Saturday 27 April 2013

Faial, Horta Island, Azores

To be kind, the Internet access on the ship is 'hit and miss' and so to save time much of today's post will be without narrative. As for the Gulls, my knowledge of Azorian Gull (a sub-species of Yellow-legged Gull) is limited to say the least and all those I have spied thus far look nothing like the photographs studied before leaving England. Add to that all I have available is Harrison's Seabirds, who doesn't even address Y-L Gull, so if you have any ideas on the subject your views would be most welcome.
Entering harbour last evening, a few Gulls on the surface.
The 'yellow' flag is international Q = Quebec "my vessel is healthy and I request 'free pratique' (entry to harbour.
 The Captain and Staff Captain guide us safely to berth.
 GREY WAGTAIL starts the Day List
 M/V VOYAGER
 I felt sure this tidal culvert would produce something?
 It did, one very nervous WHIMBREL
 The marques of many previous visitors.
 COMMON TERN
 Constance the BLACKBIRD
 MUSKVEY DUCK
appears on the Azores List with no notation as to 'Introduced',
'Rare/Accidental' or 'Introduced'.
 So, here are some of the Gulls
 female BLACKBIRD
 COMMON BUZZARD
 distant GOLDFINCH
 ISLAND CANARY a little closer.
 and more Gulls in the distance, better check them out!
 Grey Heron
 The only CHAFFINCH of the day
 along with the only WOOD PIGEON
 Lots of STARLINGs

 Then I came upon this tiny Fishing Village
 complete with tiny Canteena
 I asked, over a pint, if they get many Gulls here
 and they laughed their socks off as I started lobbing bread rolls into the sea,
 but they did the trick.
 Don't forget, AZORIAN GULL could be visiting somewhere near 
you at any time!
 Plenty HOUSE SPARROWs too.
Blackcap and Goldcrest were also recorded which along with the Yellow-legged Gull, Buzzard, Goldfinch, Canary et al are all candidates to be 'split', so a bunch of potential Armchair Ticks if ever I saw one!
 On the way back to the ship.
 SHARK, SWORDFISH and TUNA
THE END