July is not the best month for vagrant birds though there is always a chance to find some lost bird in Madeira...

30th of July 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

At Caniçal - observed by Jan Heckmann, Sönke Tautz & Kirsten Kraetzel (GER)
3 Audouin's gull Ichthyaetus audouinii

24th of July 2018 at Caniçal
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

23rd of July 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
2 Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

At São Vicente
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

18th of July 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

This pelagic expedition was not as breezy as we would like and although we got good observations and numbers of Zino's Petrels and Desertas Petrels we missed a few storm petrels which were expected to be seen at this time of year, such as White-faced Storm Petrel and Wilson's Storm-petrel... Oh well, that is Birdwatching!

This pelagic expedition started with a very light wind which normally is not so good to watch seabirds though we did manage to observe them all very close! Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were a constant in all 3 afternoons though very low numbers on the 28th June.

Amazing pelagic expedition with the aimed species observed very well and the four seasons felt! Although the wind kept calming down through the days we got very close views of the Petrels and Storm-petrels! Cory’s shearwater Calonectris borealis, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and in much fewer numbers Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus were seen everyday.

In terms of vagrant birds, birdwatching in June is normally less interesting than in May but when talking about birds we never know... Let's see what which bird species are blown out of their migration course into Madeira:

30th of June 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

At São Vicente
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

28th of June 2018 at Lugar de Baixo - observation by Vesa Väänänen (FIN)
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

19th of June 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

At Porto Moniz - observed by Hugo Wieleman and Michel de Lange (NED)
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis - The observers recognise that due to the short observation time a hybrid can not be excluded. The bird was flying west. If confirmed this would be a first record for Madeira!

The first Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition of 2018 was quite hard for the participants, due to the weather and sea conditions, but at the end, it was rewarding as we got all the targeted species!