Madeira Bird News

May is here and by the end of the month starts the Zino's Petrels Pelagic Expeditions! Meantime Bulwer's petrels are back to Madeira and can be observed on the Bird, dolphin & whale watching trips.

So here are the vagrant bird species observed during this month:

5th May 2013 Northeast of Madeira
1 Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus

4th May 2013 at Seixal
1 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

3rd May 2013 at Deserta Grande by the house - recorded by Paul & Pam Callaway (UK)
1 Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes - According to Romano et al, 2010, this bird is exceptional to Madeira archipelago, which means it was observed less than 5 times in the past 50 years

April started very quiet in what regards to vagrant birds... The wind has been light in contrast with March but we are still waiting for some strong easterly winds to blow some migrating birds into this island. Though we are watching again the breeding birds that already returned to Madeira after their migratory season, such as Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira, Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea borealis, Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus, Common Tern Sterna hirundo and Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii!

As for vagrant bird species observed this month, these are:

30th of April 2013 at Lugar Baixo
1 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
1 Shoveler Anas clypeata

26th of April 2013 at Caniçal - reported by Asgeir Larsen (NOR)
2 Peregrin Falcons Falco peregrinus - a pair, male and female.

24th of April 2013 at Lugar Baixo
1 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
1 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
1 Shoveler Anas clypeata
2 Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis

Ponta do Pargo
2 Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
4 Common House Martins Delichon urbicum

We here thank to our good friend Frank Zino for sending us his trip report about the bird species observed in Porto Santo island on the 13th of April 2013.

Tanque:
1 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
3 Coots Fulica atra - one adult with two young

Dam below Pico Concelho
2 Ruddy Shellduck Tadorna ferruginea - a pair
1 Moorhen

On the first week of March Madeira was under a stormy weather with very strong winds blowing from the western quarter, so after the storm it is time to look for vagrant birds that might have been blown into the island. So Wind Birds company (re)started its tours after the storm with a very nice record: Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus on the 10th! According to Romano et al. 2010 this species is occasional to Madeira, so depending on the weather/wind conditions it visits Madeira sometimes. Other vagrants recorded were:

30th March in Lugar de Baixo
1 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
1 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

28th March in Ponta de São Lourenço
2 Great Skuas Stercorarius skua

Pico do Areeiro
1 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

27th March in Caniço - by Guido Teenck (GER)
1 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica