Madeira Birdwatching by Madeira Wind Birds - Madeira Trip Reports

The best-ever pelagic in the Western Palearctic by Hadoram Shirihai 2009

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:04:28 +0000

Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira, off Madeira, April 2009 (photo Hadoram Shirihai © The Tubenose project). The first-ever unequivocal and photographically documented at-sea record of the species

This year’s nine-day pelagic expedition, on 20–29 April, around Madeira was designed to find Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira at sea, with the goal of learning and documenting its field characters. It followed the previous year’s success in observing and describing one bird in detail (Shirihai 2008: Birding World 21(6); see Madeira petrel photo expedition). Prior to that, the species had only been claimed on a few occasions at sea, and then usually as ‘possibly’ or ‘suspected’. There are no previous photographically documented at-sea records of Zino’s Petrel, even in the recent, highly acclaimed Petrels Night and Day by Robb et al. (2008), wherein there are images of a bird labelled an ‘apparently small-billed gadfly petrel’. However, the present expedition, during which we identified 13 Zino’s Petrels at sea, and photographed four of them, at last provided the first-ever documented at-sea record of Zino’s Petrel.

Read the full Expedition diary by Hadoram Shirihai

Birds & Dolphins watching trip - 10th March 2010

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:34:30 +0000

'Oceanodroma' has started to take people out to the sea to watch birds, whales and dolphins in eastern Madeira. On the 10th of March 2010 on a morning sea trip around Ponta de São Lourenço the following species were observed:
Hundreds of Cory's shearwaters
2 Macaronesia shearwaters
1 Great Skua
About 8 Common dolphins

The vagrants season has started

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:40:28 +0000

Though weather has not been proper for birdwatching, here are the highlights for the starting of the vagrant birds season:

1st of March 2010 at Porto da Cruz
1 Booted Eagle Aquila pennata - light morph or juvenile

22nd February 2010 at São Vicente
1 Hudsonian Whimbrel Numenius (phaeopus) hudsonicus - together with 2 Eurasian Whimbrels

Winds have been blowing strongly from west and southwest so we believe the sightings of vagrant birds will increase in the following days...

Sightings on Madeira holiday 15-22nd February 2010 by Allen Pocock

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:28:37 +0000

Madeira Wind Birds thanks Allen Pocock for his e-mail with sightings and interesting comments which we agree and transcribe below:

"I thought you may be interested in some of my sightings on your fantastic island during my holiday there.

At Garajau: 2 Peregrines on 15th

At Lugar de Baixo: 4 AMERICAN Wigeon and Green-winged Teal on both 16th and 18th. Also Little Egret there on 16th

At Sao Vicente: 2 Whimbrel on 16th

Funchal beach: adult Ring-billed Gull and Sandwich Tern on 17th

At Sao Lourenco: 7 Whimbrel on 18th

From Porto da Cruz: 30+ Cory's and 12 Manx Shearwaters on 19th

At Machico: 2 Common Sandpipers, Little Egret and 2 probable Pallid Swifts on 20th (with Plain Swifts)

At Ribeira da Janela: on 21st Green-winged Teal and Eurasian Teal

May I also express my great sympathy to all the inhabitants of Madeira who suffered due to the heavy rainfall and consequent disaster. Particular sympathy is extended to those who lost relatives or friends.

Adeus,
Allen Pocock
(Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society,UK)

PS - I was particularly disappointed with what is happening at Ponta do Pargo (is a golf course worth it?) and to hear about the developments at the Zino's Petrel nesting site. In the words of a Joni Mitchell song... "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone"."

Sad news for Madeira Birdwatching

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:03:52 +0000

Unfortunately the heavy rains and floods that Madeira held last Saturday, the 20th February 2010 not only killed people and left other homeless - which we deeply regret - but also ruined our very special birdwatching spot: Lugar de Baixo pond.

The pictures show the state of the pond 4 days after the storm. The place is filled up with mud and the wall protection that separated the pond from the sidewalk and road has been destroyed. Fortunately we could still observe some of the pond residents for the last months as:
1 Green-wing Teal
3 American Wigeons
1 Common Sandpiper
1 Little Egret
Several Muscovy Ducks
Few Moorhens
Few Coots

The lady that usually feeds the ducks is not going to the pond due to the difficult accessibility which is not easy for a person with her age. This way Catarina & Hugo from Madeira Wind Birds were there yesterday, feeding the birds.

On this tragic week these are the special birds that have been observed:

22nd February 2010

Seixal
1 Green-wing Teal
1 Common Teal
4 Common Terns

The female Wood Duck hasn't been seen for 2 weeks already... It probably took its chances to cross back the Atlantic Ocean

São Vicente
2 Common Whimbrels
1 Hudsonian Whimbrel
1 White Wagtail

19th February 2010 on a half-day sea trip on the southeast of Madeira - Caniçal and Machico
7 Grey Herons
5 Little Egrets
2 Ringed Plovers
1 Sanderling
2 Dunlins

More than 20 Short-finned pilot whales

Cory's Shearwaters are back to Madeira for 2010!

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:12:02 +0000

Today, the 12th of February 2010 was the first day we spotted Cory's Shearwaters at sea for this year! So we can now say that Cory's are back to Madeira already.

On the sea trip in Caniçal, on board 'Oceanodroma' we observed:
1 Gannet
17 Grey Herons
1 Little Egret
1 Common Sandpiper
Approx. 12 Cory's Shearwaters

Common dolphins were also seen though these were not very playful today...

By the evening we observed the Great Northern Loon which seems to be liking Madeira as it is here for 1 month already.

Now that seabirds are starting to arrive to Madeira and that we have the brand new boat 'Oceanodroma' for our pelagic trips and for bird, dolphin and whale watching trips Madeira Wind Birds is ready to increase the seabird's list of Madeira!

Join us!

Early February 2010 bird news

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:55:12 +0000

Though Spring hasn't arrived yet Madeira Wind Birds has spotted some swallows already in Madeira!

On the 9th of February 2010 in Caniçal:
2 Barn Swallows
22 Grey Herons - all around the fish farm at sea - We have never seen such a great group of this species in Madeira!

On the 10th of February 2010 in Lugar de Baixo:
1 Green-wing Teal
4 Wigeons

In Ribeira da Janela
1 Green-wing Teal
1 Teal

Bird observations at Funchal bay

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:37:04 +0000

On the 24th January 2010 at Funchal bay the following birds were recorded:
1 Sandwich Tern
1 Mediterranean Gull
More than 20 Black-headed Gulls
3 Little Egrets

In Machico there was
1 Little Egret
1 Common Sandpiper

Full-day birdwatching observations

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:41:24 +0000

Yesterday, the 22nd January 2010 the following special bird records were made:

At Lugar de Baixo
4 American Wigeons
1 Green-wing Teal

At Ponta do Pargo
1 Stonechat
Much sadness as this amazing IBA is being totally destructed for the construction of a golf course

At Ribeira da Janela
1 Wood Duck - female
1 Green-wing Teal
1 Common Teal
1 Little Egret

Great Northern Loon again in Madeira

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:29:43 +0000

A Great Northern Loon was spotted yesterday, 14th of January 2010 by Catarina & Hugo from Madeira Wind Birds in Caniçal, as shown on the video below. Another bird (or maybe the same one?!) of the same species, Gavia immer, was observed last year, several times around Funchal bay between the 29th of January 2009 to the 13th of March 2009.

Other interesting birds observed yesterday were:
In Funchal
1 Dunlin
1 Little Egret
Many Turnstones
5 Macaronesian Shearwaters flying at sea

Lugar de Baixo
4 Wigeons
1 Green-wing teal
Several Turnstones

Ribeira da Janela
1 Wood Duck
1 Common Teal
1 Green-wing Teal

First birdwatching tour in Madeira in 2010

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:04:44 +0000

On the 2nd of January 2010 Catarina & Hugo from Madeira Wind Birds guided a full-day birdwatching tour for Jane & James (from Scotland) and here are the special observations:

Seixal
1 Osprey - probably the same observed on the 17th December 2009

Ribeira da Janela
1 female Wood Duck - the 1st record for Madeira still present since the 27th of October 2009
1 Green-wing teal - the long staying 1st record, still present since 11th February 2007
1 Common Teal

Lugar de Baixo
4 American wigeons - there was only 3 until the 27th December 2009 though on the 2nd December 1 was recorded in Machico
1 Green-wing teal - the long staying 2nd record
1 Mallard
1 Common Sandpiper
2 Little Egrets

Funchal
1 Mediterranean Gull
About 10 Black-headed Gulls
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull

MEGA bird for Madeira - Dark-eyed Junco - 1st record

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 03:10:37 +0000

On the 20th December 2009 along the Lido promenade in Funchal Catarina & Hugo, from Madeira Wind Birds recorded what is called a LBJ, i.e. a Little Brown Job which turned out to be, most probably, a Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis. We asked for some help on the identification of the bird to some world experienced birdwatchers and we got 2 answers for the same species: a juvenile female Dark-eyed Junco or an adult female Slate-colored Junco which is a subspecies of the Dark-eyed most widespread in eastern North America. So, it is most certainly a female Dark-eyed Junco though we still need to confirm its age and state nationality!

Unfortunately we did not have any photo camera with us but we did have a video one as we were there to film the waves beating the rocks and damaging the Lido swimming pool. So here is the video

On the 5th November 2009 Azores had its first record of a Dark-eyed Junco, a male, in Flores island, so this will not be the 1st record for Portugal but probably the 2nd one.

Let us know your feedback on this sighting!

Vagrant birds in Madeira - December 2009

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:56:08 +0000

Vagrant birds are still visiting Madeira Island and here are the last updates to the special species Madeira Wind Birds have been observing:

17th December 2009
In Seixal
1 Osprey Pandion haliaetus
1 Wood Duck Aix Sponsa - 1st record for Madeira, still present since 27th October 2009
1 Green-wing Teal Anas carolinensis - still the 1st record since February 2007
1 Common Teal Anas crecca
1 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

In Porto Moniz
1 Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus

In Lugar de Baixo
3 American Wigeons Anas americana - still present since the 1st of November 2009
1 Green-wing Teal Anas carolinensis - still the 2nd record since December 2008
1 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
27 Coots
More than 30 Turnstones

Seawatching from Lugar de Baixo
1 Macaronesian /Little Shearwater Puffinus baroli

2nd December 2009
In Machico
1 American Wigeon Anas americana - this will be the 3rd record for Madeira, as the 3 others which were the 2nd record are still in Lugar de Baixo
1 Dunlin

In Caniçal
1 White Wagtail

American ducks in Madeira Island

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:56:50 +0000

Wood Duck Aix sponsa

On the 1st of November 2009 3 American species of ducks were recorded in Madeira Island:

Ribeira da Janela
The 1st record of Wood Duck Aix sponsais still present and is now more sociable with other ducks on the area
The long-staying Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis

Lugar de Baixo
3 American Wigeons Anas americana - 2nd record of this species in Madeira with the 1st record being last year on the same spot and by the same time of year
1 Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis - still present from October 2008

Wood Duck - another first record for Madeira by Wind Birds™

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:41:22 +0000

Hugo Romano, as tour leader of Madeira Wind Birds, together with birdwatchers/customers on a full-day birdwatching tour observed the first record for Madeira of a Wood Duck, a female!

Today, the 27th of October 2009, on Ribeira da Janela, a female Wood Duck Aix sponsa was observed and photographed by Hugo together with four UK birdwatchers. This is another North American bird which landed at the same spot as the long-staying (since February 2007) Green-winged Teal. An Eurasian Teal has also been there for almost a year, together with the resident Muskovy Ducks and some Mallards.

The female Wood Duck, unlike the other ducks at the pond which are used to people feeding them, was scared of people and flew a bit further whenever someone got close to it. The Green-winged teal when arrived in 2007 was also afraid of people but now it is used to be fed by humans.

Other interesting records of this birdwatching day were:
At Ponta do Pargo
2 Whinchat
1 Whimbrel

On the 28th of October 2009 on the ferry trip from Funchal to Porto Santo Martiño Nercellas from Galiza, Spain, has observed between some Cory's Shearwaters a Great Skua Stercorarius skua = Catharacta skua.

Also at Ponta do Pargo the following vagrants were recorded earlier this month:
13th October 2009
1 Meadow Pipit

10th October 2009
1 Hoopoe
1 Peregrine Falcon