Two more days of birdwatching and some more species of vagrant birds recorded...

Thursday, 1st May 2008
Pico do Areeiro
Dozens of House Martins Delichon urbica
23 Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
2 Red-footed Falcons Falco vespertinus

Paúl da Serra
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
9 Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe
Few House Martins Delichon urbica
Some Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
2 Sand Martins Riparia riparia
3 Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo daurica


Friday, 2nd May 2008
In Lugar de Baixo
Grey plover Pluvialis squatarola
Ruff Philomachus pugnax - female juvenile
2Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
3 Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Ringged Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Redshank Tringa totanus
Dunlin Calidris alpina

Caniçal
Dozens of House Martins Delichon urbica
Hundreds of Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
Some Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo daurica
Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Booted eagle Aquila pennata
3 Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus
Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
Wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
5 Bee-eaters Merops apiaster
12 Yellow wagtails Motacilla flava

Machico
Some House Martins Delichon urbica
Many Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
Some Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo daurica
2 Sand Martins Riparia riparia
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Two literally full-days around Madeira Nature gave us some more records of vagrant birds, plus new record of species seen in just one day in Madeira! Here are the vagrant birds seen in each day:

Tuesday, 29th April 2008

In Lugar de Baixo
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Ruff Philomachus pugnax - female juvenile
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
2 Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos


In Ponta do Pargo
Around 20 Yellow wagtails Motacilla flava
Stonechat Saxicola torquata
8 Whinchats Saxicola rubetra - less than 5 records for Madeira Island (first on 2003)
Some House Martins Delichon urbica
Many Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
4 Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo daurica - first records were on 2002 but have been seen this year already
Grey Heron Arderea Cinerea

Wednesday, 30th April 2008

In Ponta do Pargo
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus - female
Around 14 Yellow wagtails Motacilla flava iberiae
3 Whinchats Saxicola rubetra
3 Wheaters Oenanthe oenanthe
1 Desert Wheater Oenanthe deserti - Less than 5 records during last 50 years
More than 15 House Martins Delichon urbica
More than 70 Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
2 Sand Martins Riparia riparia -
4 Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo daurica
Grey Heron Arderea Cinerea


In Porto Moniz
Blue Headed Wagtail Motacilla flava ...
Green-wingged Teal Anas carolinensis - In Ribeira da Janela


In Lugar de Baixo
Ruff Philomachus pugnax - female juvenile
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
2 Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos


Madalena do Mar
2 Black Terns Chlidonias niger - flying west along the coast - fewer than 5 records in Madeira on the last 50 years
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica - flying west along the coast
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
2 Grey Heron Arderea Cinerea

Eastern winds and heat brought several vagrants to Madeira Island. During last few days (from the 25th to the 28th of April) very warm temperatures and strong winds from North Africa were felt in Madeira. On Madeira Wind Birds tours several vagrant birds and other interesting sightings were recorded:

Thursday 24th April 2008
In Ponta do Pargo
Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava iberiae

Observations by Hugo Romano and Madeira Wind Birds customers (UK)

Saturday 26th April 2008
In Caniçal
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus
Bee-eater Merops apiaster
House Martins Delichon urbica
Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

Observations by Hugo Romano and Madeira Wind Birds customers (UK)

At sea, in Funchal
House Martin - near the coast
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Several Cory Shearwaters Calonectris diomedea
7 Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii

Observations by Catarina Fagundes and Madeira Wind Birds customers (UK)

Sunday 27th April 2008
In Pico do Areeiro
Barn Swallows
House Martins
Red-rumped Swallows Hirundo daurica

Observations by Hugo Romano and Madeira Wind Birds customers (UK)

In Seixal
Melanistic Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
7 Trocaz Pigeons Columba trocaz
Willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
Wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
Western Bonelli's warbler Phylloscopus bonelli - Not a certain record as it was only seen at a glance...

Observations by Hadoram Shirihai (Israel), Catarina Fagundes and Tania Pestana (Madeira Wind Birds)

On Saturday and Sunday Martins and Swallow were recorded everywhere in the Island.

More news and pictures will come with the trip report of Hadoram Shirihai on his trip to photograph Zino's Petrel with Madeira Wind Birds... Pay attention!

On the 3rd of April 2008 in Paul da Serra there was a Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus enjoying Madeira nature together with a Common Buzzard.

This is an exceptional vagrant to Madeira with only two records for this Island, one on 1987 and the other in 2004.

As for other migrant species present in Madeira, in Lugar de Baixo there are still the same waders since the beginning of winter except the Greater Scaup and in Ribeira da Janela Green-winged teal was protecting a nest with a female Mallard (records from the 29th of March 2008).

In Funchal one could still observe a Ring-billed Gull and a Sandwich tern on the 30th of March 2008.