On the 21st September 2010 Catarina & Hugo embarked on the Portuguese navy ship " NRP Cacine" together with Frank Zino for a ringing session of Cory's shearwaters in Selvagem Grande.
On the way to Selvagens we observed:
Cory's shearwaters Calonectris diomedea
Bulwer's petrels Bulweria bulwerii
1 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis
Common dolphins Delphinus delphis
We disembarked in Selvagem Grande on the 22nd September 2010 around 8:40 am started the ringing session around 9:30 am. For about 5 hours about 220 chicks of Cory's shearwatersCalonectris diomedea borealis were ringed in their nests.
While working, there were some vagrant birds which we could observe such as:
2 Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus
1 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
2 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
11 Grey Herons Ardea cinerea
1 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
1 Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe leucorhoa
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
1 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
1 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Unfortunately we were not allowed by the Madeira Natural Park to take any photos or videos so this trip report is poor but not as much as this new attitude that can forbidden Selvagens Islands' visitors to take photos or make videos. This is just another good reason not to go to Selvagens Islands but instead join one of Madeira Wind Birds Zino's Pelagic Expeditions where you can take the pictures you wish of all Selvagens target birds and more!
On the way back to Madeira we observed:
5 Madeiran Storm-petrels Oceanodroma castro
Bulwer's Petrels
Cory's shearwaters
1 Manx shearwater
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