Sightings of Graham Ekins between May 12 and May 14, 2011.

Since the 6th of April 2011 we were sure that Zino's Petrels Pterodroma madeira were back to Madeira as we heard them near their breeding colony, but we wanted to be sure that they were also seen at sea and so kept looking for it...

Murdo Macdonald sent us an e-mail yesterday, reporting his sighting of a Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra in Ponta do Pargo,on the 10th April 2011. These were his words: "A single bird was watched for c 5min at rest (and briefly in flight) in excellent conditions at a distance of This was the first record for this species in Madeira, so Catarina & Hugo went there on the 14th April 2011 and observed not 1 but 3 Corn Buntings and took photos of them!

The 18th of December 2010 Tim Farr reported a Goosander at Tanque pond, in Porto Santo. This first record for Madeira archipelago was confirmed by Catarina, Hugo, M. Biscoito and F. Zino, who went to Porto Santo on a research pelagic trip in Oceanodroma from the 5th to the 9th of January 2011. This group have also recorded some other interesting vagrant species from this island: