What a successful conclusion of our pelagic birding season! On our final outing, we hit the perfect time and location to witness a spectacular migration of Skuas. After deploying our chum, birds seemed to fall from the sky, creating an incredible spectacle.It was a challenge to count and identify all the birds on the chum slick simultaneously, but it was an unforgettable show of Skuas, along with four Desertas Petrels! As always, Bulwer's Petrels Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's Shearwaters Calonectris borealis were consistently present throughout the afternoons.
27th August 2025 - North wind up to 14 knots. 3 meter waves from NNW
23 Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 2 on the way up and 4 at the same time on the chum
10 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
6 Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
11 Common tern Sterna hirundo
5 Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea
Pomarine skua Stercorarius pomarinus
4 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
26th August 2025 - 5 knots of North wind which later increased to 13 knots and 1 meter waves from NW
>20 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
Wilson’s storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
25th August 2025 - 8 to 10 knots NNW wind with 1.3 meter waves from same direction
>50 Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea - approx. 40 in a group on the way up + 10 by the chum
Pterodroma sp. - 1 on the way up
3 Desertas/Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
5 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira- 1 on the way back
3 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus