Another sea expedition with Hadoram Shirihai to photograph Zino's Petrel... Sorry but for now we will only publish the vagrant birds we have seen but soon we will have another Hadoram's trip report!

So here are the interesting species we have observed during these 9 days at Madeira sea:

Monday, 20th April 2009
Sabine's Gull Xema sabini

Tuesday, 21st April 2009
Swinhoe's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma monorhis

Sightings kindly sent by Willi Stani (WS) from Austria and by Nick Littlewood (NL) from UK:

7th March 2009
Lugar de Baixo
Green-wing Teal Anas carolinensis
Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Caniçal
Common Gull Larus canus

Airport gardens
3 Pied Wagtails Motacilla alba yarellii
22 White Wagtails Motacilla alba alba

8th March 2009
Caniço - observed by Jan Legg (UK)
Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

Sad news:

The male from the only breeding pair of Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti in Portugal in 2008 was found dead with shotgun pellets in Guadiana Valley, in southern Portugal. It is presumed that this illegal shooting occurred between the 21st and the 23rd of February 2009.

The body of this critically endangered species was found last Friday, the 27th of February close to its nest, on a private hunting association field. Fortunately the chick had already left the nest and is independent from his parents.

Madeira Carnival with several interesting vagrant birds: