Scilly Season - highlights from 2019
Updated: Nov 17, 2020
This is a photographic summary of the main seabird and cetacean sightings from our 2019 pelagic season to early September, illustrated by Joe Pender’s photos. For full details and decisions on rare seabirds see the ISBG Bird & Natural History Review 2019.
The highlight of the year was the three Fea’s Petrels seen within three weeks. We also saw a total of 39 Wilson’s Storm-petrels, a Leach’s Storm-petrel (rare off Scilly) and had sensational views of up to 400 European Storm-petrels; a fabulous blonde juvenile and a first-summer Long-tailed Skua; a striking adult Sabine’s Gull; and sightings of Minke Whale, Atlantic Bluefin Tuna and Porbeagle Shark. A late pelagic in October also delivered a mega Scilly rarity - a Red-necked Phalarope.
Large shearwater passage – Cory’s and Great – in the northeast Atlantic was thin this year and the numbers of Blue Shark were very low.
Fea's Petrel (c) Joe Pender Fea's Petrel (c) Joe Pender Fea's Petrel (c) Joe Pender Atlantic Fulmar (c) Joe Pender Great Shearwater (c) Joe Pender Great Shearwater (c) Joe Pender Sooty Shearwater (c) Joe Pender Cory's Shearwater (c) Joe Pender Cory's Shearwater (c) Joe Pender Scopoli's? Shearwater (c) Joe Pender Balearic Shearwater (c) Joe Pender European Storm-petrel (c) Joe Pender Leach's Storm-petrel (c) Joe Pender Leach's Storm-petrel (c) Joe Pender Wilson's Storm-petrel (c) Joe Pender Wilson's Storm-petrel (c) Joe Pender Wilson's Storm-petrel (c) Joe Pender Wilson's Storm-petrel (c) Joe Pender Great Skua (c) Joe Pender Arctic Skua (c) Joe Pender Arctic Skua (c) Joe Pender Arctic Skua (c) Joe Pender Pomarine Skua (c) Joe Pender Long-tailed Skua (c) Joe Pender Sabine's Gull (c) Joe Pender Black Tern (c) Joe Pender Grey Phalaropes (c) Joe Pender Grey and Red-necked Phalaropes Grey and Red-necked Phalaropes Grey and Red-necked Phalaropes
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