The Ultimate WP Pelagic Expedition: Madeira, May 2010

3-13 May, 2010

With the first video of Zino's Petrel at sea

Expedition report by Hadoram Shirihai (Tubenoses Project / Extreme Gadfly Petrel Expeditions), with Catarina Fagundes and Hugo Romano (Madeira Wind Birds / Oceanodroma), and Frank Zino and Manuel José Biscoito (Freira Conservation Project (FCP) & Municipal Museum of Funchal)

On April 9th several accidental vagrants were seen at Caniçal, Madeira:
3 European Bee-eater
At least 30 Barn Swallow, one of the Barn Swallows was possibly a Hirundo rustica transitiva subspecies.
5 House Martins
At least 4 Red-rumped Swallow
1Sand Martin.

The Great Northern Loon reported in January is still present.

3rd and 4th of April 2010
Petri Hottola, from Finland, has kindly sent his trip report:

On a full-day birdwatching on the 16th of March 2010 we saw all the endemic species of Madeira, such as Berthelot's Pipit, Madeira Chaffinch, Spectacle Warbler, Trocaz Pigeon, Madeira Firecrest, Canaries and others... but we have also seen a Peregrine Falcon in Ilhéu Mole at Porto Moniz.

'Oceanodroma' has started to take people out to the sea to watch birds, whales and dolphins in eastern Madeira. On the 10th of March 2010 on a morning sea trip around Ponta de São Lourenço the following species were observed:
Hundreds of Cory's shearwaters
2 Macaronesia shearwaters
1 Great Skua
About 8 Common dolphins