(No) migration pelagic expedition, August 24-26 2020

Another pelagic with a low number of species though quite rough sea and at least 1 well observed Zino's Petrel! It seems the coronavirus also affected the travelling of seabirds as it was supposed to be migration time and we hardly saw any of the seabird species we normally watch around Madeira by this time of year... As usual, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis were a constant everyday.

26th August 2020 - ENE wind up to 18 knots and waves from northeast up to 1.3 meters
6 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 2 on the way up
14 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
2 Pterodroma sp. - not close enough for a definite ID
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta

25th August 2020 - ENE wind up to 15 knots and NE waves up to 1.8 meters
5 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/desertaon the way to the chum
1 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis on a feeding frenzy with Cory’s shearwater and Atlantic Spotted dolphins

At the chum:
1 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
5 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
2 Pterodroma sp.

Baleen whale blowing - possibly Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni or Sei whale Balaenoptera borealis
Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis

24th August 2020 - wind from NNE up to 13 knots and northeast waves up to 1.5 meters
1 Pterodroma sp.
1 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
1 Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira
1 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus

Beaked whale breaching - probably Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris