Due to a malfunctioning in one of the engines we were not able to run the 2nd day of this pelagic expeditions but we had great views of both Pterodroma madeira and Pterodroma deserta! As usual, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis were always watched along the afternoons. Unfortunately we missed Madeiran storm petrel Oceanodroma castro!

4th July 2023 - 8 to 11 knots of NE wind, swell from same direction up to 1.2 meters
a dozen of Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
3 Desertas / Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 2 on the way up
5 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 just as we stopped the boat to chum and 2 on the way back
6 Common tern Sterna hirundo - 4 on the way up
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
2 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus

While in land most seaside villages were celebrating the Saint Peter's feast, in the ocean we had a great feast with seabirds, beating the record number of Procellariiformes seen in 1 day and also in a pelagic expedition! The ocean was rough and the wind kept increasing each day but that is what the seabirds most like! As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were present everyday.

28th June 2023 - Northeast wind up started with 12 knots and went up to 16 knots and waves from same direction up to 1.5 meters
3 Desertas / Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 2 on the way up, flew around the boat quite close
Pterodroma sp. - on the way up, too far to ID
Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus
3 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus
2 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
8 Madeiran storm petrel Oceanodroma castro
2 White-faced Storm petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus

Finally we had a more common pelagic expedition with good wind on the 1st two days and from the predominant quadrant: North! Fortunately we have seen all the aimed species on the 1st and 2nd day as the 3rd day the wind gusts in Machico reached 35 knots which diverted us to a sheltered area with hardly any wind... Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were a constant everyday.

24th June 2023 - North wind up to 11 knots 1.5 meter waves from northeast
10 Common tern Sterna hirundo - 3 on the way up
5 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 on the way back, flew around the boat very close!
Desertas / Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Pterodroma sp. - on the way back
4 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus - 3 on the way back
5 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta
Atlantic Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis>

After the storm last week we managed to have a soft pelagic expedition with light winds and a nice number of species watched, being the highlight the Red-billed Tropicbird which was a first on our pelagics (not for Madeira though!). Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were present everyday.

15th June 2023 - Northeast wind between 3 and 6 knots, 1 meter long period swell from east and 0.2 northeastern waves.
4 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus - 3 on the way up
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
3 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
Red-billed tropicbird Phaethon aethereus
2 Common tern Sterna hirundo
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Desertas / Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta

The storm Oscar brought to Madeira island the records of rain ever recorded in Portugal in 24 hours! Nearly 500 litres of rain per square meter in only 24 hours, between the afternoons of Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th of June 2023, made us cancel the 1st scheduled day of pelagic expedition. Then, on Wednesday 7th the southwest winds were blowing at 25 knots with even stronger gusts and waves from the same quadrant with 2 meters which, together with all the debris floating at sea made it impossible to go to the ocean again. So we had only 2 afternoons of Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition which were increased to 8 hours, with quite different weather and sea conditions each day:

8th June 2023 - 17 knots of west wind and 2 meter waves from west-southwest
First we tried a chumming spot for Desertas' Petrels and then went to the Zino's Petrel spot. On the way to the 2nd spot we watched plenty of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and dozens of Manx shearwater. Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were also present but with much lesser numbers than the shearwaters.
5 Pterodromas sp.
2 Desertas / Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
5 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
4 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 2 of them flew together by the chum for a couple of minutes
2 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
2 Common tern Sterna hirundo
11 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
7 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus - a juvenile dark morph

Despite the uncommon wind direction (Southwest) for this time of year which blown the most common seabirds, like Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii away from the south side of the island, we observed good bird species during the 3 day pelagic expedition:

30th May 2023 - 7 knots of WSW wind and 0.5 meter waves from SW which developed to 1 meter by the evening
3 Desertas / Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
2 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
2 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
Sabine's gull Xema sabini
2 Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis
some Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii