May is that month when all seabirds are back to their breeding colonies in Madeira and it is also a good month for vagrant birds. So lets wait and watch for the pelagic and land birds that will be blown to Madeira by the winds of May.

31st of May 2017 at Ponta do Pargo
5 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

28th of May 2017 off Santa Cruz
Parasitic Jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus

27th of May 2017 at Caniçal
4 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops
2 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

April is starting with some Easterly winds which are the best to blow vagrant birds out of their migration route between Africa and Europe... So lets see what April has to offer us in terms of vagrant bird species:

30th April 2017 at Ponta de São Lourenço
3 White Stork Ciconia ciconia - watched by Sue Jepson (UK)

At Caniçal
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

29th April 2017 at Ponta do Pargo
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
10 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

At Lugar de Baixo
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

Spring is here!!! Passerines are displaying and Common House Martin and Barn Swallow are on their way up North as they are already passing through Madeira... Now lets hope for some Easterly winds to bring us some interesting vagrant birds!

29th March 2017 at Ponta do Pargo
White Stork Ciconia ciconia
3 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
7 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

At Lugar de Baixo
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
12 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

Despite the strong winds and big waves that hit Azores and the North of mainland Portugal in the first days of February, Madeira started this Carnival month with sunshine, light wind and much smaller waves although on the 2nd week a lot of rain poured down. Manx shearwater and Cory's shearwater are 2 seabird species that are back to our waters and can be seen on a Bird, dolphin & whale watching trip! So far, the vagrant bird species in this archipelago are very much the same that landed here last December:

28th February 2017 at Faial - reported by Tim Drew (UK)
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

27th February 2017 at Porto Santo - observed by Tim Drew (UK)
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus - light phase
Sand Martin Riparia riparia
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus - 1 juv at sea

25th February 2017 at Porto Moniz
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

At Ponta do Pargo
3 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis

First of all, Happy New Year for all of you! We hope you have a joyful 2017 with plenty of bird observations and great unique records! Here is the list of birds that have visited Madeira on this first month of 2017:

25th January 2017 at São Vicente
3 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
3 White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba

At Lugar de Baixo
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

24th January 2017 at Caniçal
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis

At Machico
2 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
American Wigeon Anas americana
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
14 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

December is a low season for tourism in Madeira, so it is the ideal time to take our own holidays! This is why there are no earlier bird records this month. But let's see which sightings has Santa arranged for us this festive season...

30th December 2016 at Ponta do Pargo -observed by Manuel Ribeiro (POR)
9 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

28th December 2016 at Ponta do Pargo
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

São Vicente
2 White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

27th December 2016 at Machico
American Wigeon Anas americana
2 Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
9 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres