Migrating seabirds pelagic, 23-25 August 2018

Great shearwater Puffinus gravis

A nice pelagic expedition which started with a Madeiran Storm Petrel as soon as we dropped the first block of chum - a good sign as on the last pelagic we missed this species! We had very good views of at least 14 seabird species but unfortunately missed the one that named these pelagic expeditions. Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii, again were the commonest species observed everyday.

23rd August 2018 - ENE wind up to 8 knots and northeast waves up to 1 meter
> 20 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea on the way up
2 Common tern Sterna hirundo
11 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
Sabine's Gull Xema sabini
4 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis - 3 flew a bit far from the boat
2 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa
European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus

Beaked whale (possibly Cuvier's beaked whale Ziphius cavirostris) breaching
2 Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta

Sabine's Gull Xema sabini

Pomarine skua Stercorarius pomarinus

24th August 2018 - Northeast wind up to 8 knots with waves up to 1.5 meters from the same direction
7 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta on the way up
4 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
Pomarine skua Stercorarius pomarinus
7 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Sabine's Gull Xema sabini
2 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro

5 Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta

Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta

25th August 2018 - NNE wind up to 10 knots with NE waves up to 1.5 meters
9 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 8 on the way up and 1 on the chum
2 Pterodroma sp. - too far to ID
2 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
2 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
3 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus- flew by far from the chum slick
4 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Common tern Sterna hirundo
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus

Common Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus

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