In August starts the migration, specially for seabirds! And we already watched Great shearwater and some Skuas around, so lets see what else this summer month blows to Madeira archipelago:

11th of August at Caniçal
8 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

10th of August off Ponta de São Lourenço - recorded by Audun Eriksen (NOR)
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster

At Caniçal - observed on a Wind Birds tour
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

It seems that seabirds migration already started though White-faced storm petrel was not an early migrant this year as we watched it dancing on the chum slick! On the eve of the 1st day of pelagic the forecasts were for very light wind for the 3 days but fortunately weather conditions changed and we got really nice windy conditions and great seabirds' sightings each day! As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were seen everyday in big numbers.

1st August 2017 - left Machico under rain but then it was very sunny on the chumming area. It started with light wind up to 4 knots from North but then shifted to Eastern wind up to 6 knots. Swell up to 1.5 meters NW
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Probable Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - did not come close enough for a definite ID
Fino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira/feae - flew relatively close though too fast and both were limital birds to distinguished between Zino's and Fea's
2 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus
Pterodroma sp. on the way back
Great shearwater Puffinus gravis - on the way back

The wind on the East side of Madeira was quite strong, between 20 and 25 knots with stronger gusts which made a lot of planes unable to land in Madeira and consequently 1 of the participants to miss the 1st day of pelagic... As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were observed in great numbers.

25th July 2017 - We sailed offshore where the wind dropped to around 15 knots, from a Northerly direction. There was quite a big swell up to 2.5 meters also from North.
Probable Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro - flew by on the way up
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
2 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 on the chum + 1 on the way back
Pterodroma sp. - a bit far to ID it properly
1 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus

This Wind Birds' pelagic started with a strange first day with only common species at the chum but the consequent days were really successful. Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were seen in hundreds everyday.

12th July 2017 - NNE wind up to 8 knots and waves from same direction up to 1 meter.
4 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
1 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis - on the way back

Atlantic Spotted dolphins Stenella frontalis
Common Bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus
2 Bryde's whales Balaenoptera edeni

Madeira Archipelago offers good conditions to birdwatchers, not only in terms of breeding birds but also vagrant bird species. Though there are only 47 breeding species to these islands, about half of them are endemic species or subspecies to Madeira or to Macaronesia region (Madeira, Azores and Canary Islands).

Madeira has three endemic species: Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz which is associated with the native forest of Madeira: the Laurel Forest; Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis, normally observed on forested areas and the rare Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira, a threatened seabird that nests on the highest mountains of Madeira. Regarding the Macaronesia bird species, one may observe Fea's/Desertas Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta, Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro, Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria, Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotti and the Plain Swift Apus unicolor.

One interesting feature of birding in Madeira is the high number of endemic subspecies from which the ornithological highlights go to the bluish Madeiran Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs maderensis and the darker colours of Barn Owl Tyto alba schmitzi and Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea schmitzi.

However, seabirds are the major attraction for birdwatchers because there are several colonies of world importance. In Madeira archipelago one may find 8 breeding seabirds species namely the rare Pterodromas (P. feae and P. madeira), Barolo's Shearwater Puffinus baroli, Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro and White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca. This last species being confined to breed in Selvagens Islands but observed offshore on Wind Birds' Pelagic Expeditions.

A pelagic trip on Madeira or seawatching from the coast gives you also the chance to observe some vagrant birds like Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis, Great Skua Stercorarius skua, Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus or European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus, between others;

Join one of Wind Birds tours and you will see not only Madeira birds but also amazing landscapes which are out of the common tourist routes!