26th to 28th June 2018 pelagic - calm... but with great observations!

This pelagic expedition started with a very light wind which normally is not so good to watch seabirds though we did manage to observe them all very close! Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were a constant in all 3 afternoons though very low numbers on the 28th June.

26th June 2018 - very flat sea with a northwesterly breeze up to 3 knots
7 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 4 sitting on the water on the way up to the chumming position, 2 flying past the boat and 1 on the chum slick
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
60 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis - a record number on our pelagics...we actually prefer to avoid them but...
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
4 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
Puffinus puffinus

Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis
Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba
Common Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus

27th June 2018 - westerly wind up to 6 knots, short northwest swell up to 0.5 meters
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
6 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
11 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
> 30 Common Tern Sterna hirundo - passing over the chum slick in small groups between 2 and 7 individuals
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - flew around the chum and close to the rhib
Probable Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - watched on the way back, looked quite a small birds but it did not fly close enough for a definite ID

Common Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Beaked whales - could not ID them as they did not allow us to get close
Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta

28th June 2018 - WNW wind up to 15 knots and northwest waves up to 1 meter
16 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
7 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
2 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
2 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 1 sitting close to the chum slick
3 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca

Blue shark Prionace glauca