This month Wind Birds is celebrating 10 years old and so birds and birdwatchers are all invited to come to Madeira and enjoy our nature and good weather!

26th February 2014 at Funchal harbour - reported by Martin Lewis (UK)
2 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Happy New Year!!! First we wish you a successful 2014 with many new species on your life list and great birdwatching experiences. January still brings some vagrant birds to Madeira and so we will keep updating the bird species that visit Madeira archipelago during this winter month.

In December there are still some vagrant birds that decide to spend Christmas or New Year's in Madeira and with the storms that have been moving in the North Atlantic there might be some interesting ones blowed into Madeira:

31st December 2013 at Santo Serra Reservoir
12 Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - 3 males
4 Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula
White wagtail Motacilla alba alba
3 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
7 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

November is always a great time for Nearctic (North America) vagrant birds. Waders and Ducks are the easy ones to find, smaller passerines simply disappear in our Laurel Forest. Also a good time for migrating birds of prey. Cory's Shearwater will migrate mid November and Fea's Petrels are still around.

30th November at Machico
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
1 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

On the 19th and on the 21st of October 2013 a Snipe was observed in Machico river and was misidentified as a Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago. Fortunately Hugo took some photos and made a few videos of this bird as it was showing so well in the river bed and as it is not a common behaviour for this species.

The autumn has started but so far the winds have been light this month. Lets see what October brings to Madeira in terms of bird species...

23rd October at Lugar de Baixo
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos