After a couple of difficult years we had some days off so the bird news about Madeira where a little slow for a while... March, despeite being a Spring month brought some strong winds and some very low temperatures for Madeira.
27th of March 2022 at Funchal - observed by Roger (UK)
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus - in the gardens of the English Church
Great Skua Stercorarius skua - while seawatching from Lido area
Watched by Charles (UK)
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus - flying west over Funchal
25th of March 2022 at Funchal harbour - reported by Charles (UK)
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
23rd of March 2022 at Machico
14 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
With summer temperatures during this winter month let's see which species will visit the island... Happy Holidays to all!!
31st of December 2021 at Funchal
5 Little Egret Egretta garzetta - flying at night, disoriented by the fireworks
30th of December 2021 at Machico
10 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
2 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
29th of December 2021 at Rabaçal - photographed by Stephen (GER)
Black Stork Ciconia nigra
23rd of December 2021 at Caniçal - reported by Stephen (GER)
2 Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica - both dead at the beach
Despite the summer temperatures at the beginning of this month, migration is on and so some birds are still visiting Madeira...
30th of November 2021 at Calheta marina - reported by Nigel (UK)
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra
28th of November 2021 at Ponta do Sol
2 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
27th of November 2021 at Machico - photographed by Sarah (UK)
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus - fishing in the river
25th of November 2021 at Machico
2 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
4 Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
9 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
2 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
24th of November 2021 at São Vicente
3 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
2 White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba
At Ponta do Pargo
2 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra - a pair, male and female
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
> 40 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
23rd of November 2021 at Pico do Areeiro - sighted by Isabel and Tania (POR)
2 Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
This time was our time for holiday, as Madeira is beautiful but can sometimes be too small for the ones who live it in... So the bird records for Madeira this month are very few as it is the number of birdwatchers in the island. Anyway, thanks to some local help we can still put up some birding news:
29th of October 2021 at Machico - observed by Ralf (GER)
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
18 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
At Água de Pena
Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
28th of October 2021 at Ponta São Lourenço - reported by Ralf (GER)
3 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
27th of October 2021 at Machico
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
8 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
At Caniçal
3 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
September should be a good month for migration although the temperatures in Madeira are still quite high, resembling mid-summer... Let's see if the winds blow any interesting species out of they migratory course into this small rock in the Atlantic Ocean...
28th of September 2021 at Caniçal
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
6 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Sanderling Calidris alba
Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
27th of September 2021 at Fanal - observed by Ivan (UK)
Black Kite Milvus migrans
23rd of September 2021 at Machico
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Another light wind pelagic but this time with the wind blowing from unusual quadrants which did not bring us many migratory seabird species... Anyway, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii kept visiting the chum which helped to entertain us while we waited for other visitant species.
24th of August 2021 - NW wind up to 7 knots, north swell up to 1 meter and wind waves from NW up to 0.2 meters
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus