This was a pelagic with very light wind which blown us some interesting migrant seabirds but was not enough to attract a Madeira Storm Petrel to the chum... As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii were our companions everyday!
19th of August 2021 - NE wind up to 5 knots and northeast swell up to 1 meter
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 on the way up to the chumming position
5 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
3 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Short-beaked Common dolphin Delphinus delphis
It started with a great 1st day despite the light breeze but the next days were quite poor in terms of seabird species... Only Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis were the entertainment for the waiting hours at the ocean.
14th of August 2021 NNE wind up to 6 knots and NE swell up to 2 meters
4 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta on the way up, all at same time flying around the boat
7 Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus - 4 of them flying together eastwards, on the way to the chumming position
16 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
9 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus flying south on a V formation
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus - juvenile
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
A pelagic with two days of rough oceanic conditions... The first day the wind was two low to blow the chum smell distant enough to attract seabirds. The second day was perfect but the third day, while the forecasts were just about the same as on the previous day, the waves rose like walls and some broke against the boat, making us all wet. Quite rough! As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii were around everyday.
11th of August 2021 - NE wind up to 13 knots and waves from same direction up to 1 meter
2 Pterodroma sp. on the way to the chum
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus - flew distant from the chum slick
5 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro - 1 bird flew by a bit distant from the slick, not allowing everyone to see it
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - same bird came 3 times to the chum slick to be very well observed
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
August is that time of year when Madeira starts to get some visiting bird species which were blown out of their migration route... So let's see what this hot weather will bring us:
28th of August 2021 at Caniçal
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
At Machico - reported by Wayne (UK)
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Little Stint Calidris minuta
20th of August 2021 at Machico
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Another great pelagic with good observations and a second confirmed record of a Cape Verde shearwater for Madeira archipelago! Although White-faced Storm Petrel was observed when we were not expecting it at this time of the year, Madeiran Storm Petrel did not show in any of the 3 days, for the 1st time this year! As usual, Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis were a constant everyday.
5th of August 2021 - North wind up to 14 knots and NE waves up to 0.7 meters
3 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - all on the way up
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - also on the ride to the chum
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii - Second for Madeira archipelago!
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
What a great 1st day of pelagic expedition with Pterodromas visiting the chum quite early and finishing with an observation of Swinhoe's Storm-petrel! The next days were quite rough though the show of seabirds continued with many Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis around.
29th of July 2021 - NE wind up to 8 knots swell from North up to 1.7 meters and waves from NE up to 0.8 meters which made the drift quite choppy!
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
3 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
2 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Swinhoe's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma monorhis
Atlantic Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis
Short-finned Pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus
Shortfin Mako shark Isurus oxyrinchus