Pelagic with West Coast Birding

 On Wednesday 24th I did a pelagic with Dave Astins from West Coast Birding. The target species were storm petrels, both European and the holy grail wilsons. We stuck to the plan and pushed out to the Celtic Deep against a 1 metre swell and in SS 5. We passed a couple of common dolphin on the way out and a single porpoise. As soon as we arrived the chum was dangled over the side. Chum, known to old anglers like me as rubby dubby, is a mash up of old ripe mackerel and it forms a slick to attract birds and sharks. Within ten minutes the call went up 'minke in line with that tanker' and it came from about half a mile off to a couple of hundred metres. I failed to get a photo. Another minke showed later as did 3 rissos. We had regular sightings of common dolphin totalling somewhere between 50 and 100. They varied from singles to small pods of 5 - 10. 

While European storm petrels were plentiful, 25+, the wilsons did not appear. Dave had 3 the previous week. Other birds included great shearwater, whimbrel, arctic tern, and yellow legged gull and it was sad to see a sick gannet probably suffering from bird flu. My photography skills let me down so I attach a couple of photos from previous trips.