December is usually a good time of year for some visiting ducks as the rains fill up some water reservoirs... Let's see if this is the case this year... The rain is falling well so we now just need the wildfowl!
31st of December 2022 at São Vicente - reported by Slawomir (POL)
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
30th of December 2022 at Santo da Serra golf course
Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
At Machico
10 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
29th of December 2022 at Funchal harbour
>20 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus - had a lime green ring with D7VX inscription
28th of December 2022 at Fanal reported by Michel (NED)
2 Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
At Paul do Mar - photographed by Slawomir (POL)
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
27th of December 2022 at Caniçal
European Herring Gull Larus argentatus
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Deep in Autumn, November tends to be a good month for some migratory birds to stop by Madeira, normally waders and ducks... Let's see which bird species will pass by Madeira this year!
30th of November 2022 at Deserta Grande - reported by Andy & Kelly (UK)
Snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
29th of November 2022 at Caniçal
2 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
At Machico
Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
9 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
17th of November 2022 at Câmara de Lobos - observed by Stephen (UK)
Sanderling Calidris alba
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
September is starting with some easterly winds which during migration are good to blow some birds out of their course, into Madeira...
28th of September 2022 at Machico
Spotted sandpiper Actitis macularius
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Red Knot Calidris canutus
Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
22 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
At Caniçal
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe
22nd of September 2022 at Funchal harbour - reported by Neil (UK)
2 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
4 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
In August starts some of the migration and depending from where the winds blow, Madeira might get some vagrant birds passing/stopping by...
31st of August 2022 at Machico
14 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
2 Sanderling Calidris alba
30th of August 2022 off Porto Moniz - observed by Michel (NED)
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
41 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
101 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
3 Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus
7 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
66 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Light wind does not help seabirds' migration and it gets more difficult to watch Madeiran storm petrel as well... Anyway, it was a comfortable pelagic expedition with some great views of different species, especially Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii who are constantly passing by the chum slick.
15th August 2022 - SW breeze shifting between 0 and 5 knots with westerly swell of 0.5 meters
2 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - sitting on the water on the way up
2 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus - flew by a bit far
2 Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus graellsii
2 Common tern Sterna hirundo
18 Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea
Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus - flew by far from the boat
Pterodroma sp.
A hardcore pelagic with oblivious participants makes us worry more about the birdwatchers safety and the equipment safeguard than the birdwatching itself... Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were present everyday but this time no storm petrel were watched. Though seabirds migration has started as some different species have passed by the chum!
3rd August 2022 - NNE wind between 6 and 8 knots, 2 meter swell from Northeast
Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus intermedius
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
6 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
3 Common tern Sterna hirundo
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira