August is when we start to get some vagrant birds to Madeira, not only in land but also at sea.
During the second week of August wildfires hit Funchal and burnt a lot of people's homes and part of the Ecological Park of Funchal where Manx shearwaters have one of their nesting colonies. Fortunately Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus have already fledged in July so only next January they will visit their breeding area again. This time Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira were safe as the fires did not get close to their nests and they are still visiting their breeding colony.

30th August 2016 at Caniçal
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

29th August 2016 at Faial
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

28th August 2016 at Cabo Girão
2 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

Another successful Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition run by Wind Birds! We've watched close all the aimed seabirds with the bonus that Great shearwaters are already passing through Madeira.

26th of July 2016 - A northerly light wind up to 8 knots and waves up to 0.5 meters from the same direction
Several Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis
Dozens of Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
2 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta - on the way up
2 Madeiran Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro
1 Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira - 1 on the way back
1 White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca
1 Pterodroma sp.
1 Common Tern Sterna hirundo

July is usually a quiet month for vagrant birds though some years some of the wintering birds extend their stay into summer...

27th July 2016 at Machico - reported by Daniel Haubreux and Thomas Cheyrezy (FRA)
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea

26th July 2016 at Caniçal
1 Sanderling Calidris alba
7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

There was no better way to start this Pelagic Expedition than watching close 11 Zino's Petrel and 24 Fea's Petrel... What an amazing day! Indeed a record of Pterodromas as Wind Birds never had before!

Another successful Wind Birds' pelagic in the Northeast Atlantic! All aimed seabird species observed very close and 6 cetaceans' species!

13th of June 2016 - Northeast wind up to 9 knots but quite choppy sea with north and northeast waves up to 1.5 meters.

Despite the low wind we certainly managed to get great close views of all the aimed species and more! 4 species of shearwaters, 4 storm-petrels and 3 petrels made our pelagic expedition! Thanks to Erik Wahlgren from Sweeden for sharing some of his amazing photos with us!

7th of June 2016 - flat sea, wind up to 2 knots from West
1 Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus - less than 5 records for Madeira!
3 Fea's petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
7 White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca - 6 at same time on the chum slick