Another migration month! October started with summer weather, with warm winds from the eastern quadrant though not strong enough to blow many different species out of their course into Madeira. Anyway, fingers crossed for some rarities!

26th of October 2017 at Caniçal
Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
4 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

At Machico
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
13 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

23rd of October 2017 at Ribeira Brava - reported by Christopher Knight (UK)
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

September is a good month for migration and so in Madeira archipelago we sometimes get some interesting vagrant species... More, with all these storms on the other side of the Atlantic we may well get some blown away birds, so let's see what surprises September will bring to birdwatchers in Madeira.

29th of September 2017 at Tanque Reservoir, Porto Santo - sightings reported by Doug Radford (UK)
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola
Common Ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula
8 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
3 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
4 Western Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava flava

26th of September 2017 at Faial
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

What a Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition!!!! There was no better way to end 2017 Wind Birds' pelagic expeditions! We had them all, the expected and the non expected seabird species! Great views of the very rare Barolo's shearwater and White-faced storm petrels which did not migrate yet and fed from the chum slick! The team that are doing the Western Palearctic Big Year got at least 7 new species to add to their list!

23rd August 2017 - Northeast wind up to 12 knots and waves up to 1.5 meters from the same direction
> 40 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
3 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - 2 on the way and 1 on the chum
5 Pterodroma sp. on the way up, too far to ID
5 Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
3 Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
>25 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea

In August starts the migration, specially for seabirds! And we already watched Great shearwater and some Skuas around, so lets see what else this summer month blows to Madeira archipelago:

31st of August at Machico
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

30th of August at Ponta do Pargo - oberved by Gergő & Ildikó (HUN)
Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides

27th of August at Caniçal
Little Stint Calidris minuta
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
2 Red Knot Calidris canutus
3 Sanderling Calidris alba
10 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

10th of August off Ponta de São Lourenço - recorded by Audun Eriksen (NOR)
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster

It seems that seabirds migration already started though White-faced storm petrel was not an early migrant this year as we watched it dancing on the chum slick! On the eve of the 1st day of pelagic the forecasts were for very light wind for the 3 days but fortunately weather conditions changed and we got really nice windy conditions and great seabirds' sightings each day! As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were seen everyday in big numbers.

1st August 2017 - left Machico under rain but then it was very sunny on the chumming area. It started with light wind up to 4 knots from North but then shifted to Eastern wind up to 6 knots. Swell up to 1.5 meters NW
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Probable Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - did not come close enough for a definite ID
Fino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira/feae - flew relatively close though too fast and both were limital birds to distinguished between Zino's and Fea's
2 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus
Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus
Pterodroma sp. on the way back
Great shearwater Puffinus gravis - on the way back

The wind on the East side of Madeira was quite strong, between 20 and 25 knots with stronger gusts which made a lot of planes unable to land in Madeira and consequently 1 of the participants to miss the 1st day of pelagic... As usual, Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii were observed in great numbers.

25th July 2017 - We sailed offshore where the wind dropped to around 15 knots, from a Northerly direction. There was quite a big swell up to 2.5 meters also from North.
Probable Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro - flew by on the way up
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
2 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 on the chum + 1 on the way back
Pterodroma sp. - a bit far to ID it properly
1 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus