Zino's Petrel Pelagic 2013 - May 28th, 29th & 30th

The 2013 Zino's Petrels Pelagic Expeditions have started and the most desired bird - Zino's Petrel - was well observed, at a close distance, on the 1st day!

28th May 2013 - despite the rain, cold and choppy sea, the following seabird species were observed:
Cory's shearwarters Calonectris diomedea
2 Pterodromas sp. on the way to the chum
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
3 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira on the chum
1 Great Skua Stercorarius skua
A few Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus

1 Blue shark Prionace glauca
Atlantic Spotted Dolphins Stenella frontalis

29th May 2013 - a warmer day with no rain at sea allowed us to record the following seabirds
3 Fea's/Deserta's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
2 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
4 European storm-petrels Hydrobates pelagicus
Cory's shearwarters Calonectris diomedea
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins Stenella frontalis

30th May 2013 - although the wind was strong and conditions seemed to be good for storm-petrels (which were the missing species), there were not many seabirds around, not even the most common ones, like Cory's, Manx shearwaters and Bulwer's petrels...

5 Fea's/Deserta's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
1 Sabine's Gull Xema sabini - as soon as it found the chum it kept sitted by the side of it for the whole afternoon
1 Great Skua Stercorarius skua
Cory's shearwarters Calonectris diomedea
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins Stenella frontalis