Janne & Hanna Aalto (FIN) Madeira trip report - September 2008

As you know, we weren't really lucky in Madeira as the wind and occasional rains did birding difficult. Southern wind pushed the seabirds far to the sea and probably stopped migration pretty badly... But some records:

9th to 10th of September - Desertas trip:
Funchal harbour:
2 Kentish Plovers

On the sea:
hunderds of Cory's
50 Manx Shearwater
30 Bulwer's Petrels
15 Desertas Petrels

On Desertas:
2 Bulwer's Petrel on their nest
1 calling Madeira Storm-Petrel (only a couple of calls)
Cory's were calling only at night and not actively at all

On the way back we saw more Cory's but only a couple of Desertas/Madeiran Petrels and Bulwer's Petrels.

Mammals seen were Spotted Dolphins, Bryde's Whales and Pilot Whales.

10th of September
Ribeira da Janela
Green-winged Teal 1 male (on the 10th and so on)

Porto Moniz - Seawatching from 15:30 to 20:30
Manx Shearwater 548
Bulwer's 15 (probably just local birds wandering here and there)
Desertas/Madeiran 1
Arctic Skua 7
Pomarine Skua 1

11th of September
Risco
Trocaz Pigeon about 30 - closest ones on the 1st water after a couple of minutes walk - and lots of Maderian Firecrests - we highly recommend this place!
a Sparrowhawk

Ponta do Pargo in very hard wind
Red-legged Partridge 50
Northen (leucorhoa) Wheatear 1 female
Spectacled Warbler 2 young

Porto Moniz Seawatching from 15 to 15:30, then rain and from 18:30 to 20:30
Manx Shearwater 222
Great Shearwater 22
Bulwer's Petrel 3
Sooty Shearwater 2
Desertas/Zino's Petrel 1
Arctic Skua 1

We missed the first flocks after the rain - Istvan told then they had seen biggest flocks of Manx and 5 Great and 2 Sooty Shearwaters.

12th of September (still stormy south wind)
Ribeira da Janela end of the road up somewhere (Trocaz place):
1 Trocaz Pigeon (we left the place soon because the place was much worse than Risco)
1 Woodcock on the road

Sao Vicente (just a km east from the city)
Trocaz Pigeon 6

Porto Moniz:
a tired Manx in a harbour - gulls maybe ate it later

Seawatching from 10:30 to 12:00, from 13:30 to 14:30 and from 15.:45 to 19:45
Manx Shearwater 457
Great Shearwater 3
Bulwer's Petrel 3
Pomarine Skua 1
Curlew 1

13th of September
Porto Moniz
Seawatching from 8:00 to 11:00 and from 17:00 to 20:15
Manx Shearwater 354
Gannet 1 young
Great Skua 1
Arctic Skua 3
Little Shearwater 1
Bulwer's Petrel 1
Desertas/Zino's Petrel (Zino's - like) 1

14th of September
Ribeira de Janela at 6:00
a couple of calls of a Storm-Petrel (Grant's or more probably Madeiran)

Ponta São Lourenço
some 25 Rock Sparrows

Caniçal
Black-headed Gull 2
Spanish Sparrows

Porto da Cruz seawatching from 15:00 to 16:45
just 7 Manx
2 Great Herons

Ponta do Garajau
Pallid Swift 2

night in Pico de Arieiro with you (THANKS ONCE AGAIN!!!)
Barn Owl calling
Zino's Petrel a couple of calls, briefly seen also

Altogether 52 species, nice landscape, 556 kilometres in curvy roads and a lot of fun! Thanks for all your help!!!

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