In terms of vagrant birds, birdwatching in June is normally less interesting than in May but when talking about birds we never know... Let's see what which bird species are blown out of their migration course into Madeira:

30th of June 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

At São Vicente
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica

28th of June 2018 at Lugar de Baixo - observation by Vesa Väänänen (FIN)
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

19th of June 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

At Porto Moniz - observed by Hugo Wieleman and Michel de Lange (NED)
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis - The observers recognise that due to the short observation time a hybrid can not be excluded. The bird was flying west. If confirmed this would be a first record for Madeira!

The first Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition of 2018 was quite hard for the participants, due to the weather and sea conditions, but at the end, it was rewarding as we got all the targeted species!

May started with some cooler temperatures and light winds which is not so good to blow migrating birds off their migration route into Madeira. Breeding birds are already in Madeira and some of them already have chicks, like the Roseate Tern. By mid-May we had quite an invasion of Dunlin as numbers were high when compared to previous years. Maybe the strong north/northeast winds on the previous days push them away from their migrating course and into Madeira. Let's see what May brings us in terms of vagrant birds:

26th of May 2018 at Caniçal
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
17 Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Machico - reported by Mark Darlaston & Adele Rennells (UK)
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus - flying eastwards over the sea

22nd of May 2018 at Ribeira Brava
Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima
Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla
8 Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
4 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

21st of May 2018 at Avista Navios, Funchal - observed and photographed by Andy Gerrard (UK)
Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus

16th of May 2018 at São Vicente
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
2 Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina

13th of May 2018 off Câmara de Lobos
6 Black Tern Chlidonias niger
15 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
> 7 Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina - flying eastwards
4 Great Skua Stercorarius skua

It's April and bird migration is starting to move northwards! Let's see which species the winds will blow into Madeira, as we are out of migration routes...

26th of April 2018 at São Vicente
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Funchal - Observed by Sinclair Manson (UK)
Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops

24th of April 2018 at Funchal
Alpine swift Tachymarptis melba - reported by Stephen Moores (UK)

21st of April 2018 at Ribeira Brava
> 15 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
At least 5 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
4 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
>10 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica - observed 30 min later by Goujon Gérard (FRA)

At Funchal - observation by Stephen Moores (UK)
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo

The first two weeks of March were very stormy with heavy rain, strong winds from western quadrant and rough sea. Not safe nor comfortable conditions to go out birding... But birds might be caught up on these storms and may be blown off their migration course and 'thrown' into this small piece of land called Madeira.

29th of March 2018 at Lugar de Baixo
2 Little Crake Porzana parva - a pair
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

At Lido area, Funchal - reported by Kerry Sutton-Spence (UK)
8 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

28th of March 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus

At Ribeira Brava
4 Little Egret Egretta garzetta

At Lugar de Baixo - observed & photographed by Mark Murray (UK)
Little Crake Porzana parva - male

February is a transition month, while some passerines start displaying, like Spectacled warbler, other birds are still in their winter schedule. In Madeira February started cooler than normal, with snow up on the highest peaks and also windy and wet. Not the best conditions to go out birding though...

24th of February 2018 at São Vicente
4 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
2 White wagtail Motacilla alba alba

At Ribeira Brava
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - female
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
9 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Ponta do Pargo
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

22nd of February 2018 at Machico
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
8 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Caniçal
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

21st of February 2018 off Porto Moniz
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus - adult