The forecasts were quite good as there was some relatively flat sea (comfortable for us) but still a nice breeze (good for the seabirds) though it turned out to be quite weird days as the species expected for each chosen chumming site weren't the ones that turned up... Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were present everyday though numbers varied a lot and Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus where in great number on the 1st day, none spotted on the 2nd day and just a few on the 3rd day...
29th May 2026 - 11 to 13 knots of Northern wind and 1.5 meter waves from same direction
Desertas' petrel Pterodroma deserta - 1 on the way up
2 Pterodroma sp. - flying far, on the way up
3 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
4 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 came twice to the chum, all very well seen!
White-faced storm petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
2 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
28th May 2026 - North wind 5 knots increasing in the afternoon to 7 knots. Flat sea
8 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
5 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro on the way back
No Manx shearwater was seen today
Atlantic spotted dolphins Stenella frontallis
27th May 2026 - 8 to 9 knots of NW wind and 1 to 1.5 meter waves from same direction
Possible Barolo’s shearwater - on the way up but too far for a positive ID and only some of the participants saw it.
Very big frenzy of Cory’s and Manx shearwater just before to the chumming position but no cetaceans
1 Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus - among the frenzy flock
>10 Common tern Sterna hirundo
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
3 Great skua Stercorarius skua - 1 seen far away while chumming and 2 flying NW on the return ride
1 Pterodroma sp - 1 flew too far to ID and did not come to the chumming position
Possible Desertas' petrel Pterodroma deserta - - on the way back by sunset, photos suggested Pterodroma deserta
5 flying fish