Natural Selection

The last cruise we did we stopped in Vigo. We went to Baiona where there is a replica of the Columbus boat the Pinta, and had a lovely late summer afternoon exploring a castle. I mention this because we were supposed to be going there again today but it was cancelled due to lack of numbers, and with the biblical rain that fell it would have been grim.

What we ended up doing was visiting two gardens – one in Vigo itself at Quinones de Leon and the other the castle at Soutomaior. This meant there was a reasonable coach journey between the two which got us out of the downpour for a while. I felt sorry for the people who had opted for cycling and kayaking excursions, though at least the latter presumably expected to get wet.

If you’ve every tried birding woodland in a torrential downpour you’ll know that it’s challenging to say the least. Fortunately at our first stop they laid on a Mallard mansion for entertainment. There’s an unwritten rule that all such set-ups south of Watford should have a Mandarin Duck, and this was no exception.

Mallard Mansion…

Male Mandarin at Mallard Mansion

Prior to the docking we had a few Gannets alongside the boat as we approached land. A Razorbill and three Common Terns were new for the trip, as was a Shag. It was grim as we left late afternoon though, and I’d decided to sack the birding for the day. We went to the gym and from the cross-trainer among a procession of more Gannets I picked out a Sabine’s Gull and a fine Pomarine Skua that kept alongside the boat for ten minutes or so. Perhaps I had been too hasty.

Back at the cabin there didn’t seem to be much doing after all. And then suddenly there was, as just about every bird that I looked at was a different species. The light was going and the birds weren’t that close but some pictures follow below.

juvenile Sabine’s Gull above and blurred adult below

Presumed Manx rather than Yelkouan Shearwater

Arctic Skua

Cory’s Shearwater

Back to the picture at the top – I’m rather proud of this Yellow-legged Gull with Vigo backdrop. For anyone reading this who doesn’t know, these are the southern Europe equivalent of the Herring Gull that steals your chips and terrorises you when it has fledged young. That said they are regular in England as well when not breeding.