Indeed we saw them all! Although the wind conditions were not ideal we managed to watch close all the aimed species which makes this another successful Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition!
26th May 2015 - The Northerly wind was light, up to 10 knots though the sea was a bit choppy with a swell up to 1.5 meters:
1 Fea's petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
2 Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
3 European Storm petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis - several birds
May started quietly in terms of vagrant birds but on the 2nd half of the month the strong winds from the Northeast quadrant blown some interesting visitants to the island:
31st of May 2015 at Funchal - reported by Chris Barlow (UK)
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
29th of May 2015 at Lugar de Baixo - sightings by Chris Barlow (UK)
2 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax - 1 adult and 1 juvenile
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
At Ponta Pargo
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus - female
> 10 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
The first Zino's Petrel pelagic expedition of 2015 was a great success in terms of Pterodromas, with 10 Zino's and even one Fea's petrel - which was not expected by this time of year! Adding to these great sightings we had Peter Harrison onboard who was a magnet to all seabirds observed.
April has started with a nice influx of passage birds (vagrant birds) in Madeira as the eastern winds blow a few migrants off their course:
26th of April 2015 at Ponta do Pargo
> 10 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
2 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
At Lugar de Baixo
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
24th of April 2015 at Ponta do Pargo - reported by Ingvar Sigurðsson & Thora Hrafnsdottir (ISL)
White Stork Ciconia ciconia
March means Spring and as one may consider that in Madeira it is Spring all year around, some of the resident bird species are already nesting and others displaying, so bird music is in the air... As for vagrant birds, lets see what Spring brings to Madeira:
31st of March 2015 at Lugar de Baixo
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus - Exceptional record
3 Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius curonicus
19 Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
2 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
27th February 2015 at Lugar de Baixo
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
26th February 2015 at Machico
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
8 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
24th February 2015 at Lugar de Baixo - reported by Merijn Salverda (NED)
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Great White Egret Ardea alba