A great pelagic with all the aimed bird species well observed! Even White-faced Storm Petrel appeared and stood quite a while feeding on the chum! As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii were present every day.

24th of July 2021 - North wind up to 7 knots, NNW swell up to 1 meter and north waves up to 0.5 meters
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - on the way up
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
Common Tern Sterna hirundo- juvenile
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus

Common Bottlenose Dolphins Tursiops truncatus

Although most of our time has been spent on pelagic expeditions, July is not the best month for vagrant birds as it is a summer month when bird species are breeding on their colonies. Though there are always some visiting birds around...

25th of July 2021 at Caniçal
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

15th of July 2021 at Ponta São Lourenço
5 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

14th of July 2021 at Faial
3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta

The forecasts were for very light wind but it ended up with enough breeze for the seabirds to smell the chum and come and check it! Thousands of Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii and hundreds of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis were watched through the 3 consecutive afternoons.

6th of July 2021 - Northeast wind up to 6 knots and 1 meter swell from same direction
6 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 2 on the way
5 Pterodroma sp. - 2 on the way to the chumming position
5 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira

Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta
Common Bottlenose Dolphins Tursiops truncatus
Shortfin Macko Shark Isurus oxyrinchus

Another light wind pelagic… But the breeze still blown the chum smell further enough to attract the aimed species! and even a 1st record for these pelagic expeditions: Sooty Tern! Again, Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis were present everyday.

1st of July 2021 - Flat sea, only a breeze up to 3 knots from southwest which then shifted to west up to 5 knots
3 Pterodroma sp. - 2 on the way up
9 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta sitting within a raft of Cory’s
Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus - immature
4 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
2 Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus

June... a summer month! It started with some strong winds which may still blow some bird species into this piece of land... Temperatures are quite high already, as well as the UV lights!

29th of June 2021 at Ponta do Pargo - observed by Michel (NED)
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

21st of June 2021 at Porto Moniz - reported by Michel (NED)
Great Skua Stercorarius skua - Flying East

20th of June 2021 at Porto Moniz - seawatched by Michel (NED)
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus - Flying west

18th of June 2021 at Machico
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Finally we are back to the ocean to look for some of the rarest seabirds in Western Palearctic! Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulweriiare a constant on the 3 days pelagic. Despite the record being 10 birds at the chumming position on the 28th of June 2016, on the 1st day of this pelagic we had great views of 6 Zino's Petrel which is above average!

26th May 2021 - NNE wind up to 13 knots and northern waves up to 2 meters
2 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
6 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 2 birds at the same time on the chum
4 Pterodroma sp. - 2 flew by too fast on the chumming position and 2 on the way back
4 European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
8 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis