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Mark D

@seaskywatch.bsky.social
366 followers 254 following 545 posts

Interested in all #wildlife, but #seabirds, #raptors and #cetaceans are my favourites. Many hours spent #seawatching at home and abroad. (Header: Balearic and Manx Shearwaters 05/08/25)

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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 10h
Start Pt 1530-1700: lots of feeding gulls and Gannets, c800 Kittiwakes, 3 Arctic Skuas, Great Skua, 2 Sooty Shearwater, 28 Balearic, 20 Manx ( few 1w Kits no Sabine’s’)
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Berry Head 07:25-13:25: 21 Arctic Skias, 3 Bonxies; 1 Sooty, 56 Balearic , 93 Manx; 2 Arctic Terns, 1 Common, 6 Sandwich; 6 Common Scoter; 18 Med Gulls, 3 Common Gulls. c4 H Porpoise, c8 Common Dolphins. With @markrabailey.bsky.social @smallshire.bsky.social
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Pelagic out of Brixham today (28/09/26): Great Shearwater (no photo as distant), 3 Sooty (photo), c50 Balearic (photo with Manx), c200 Manx, 3 Arctic Skuas (photo of juv), 1 Bonxie
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Berry Head 07:00-14:30: 2 juv Long-tailed Skuas, 68 Arctic, 9 Bonxie; 1 Great Shearwater, 5 Sooty, 69 Balearic, 93 Manx; 1 Black Tern, 1 Common, 3 Sandwich; 5 Common Scoter; c2000 kittiwakes, 2 Med Gull, 2 Common Gull; c1500 Gannets; c1500 Auks. Many C Dolphins, 2 H Porpoise. 3 Wheatear
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
For @wilsonjaredm.bsky.social . Likelihood of Desertas / Zino’s type at Estaca de Bares, personsl take. I’ve done 3 years there with 450hrs watching seen 20: that’s an average of one in 22.5hrs watching. Home, Devon, 4 in 5700 hrs watching, one in 1425 hrs!! A much higher chance at E d B😉
Desertas vs Zino’s Petrel Madeira 2018
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
From the ferry out from Santander on 24/09/26 at 16:30 we saw a distant flock of c150 duck on the sea, they took off and headed west. Looked mainly Pintail with some Shoveler etc. Interesting that Antonio had c80 Pintail past Estaca de Bares that day, that c324km west.
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Photos off camera now at home, more on the Laredo Kelp Gull. Apparently in its 4th calendar-year. The dark eye points to the Southern Africa sub-species, Larus dominicanus vetula. It arrived in Dec 2024 and is well settled! What with White-backed Vulture, two birds I was not expecting in N Spain!!
Larus dominicanus vetulaLarus dominicanus vetulaLarus dominicanus vetula
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
From Ferry (from Santander) E Channel heading back to Plymouth, a couple of big ABF Tuna boils, a few Great & Sooty Shears many Manx and a Bonxie. Only cetaceans Common Dolphins
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Biscay yesterday a couple of Fin Whales, one skua but a nice one! Dark/intermediate juv Long-tailed. Full crops as quite distant.
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Off to catch ferry home. A little diversion to Laredo to see the adult Kelp Gull (southern form apparently!). Smart bird👍
Kelp Gull - Laredo, Spain
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
As my Spanish friends say almost to Galicia😂
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The Spanish love their art, it certainly adds something special as you drive through the towns.
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Heading back to Santander dropped in at Villaviciosa. Certainly didn’t expect to see Greater Flamingos, 10, rare in Northern Spain! Distant digiscope.
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Estaca de Bares, we are off ended doing 155 hrs of seawatching, but the last couple of days have been dominated by easterly winds. You still get 4 sp of skua, 4 sp shearwater and 5 sp of tern, but moderate numbers. Although I’d be more than happy with that at home!
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Looking at the waders at Ortigueira, nice Spotted Redshank
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
20/09 Estaca de Bares: 4 skua sp plus 2 probable South Polar ( a bit too far out), 4 shearwater sp and 3 tern sp.
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
19/09 Estaca de Bares, not ideal wind, just watched 1700-2030, but still all four skuas including another ad Long-tailed palescens. 7 species of shearwater including another Yelk type. 5 species of tern. Missed a Zino’s at 08:10 this morning as we weren’t there😩
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Estaca de Bares 18/09. Another 4 skua day, nice to quite a few juv Long-tails so may be they had a good breeding year. Also a good run of Sooties and Cory’s, just 2 Great Shearwaters!
