09.11.2020 – Finding fins
November 17, 2020
11.11.2020 – A trail of information
November 19, 2020
Our crew was surprised by a strong Southeast wind out at sea today which prompted us to try our luck in the waters further west. As we drove west our team stopped in a couple of areas to check the activity of the abundant Cory’s Shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) that were patrolling the area. These charismatic birds come to Madeira to nest during the summer months, a period during which both parents take turns in caring for their young and foraging for food out at sea. Like all members of the Tubenose family (Procellariiformes), Cory’s are philopatric and return to their birthplace every year to nest once they’ve reached maturity. Experienced Cory’s are incredibly useful indicators for cetacean activity for our team, Cory’s that just recently left their nests tend to be more of a reason for concern.
Leaving the nest is a terrifying experience for a Cory, which it only does once it’s almost famished and desperate for food. The instinct to forage at sea kicks in and the animals clumsily leave their nest and are often blinded by artificial lights on the coastline, causing them to crash into structures on their way to sea. These animals often survive this ordeal and, if found, can be placed in a cardboard box and placed near a beach where they will eventually find their way.
Once at sea, young Cory’s often congregate in large groups, circling around anything that may resemble potential prey. This is where plastic becomes a life-threatening peril for these famished birds since they will likely ingest anything they see, causing their stomachs to fill with tiny plastic species and often resulting in their death. Groups of young Cory’s are also in themselves misleading for our team; we often check areas with high bird activity as this may indicate a feeding situation involving cetaceans. On today’s tour we checked a couple of these as we tried to escape the approaching Southeastern wind but unfortunately returned to the marina without a sighting.
We hope that most of the young Cory’s will endure this crucial stage of their lives and make it to maturity so that they will also return to the island to breed. We always celebrate the return of these birds after the winter as this is proof that some of these youngsters have withstood the harsh tests of the Atlantic.
Apart from celebrating the return of Cory’s and other charismatic marine visitors here on the island, we also celebrate the return of special guests aboard our boats who, against all odds, return to Madeira every single year to join us out at sea. Today we celebrated the birthday of Silvana, who has been a loyal Lobi fan since years and who never fails to show us her deep appreciation of our work. Thank you Silvana, come back soon and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
By Paula Thake
Sightings of the day
Stenella
10:00 No sighting
