December is always a good month for vagrant birds in Madeira and the first day of birdwatching around the island was somewhat productive...

30th December 2012 on a Bird, dolphin & whale watching trip off Caniçal bay
1 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
1 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
8 Grey Herons Ardea cinerea
1 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

November has started very wet and with strong winds increasing the amount of sightings for vagrant birds... Madeira this month is having some interesting vagrant birds...

28th November 2012 at Ponta do Pargo
Black Kite Milvus migrans

São Vicente
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

Porto Moniz
1 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus

1st record of Cinammon Teal or 2nd record of Blue-winged Teal? - let us know your thoughts on the comment's box below!

On morning of the 15th of October 2012 Andrea & Harald Grabenhofer from Austria observed and identified an immature Common Scoter Melanitta nigra in Calheta marina, Madeira. They called Hugo & Catarina from Wind Birds to tell about this record and soon they were there for a twitch. The bird spent all morning diving for fish near the boats.

31st October 2012 at Caniçal
1 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

30th October 2012 at Faial - reported by Heikki Vasamies, Finland
2 Mallards Anas platyrhynchos
1 Wigeon Anas penelope - female
1 Pintail Anas acuta - male
1 Cinnamon/Blue-winged Teal Anas cyanoptera/discors - "After cheking the photos available I start to favour Blue-winged Teal. The features that seem to support A. discors are:

Just as September is ending the species of vagrant birds visiting Madeira are getting more interesting... So far we had the uncommon records of 2 Buff-breasted sandpipers at Paul da Serra on the 27th and on the 28th a Sand Martin at Faial and a Red Kite at Santa Cruz. By now the most common vagrant around and spread out through the island are Wheaters.