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Especially for @runnelstone.bsky.social , what the area around Estaca de Bares looks like. The watch pint this morning and general area
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
17/09 Estaca de Bares another South Polar making another 5 skua day. Great Sooty passage maybe c1400 for day!
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Estaca de Bares 17/09 for the official count I did Sooties 0800-1200, be interesting what the final tally will be, but got to c450 (4hrs), best hr 143, before I left to restock on supplies. Back later.
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Yesterday the two huge dogs that guard the goat herd that grazes Estaca decided to come over and disrupt the seawatch. 1st trying knock over a few telescopes, then a bit of a fight! Before calming down - It all happens here! 😂
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
15/09 Estaca 0800-2045: helped with the count what a day highlights: 2 Desertas type Petrels, 2 South Polar Skuas, Barolo Shearwater, 146 Sabine’s, 29 Leach’s, 4 Wilson’s, 2 Euro Storm-petrels, 28 Grey Phalarope, 31 Lt Skuas, 40 Poms,97 Bonxies, 225 Arctic Skuas, 35 Black Terns, 26 Little Terns
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
15/09 Estaca de Bares 0800-20:45. The wind delivered, a nice passage of skuas with many small flocks of Poms and Arctics, a few Long-tails in twos & threes with some cracking juvs, Bonxies. A few Sabine’s, constant passage of Sooties (500+) &1000s Manx. A couple of Scopoli’s picked out of the Cory’s
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
14/09 Estaca seawatching slow as stuck with this dam easterly! Still better than an average day at home!
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Pic of a great Estaca de Bares sunrise a few days ago. Today’s highlights another South Polar in the morning made another 5 skua day, while some nice tern passage in the afternoon included many Black Terns and a super flock of 40 Little Terns. Also a Glossy Ibis
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
4vultures.org/blog/movemen...
4vultures.org
Watch out - an African white-backed vulture is flying around in Iberia. - Vulture Conservation Foundation
A rare 3rd-year African White-backed vulture tagged in Morocco in May is now touring Iberia. Birdwatchers have not spotted it yet.
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Cetaceans seen so far from Estaca de Bares during our watches: 1 Fin Whale, Harbour Porpoise, pod of Risso’s, a pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphins and Common Dolphins most days
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A break today from Estaca de Bares. Highlights from 7 days: 3 Zino’s type Petrels, 2 Desertas type Petrels, 2 Barolo Shearwaters, 7 South Polar Skuas (& 3+ probables), 4 Scopoli’s (must be more but can’t spend time looking at every Cory’s), Long-tailed Skuas (many ads incl. 4 palescens)
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
10/09 count 0800-1530 Manx 1741 Balearic 65 Sooty 536 Cory’s 769 Gannet 664 Sandwich Tern 214 Commic Tern 72 Common Scoter 177 Arctic Skua 17 Pomarine Skua 1 Great Skua 6 On next count a few Black & Little Terns. A few Bonxies, a prob and a confirmed SPS & 2 LtS That’s a wrong wind mediocre watch😂
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
E de B, covered the count 08:00-15:30 then Spanish team took over. A quiet day, a South Polar at 18:00 made a 5 skua day … just! Just done 8 days solid seawatching and knackered. The main man does this all the time - simply amazing effort and skill.
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
E de B 09/09 I was asked to cover late count 15:15-20:30 Manx 4313 Balearic 55 Sooty 127 Cory’s 1806 Scopoli’s 3 Gannet 292 Sandwich Tern 805 Commic Tern 627 Black Tern 35 Little Tern 2 Common Scoter 40 Arctic Skua 60 Pomarine Skua 14 Long-tailed Skua 13 Great Skua 35 Great/South Polar 2
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
08/09 Estaca de Bares highlights today: 2 Zinos’ type (one with much white in underwing and one with darker underwing though small and light flight unlike Desertas type), Barolo Shearwater, 2 South Polar Skuas, Wilson’s Storm-petrel. A 5 skua & 6 shearwater species day!
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
South Polar Skua flying away after passing closer! I took some slo-mo video as it passed close and will have to try and upload when home! A tail-end taster for now!
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
07/09 amazing day at Estaca de Bares. Absolute highlight a Zino’s type Petrel that buzzed a Cory’s a few times for size cf 👍. 7 shearwater day that included Scopoli’s and a Barolo at the end of the day. Amazing 5 skua day, 2 confirmed South Polar and good possible to be confirmed
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
From on the 5/9. Caspian Gull also the odd one getting down here too at Estaca, where lots of YL Gulls and LBB on migration . This bird has some fishing line😩
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Antonio wrote a nice article on Estaca de Bares in Birdwatch magazine. He hadn’t seen it so I took one out for him! Birdwatch owes me a magazine 😂 The main man at the place today
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
06/09 Estaca was a good tern day c3000 commic, 1000+ Sandwich, plus many Black a few Little and at least one Rosy. Another fine adult palescens Long-tailed plus usual plumages birds, c20 Sabine’s, Euro, Wilson’s and Leach’s Storm-petrels
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
04/09 at Estaca de Bares: on an easterly it shouldn’t be good but…highlights ad South Polar harassing Cory’s on sea joined by Bonxie for comparison. Otherwise 5 skua day, also a good tern and shearwater day. 26 Sabine’s and absolute highlight 2 Desertas type Petrels at 16:50 and 20:22👍👍
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Estaca de Bares on a ENE (not best wind) my totals (more seen): 32 Long-tails (incl. 2 Palescens), 60 Poms, 66 Arctic, 5 Bonxies, 1 prob South P, 32 Sooty Sh etc Amazing number of yng Spanish birders👍
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Fea’s type, c20 Great Shearwaters 15+ miles off Plymouth yesterday in with 100s of Manx. Biscay so far this am 2 Fin Whales, Curvier’s, Common Dolphins, BN Dolphins, 2 Lt Skuas, few Cory’s, lots of Portuguese man o war
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Will be heading out through this on Santander Ferry tomorrow, fingers crossed it produces something in the SW approaches. Biscay looking a bit easterly so maybe Estaca not so good in next few days - we’ll see!🤞
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Matt D @mattdenial.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I knew the Scilly Pelagics could be ‘bad’, but I wasn’t quite prepared for the onslaught today. Soaked from head to toe, then, after hitting another massive wave, the stinking bag of chum flew back into the boat and hit me. We still had 3 hrs to go. Still, Sooty Shearwater lifer, come on! #birds
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Start Pt 1200-1800, front with strong SSW and rain arriving mid-afternoon produced: 5 Cory’s Shearwaters that joined mixed feeding frenzy before moving on, also c250 Manx, 25 Balearic, 45 Common Terns, Arctic Skua , 20+ ABFTs
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Berry Hd 0630-1530 totals with @clennonvalley.bsky.social et al.: Alpine Swift, 2 Roseate Terns, 2403 Common Terns, 8+ Arctic Terns, 13 Sandwich Terns, 22 Arctic Skuas , Bonxie, Sooty Shearwater, 1283 Manx, 141 Balearic, Caspian Gull 1w, Yl Gull 1w, 55 Med Gulls, 3 Common Gulls, 8000+ Kittiwakes
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Berry Head 29/08/26 Alpine Swift at 10:26, great bird on a seawatch, 1st spotted in heavy rain overhead by @jacob-wood.bsky.social , bizarely after it disappeared to the S around the headland @clennonvalley.bsky.social picked one distant high E over the sea. Same bird we think. My 5th for Berry Hd👍
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
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tombrereton.bsky.social @tombrereton.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Epic Lyme Bay Pelagic from Brixham. Sabine's Gull, Sooty, 111 Balearic & 3000 Manx Shearwater, 2 Great & 5 Arctic Skua, 140 Common & 2 Arctic Tern, 8 Yellow-legged & 10 Med Gulls, 2500 Kittiwake, 1600 Gannet, 1200 Guillemot, Purple Sandpiper @naturetrek.bsky.social Data @marinelife1.bsky.social
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Mike Langman @clennonvalley.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
A wonderful cruise out into Lyme Bay yesterday @KellysheroDavid : 1 Sooty, 130+ Balearic, 600+ Manx Shearwaters, Little Gull, 3 Bonxies, 3-4 Arctic Skuas, 4 Yellow-legged Gulls, rafting Common Terns many Com Dolphins, 5+ Harbour Porpoise. bonxie pic from Bill Coulson
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Mark D @seaskywatch.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
A very tatty 1st summer Kittiwake moulting and smart juv/1w YL Gull, Berry Hd this morning
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