December 2020 bird sightings in Madeira

It is finally the last month of this very weird year... Birdwatching tours are at its lowest in Madeira but birds are still visiting the island, so lets try to get some good weather and go outside looking for these visitant bird species!

30th of December 2020 at Funchal
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

At Machico
12 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Between the 27th and the 30th of December 2020 at Tanque, Porto Santo - observed by Claudia and Manuel (POR)
2 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
2 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
2 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
2 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba

at Porto Santo Golf Course - reported by Claudia (POR)
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
8 Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

28th of December 2020 at Ponta, Porto Santo - watched by Manuel (POR)
27 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Various Yellow-browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

27th of December 2020 at Porto Santo Golf Course - reported by Manuel (POR)
2 Red-throated pipit Anthus cervinus
2 Mediterranean Gulls Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
1 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

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Birding in Madeira, November 2020

In November temperatures start to decrease and rain gets more often. Depending on the winds direction, we may get some interesting species landing in Madeira:

21st of November 2020 at Machico - reported by Miguel F. (POR)
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
9 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

7th of November 2020 at Ribeira Brava - observed by Miguel A. (POR)
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

5th of November 2020 at Funchal
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

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October 2020 - birding in Madeira

In October we start to feel the autumn, although they say it starts by the 21st of September... Temperatures are a bit less warm and some rain starts to fall. Depending on the winds, this is a good time for some migrating birds be blown into this archipelago, out of their migratory route. So let's see which species October 2020 brings to Madeira:

31st of October 2020 at Funchal
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

23rd of October 2020 at São Vicente
7 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

At Machico
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

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Birdwatching in Madeira - September 2020

In September starts the autumn and so it is time for some migratory birds to fly to their wintering grounds... If we get the right winds in Madeira, we might get some species blown off their migratory course...

27th of September 2020 at Porto Moniz - observed by Cheech (ZA)
Gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica

Between the 25th & 28th of September 2020 at Tanque, Porto Santo - photographed by Claudia (POR)
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
2 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
2 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

24th of September 2020 at Porto Santo - reported by Natasha (POR)
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

23rd of September 2020 at Faial
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

At Machico
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
12 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

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(No) migration pelagic expedition, August 24-26 2020

Another pelagic with a low number of species though quite rough sea and at least 1 well observed Zino's Petrel! It seems the coronavirus also affected the travelling of seabirds as it was supposed to be migration time and we hardly saw any of the seabird species we normally watch around Madeira by this time of year... As usual, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis were a constant everyday.

Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira

26th August 2020 - ENE wind up to 18 knots and waves from northeast up to 1.3 meters
6 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 2 on the way up
14 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
2 Pterodroma sp. - not close enough for a definite ID
2 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta

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Birding in Madeira - August 2020

August should be a good season for some migratory birds to be blown off their course and be watched in Madeira archipelago though it has been a bit quiet around...

31st of August 2020 at Caniçal
2 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

18th of August 2020 at Ponta Delgada - observed by Gert (NED)
Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes - Less than 5 records on the last 50 years, though last one was 2019

17th of August 2020 at Caniçal
11 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Off Machico
Great shearwater Puffinus gravis

15th of August 2020 at Porto Moniz
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
+20 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea

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