Happy 2020 and successful birdwatching is what we wish you all, birdwatchers out there in the field! This January started with Spring temperatures and that might attract or at least hold some of the visitant birds in Madeira.

30th of January 2020 at Faial - photographed by Rolf (NOR)
3 Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis
Pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus

22nd of January 2020 at São Vicente
3 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

At Ponta do Pargo
4 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

At Ribeira Brava
3 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

December is a low season in Madeira not only for birds as all seabirds have migrated but also for tourism. Although temperatures are better than in the rest of Europe, only the last week of December is a very busy week in this island, for the Christmas and New Year's festivities! So let's see what Santa will bring us in terms of birding sightings:

30th of December 2019 at Ponta do Pargo - sighting by Michel (NED)
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

27th of December 2019 at São Vicente
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Ponta do Pargo
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
6 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

At Ribeira Brava
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

25th of December 2019 at Porto Moniz - observed by Michel (NED)
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus - flying eastwards

23rd of December 2019 at São Vicente
Mew Gull Larus canus
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
2 White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba
7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

November should be a winter month but until mid-November we have been getting summer weather, with quite high temperatures for this time of year and not so much rain as one should expect... Although it is a low month for touristy demand it sometimes attracts some interesting vagrant bird species... and it seems that Porto Santo island is beating records this year!

20th of November 2019 at Porto Santo golf course - reported by Anders (SWE)
5 Pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

18th of November 2019 off Camara de Lobos - watched by Russel & Emma (UK)
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus

15th of November 2019 at São Vicente
Sanderling Calidris alba
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
4 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba

At Ribeira Brava
Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

October is usually a good month for migration and with some of these climate changes blowing hurricanes to the Northeast Atlantic it may be a good combination to deviate some birds from their migratory route into Madeira.

26th of October 2019 at Porto Santo - recorded by Frank Zino
5 Pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus - less than 5 records on the last 50 years
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

3 Sanderling Calidris alba at Porto Santo beach - reported by Neil (UK)

25th of October 2019 at São Vicente - observed by Neil (UK)
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

24th of October 2019 at Caniçal
2 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

At Funchal marina - reported by Neil (UK)
2 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Migration is on its best this month so lets hope wind will blow some bird species this way to diversify the birding population around Madeira! Despite the 48 breeding species it is always good to watch different birds...

21st of September 2019 at Machico
Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
11 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

19th of September 2019 off Ponta de São Lourenço on a Bird, dolphin & whale watching trip
>8 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
Great Skua Stercorarius skua

At Funchal
3 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

18th of September 2019 at Ribeira Brava
2 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
2 Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
European Herring Gull Larus argentatus

It was not the expected ending for 2019 as we missed a good view of Zino's Petrel. We saw it on all other 2019 pelagic expeditions though... The good part is that Storm-petrels and Great shearwater were well observed and, of course, the always present Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii. Another species we missed at the chumming position was Yellow-legged Gull which was weird...

22nd of August 2019 - NNE wind up to 8 knots and northern waves up to 2 meters
Pterodroma sp. on the way
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta on the way
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus on the way up

Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis - on the way back