Finally the Sars-Cov2 restrictions are lifting up again and tourism is slowly coming back to Madeira! So we are resuming our tours and sea trips from the last week of May! Despite the easing for non-essential travel, it seems there are not many birds willing to come to Madeira this month... Of course it also has to do with observer effort!

25th of May 2021 at Ponta São Lourenço
3 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

22nd of May 2021 at Caniçal
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

19th of May 2021 at Faial
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

March... the first month of Spring! 2021 is not corresponding to anybody expectations but we sure hope by mid-Spring we can get a bit closer to normal with travelling resuming to almost 'normal' times and so we can get back to work, showing our customers the endemic bird species and subspecies of Madeira together framed by beautiful landscapes. In the meantime, we can only post the vagrant species that are around Madeira:

30th of March 2021 at Ponta do Pargo
8 Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
At least 3 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Many Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

At Paúl da Serra
3 Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

At Ribeira da Janela
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
4 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

29th of March 2021 at Caniçal
At least 5 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus

Between Santa Cruz and Caniçal
Hundreds Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Dozens Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

Happy New Year!!! And we sure hope this year will be better than the last one!!! Despite the cold weather it seems that some migratory birds decided to spend the New Year in Madeira:

26th of January 2021 at Águas Mansas
7 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
2 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

19th of January 2021 at Porto Santo Golf course - observed by Anders
6 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa

17th of January 2021 at Santo da Serra
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
3 Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - 1 male and 2 females

13th of January 2021 at Santo da Serra
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
12 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

It is finally the last month of this very weird year... Birdwatching tours are at its lowest in Madeira but birds are still visiting the island, so lets try to get some good weather and go outside looking for these visitant bird species!

30th of December 2020 at Funchal
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

At Machico
12 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Between the 27th and the 30th of December 2020 at Tanque, Porto Santo - observed by Claudia and Manuel (POR)
2 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
2 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
2 Northern Pintail Anas acuta
2 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus
3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba

at Porto Santo Golf Course - reported by Claudia (POR)
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
8 Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

28th of December 2020 at Ponta, Porto Santo - watched by Manuel (POR)
27 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Various Yellow-browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

27th of December 2020 at Porto Santo Golf Course - reported by Manuel (POR)
2 Red-throated pipit Anthus cervinus
2 Mediterranean Gulls Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
1 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

In November temperatures start to decrease and rain gets more often. Depending on the winds direction, we may get some interesting species landing in Madeira:

21st of November 2020 at Machico - reported by Miguel F. (POR)
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
9 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

7th of November 2020 at Ribeira Brava - observed by Miguel A. (POR)
White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

5th of November 2020 at Funchal
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

In October we start to feel the autumn, although they say it starts by the 21st of September... Temperatures are a bit less warm and some rain starts to fall. Depending on the winds, this is a good time for some migrating birds be blown into this archipelago, out of their migratory route. So let's see which species October 2020 brings to Madeira:

31st of October 2020 at Funchal
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

23rd of October 2020 at São Vicente
7 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

At Machico
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres