Another great pelagic trip in Madeira seas - August 2010

Fea's petrel Pterodroma feae

Fea's petrel & White-faced Storm-petrel Pterodroma feae & Pelagodroma marina

Fea's petrel, White-faced Storm-petrel & Cory's shearwater

Despite the forest and mountain fires that devastated Zino's Petrel breeding site on the 13th and 14th of August 2010 we managed to get another great Zino's petrel pelagic expedition run on the 14th, 16th and 17th of August 2010. Participants of this trip were all from Norway: Kjetil Scholberg, Frank Gronningsaeter, Bjorn Olav Tveit, Kjell Saether, Bard Nyberg, Jørn R. Gustad and Kjell Olav Bøklepp.

Saturday, 14th August - due to the strong wind and big waves we divert the trip closer to Desertas Islands, to look for the Brown Booby though we did not find it. But these were our sightings:
Some Fea's petrel Pterodroma feae on the way and around the chum
Cory's sheawaters Calonectris diomedea borealis
Bulwer's petrels Bulweria bulwerii
Yellow-legged gulls Larus michaellis
1 Common tern Sterna hirundo
1 White-faced storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina

Monday, 16th August
Bulwer's petrels Bulweria bulwerii
Cory's sheawaters Calonectris diomedea borealis
4 Zino's petrel Pterodroma feae 2 on the chum at the same time and 2 on the way back to the marina
1 European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
1 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
2 Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro

1 Loggerhead turtle Careta careta
1 Blue shark Prionace glauca

Tuesday, 17th August
Bulwer's petrels Bulweria bulwerii
Cory's sheawaters Calonectris diomedea borealis
2 Flocks of Artic Terns Sterna paradisaea. 1 flock observed on the way to the chumming position and another flock of 13 on the chum.
2 Zino's petrel Pterodroma madeira on the chum. 1 stood for 3 minutes and the other, with very whitish underwings just flew by
2 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
1 Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa