June... a summer month! It started with some strong winds which may still blow some bird species into this piece of land... Temperatures are quite high already, as well as the UV lights!

29th of June 2021 at Ponta do Pargo - observed by Michel (NED)
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

21st of June 2021 at Porto Moniz - reported by Michel (NED)
Great Skua Stercorarius skua - Flying East

20th of June 2021 at Porto Moniz - seawatched by Michel (NED)
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus - Flying west

18th of June 2021 at Machico
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Finally we are back to the ocean to look for some of the rarest seabirds in Western Palearctic! Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulweriiare a constant on the 3 days pelagic. Despite the record being 10 birds at the chumming position on the 28th of June 2016, on the 1st day of this pelagic we had great views of 6 Zino's Petrel which is above average!

26th May 2021 - NNE wind up to 13 knots and northern waves up to 2 meters
2 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
6 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 2 birds at the same time on the chum
4 Pterodroma sp. - 2 flew by too fast on the chumming position and 2 on the way back
4 European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
8 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Finally the Sars-Cov2 restrictions are lifting up again and tourism is slowly coming back to Madeira! So we are resuming our tours and sea trips from the last week of May! Despite the easing for non-essential travel, it seems there are not many birds willing to come to Madeira this month... Of course it also has to do with observer effort!

25th of May 2021 at Ponta São Lourenço
3 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

22nd of May 2021 at Caniçal
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

19th of May 2021 at Faial
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

March... the first month of Spring! 2021 is not corresponding to anybody expectations but we sure hope by mid-Spring we can get a bit closer to normal with travelling resuming to almost 'normal' times and so we can get back to work, showing our customers the endemic bird species and subspecies of Madeira together framed by beautiful landscapes. In the meantime, we can only post the vagrant species that are around Madeira:

30th of March 2021 at Ponta do Pargo
8 Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
At least 3 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Many Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

At Paúl da Serra
3 Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

At Ribeira da Janela
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
4 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

29th of March 2021 at Caniçal
At least 5 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus

Between Santa Cruz and Caniçal
Hundreds Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Dozens Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

Happy New Year!!! And we sure hope this year will be better than the last one!!! Despite the cold weather it seems that some migratory birds decided to spend the New Year in Madeira:

26th of January 2021 at Águas Mansas
7 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
2 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

19th of January 2021 at Porto Santo Golf course - observed by Anders
6 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

17th of January 2021 at Santo da Serra
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
3 Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - 1 male and 2 females

13th of January 2021 at Santo da Serra
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
12 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

It is finally the last month of this very weird year... Birdwatching tours are at its lowest in Madeira but birds are still visiting the island, so lets try to get some good weather and go outside looking for these visitant bird species!

30th of December 2020 at Funchal
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

At Machico
12 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Between the 27th and the 30th of December 2020 at Tanque, Porto Santo - observed by Claudia and Manuel (POR)
2 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
2 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
2 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
2 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba

at Porto Santo Golf Course - reported by Claudia (POR)
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
8 Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

28th of December 2020 at Ponta, Porto Santo - watched by Manuel (POR)
27 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Various Yellow-browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

27th of December 2020 at Porto Santo Golf Course - reported by Manuel (POR)
2 Red-throated pipit Anthus cervinus
2 Mediterranean Gulls Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
1 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos