag x 1 – harbour
Sandwich tern x 2 – harbour
Black-headed Gull x c.5 – harbour
Corys Shearwater x c.45 including 2 groups of c.15 each
Sooty Shearwater x 19
Sabines Gull x 6
Great Skua x 3
“Commic” Tern x 1
Sandwich tern x 2
Lesser Black-backed Gull x c.100
Gannet x c.20

Reported: Bottle-nosed Dolphin, Long-tailed Skua, Tuna, Ocean Sunfish

13th September 2008 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.) – Brittany coast to Portsmouth

Minke Whale x 1
Bottle-nosed Dolphin x 2 to 4
Storm Petrel x c.50 and c.10
Great Skua x 5
“Commic” Tern x 2 and c.50
Gannet x c.100
Fulmar x 4
Shag x 6
Cormorant x 6
Common Scoter x 12 off Isle of Wight
White Wagtail x 1 over ship
Swallow x 5 off Isle of Wight

Reported: Harbour Porpoise

Good luck to all those travelling this summer/autumn! It is the last season for the Portsmouth-Bilbao ferry crossing so enjoy!

Richard