Storm-petrels pelagic, Madeira, May 2016

We guess we can call this pelagic a Storm-petrels pelagic expedition as those were the ones offering us a great show on the 2nd day! And we did observe all the species we aimed for!

26th of May 2016 - According to the forecasts for the chumming area the wind was supposed to be about 15 knots from Southwest but all we got was only 5 knots. The swell came from northwest up to 2.5 meters. Hard conditions both for us and for seabirds as they certainly prefer windy days.
1 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - the only bird seen but very well observed!
1 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
1 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
1 Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
Dozens of Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis
Some Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
Some Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
1 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis
Atlantic Spotted Dolphins Stenella frontalis

27th of May 2016 - The wind was blowing up to 15 knots from southwest and later on the day it shifted to the west. The waves were from southwest up to 1 meter. What a great storm petrels day! They just kept on the chum slick the whole afternoon, entertaining us!

2 Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa
2 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
12 White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca - at least 10 at the same time on the chum
6 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
2 Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius
1 Sandwich tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
7 Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis - really low numbers today!
23 Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

28th of May 2016 - A light wind up to 6 knots from the northwest and a swell up to 1.5 meters from same direction made the first hours of this afternoon a bit boring as the only seabirds that flew by the chum were Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus. Also the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis was a constant with more than 20 at the same time when a fishing boat sailed close by and the gulls decided to come to our chum instead...

1 Barolo's Shearwater Puffinus baroli - on the way to the chumming area
2 Great Skua Stercorarius skua
5 Fea's petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
1 Pterodroma sp.
1 Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus

Stripped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba