We usually start the pelagics later in May to guarantee Desertas' Petrels which are the latest ones to arrive to Madeira, normally between mid and end of May. But April and early May tend to be good periods for migratory seabirds passing by. On this first Zino's Petrel pelagic expedition of 2026 we did not get Pterodroma deserta but we got the 2nd record of Pterodroma hasitata for Madeira! Everyday we got good number of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis, Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii.
16th May 2026 - 2 meter long period swell with 12 knots of northeast wind
2 meter swell from North and 12 knots NE wind
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
4 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
3 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
15th May 2026 - 1 meter waves from northeast and wind shifting from NNE to NE and blowing from between 3 and 12 knots
4 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 on the way to the chumming position
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
4 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
2 Common tern Sterna hirundo
Atlantic Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis - in 4 different occasions
14th May 2026 - 2 meter swell from northwest, 1 meter wind waves from north and 14 knots of north wind which made the trip quite rough
Several Common tern Sterna hirundo
2 Probable Zino’s - too quick or too far to confirm ID
3 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Black-caped petrel Pterodroma hasitata - it came twice to the chum
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Sooty shearwater - only watched by some of the participants as it flew far and away from the boat
Stripped dolphins Stenella coeruleoalba