November has started very wet and with strong winds increasing the amount of sightings for vagrant birds... Madeira this month is having some interesting vagrant birds...
28th November 2012 at Ponta do Pargo
Black Kite Milvus migrans
São Vicente
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Porto Moniz
1 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
1st record of Cinammon Teal or 2nd record of Blue-winged Teal? - let us know your thoughts on the comment's box below!
On morning of the 15th of October 2012 Andrea & Harald Grabenhofer from Austria observed and identified an immature Common Scoter Melanitta nigra in Calheta marina, Madeira. They called Hugo & Catarina from Wind Birds to tell about this record and soon they were there for a twitch. The bird spent all morning diving for fish near the boats.
31st October 2012 at Caniçal
1 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
30th October 2012 at Faial - reported by Heikki Vasamies, Finland
2 Mallards Anas platyrhynchos
1 Wigeon Anas penelope - female
1 Pintail Anas acuta - male
1 Cinnamon/Blue-winged Teal Anas cyanoptera/discors - "After cheking the photos available I start to favour Blue-winged Teal. The features that seem to support A. discors are:
Just as September is ending the species of vagrant birds visiting Madeira are getting more interesting... So far we had the uncommon records of 2 Buff-breasted sandpipers at Paul da Serra on the 27th and on the 28th a Sand Martin at Faial and a Red Kite at Santa Cruz. By now the most common vagrant around and spread out through the island are Wheaters.
The last Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition of 2012 gave the highest number of species seen this year on a Wind Birds' pelagic trips as this was migration time and so several species of shearwater and skuas were observed.
30th of August 2012
On the way to the chum position:
1 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
2 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
1 Fea's petrel
Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea
Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii