Eastern winds are bringing some visitants to Madeira

Since last Thursdays Madeira temperature is reaching the 26ºC and strong Eastern winds are blowing not only some sand from North Africa but also diverting some waders from their migration routes... As low-cost companies have increased the number of tourists in Madeira, these winds are also good to increase visitant species to Madeira lovely nature!

Here are the observations made by Catarina and Hugo from Madeira Wind Birds during these last few days:

10th November 2007

Funchal harbour
1 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
2 Black-headed Gulls Larus ridibundus
2 Common Terns Sterna hirundo
1 Sanderling Calidris alba
3 Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula
1 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Machico
3 Sanderlings Calidris alba
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
1 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
1 Dunlin Calidris alpina

12th November 2007

Lugar de Baixo pond
1 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica - Occasional passage migrant
1 Sanderling Calidris alba
1 Little Stint Calidris minuta - This is a rare visitant to Madeira with fewer than 5 records until 1995 but with observations on 2002 and 2003 in Madeira and Porto Santo
1 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
1 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea - Occasional passage migrant
2 Dunlins Calidris alpina
1 Wigeon Anas penelope - Listed by Zino et all (1995) as an exceptional record as it was observed less than 5 times on last 50 years
1 Cory Shearwater Calonectris diomedea

13th November 2007

Lugar de Baixo pond
1 Wigeon Anas penelope
1 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
1 Dunlin Calidris alpina
1 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
1 Little Stint Calidris minuta
1 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
1 Snipe Gallinago gallinago
1 Sanderling Calidris alba
1 Cory Shearwater Calonectris diomedea

It is strange to see a Cory Shearwater on this pond and it was so quiet that we presume it is sick. Unfortunately it is on a difficult to reach place so we could do nothing about it.

Dunlin, Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint

Dunlin and Ringed Plover both on winter plumage