Migration is on its best this month so lets hope wind will blow some bird species this way to diversify the birding population around Madeira! Despite the 48 breeding species it is always good to watch different birds...

21st of September 2019 at Machico
Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
11 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta

19th of September 2019 off Ponta de São Lourenço on a Bird, dolphin & whale watching trip
>8 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus
Great Skua Stercorarius skua

At Funchal
3 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

18th of September 2019 at Ribeira Brava
2 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
2 Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
European Herring Gull Larus argentatus

It was not the expected ending for 2019 as we missed a good view of Zino's Petrel. We saw it on all other 2019 pelagic expeditions though... The good part is that Storm-petrels and Great shearwater were well observed and, of course, the always present Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii. Another species we missed at the chumming position was Yellow-legged Gull which was weird...

22nd of August 2019 - NNE wind up to 8 knots and northern waves up to 2 meters
Pterodroma sp. on the way
Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta on the way
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus on the way up

Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis - on the way back

Finally things are getting back to normal with more species of Storm Petrels observed! Ok, White-faced Storm Petrel was literally taken out of a box, it was a rescued bird in land that Hugo and Catarina took to the sea to release. It went well as the bird fed for a while on the chum slick and then slowly flew away from us. Although Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii and Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis are still in less numbers than previous years.

6th of August 2019 - North wind up to 6 knots and waves from same direction up to 0.5 meters
Pterodroma sp. - on the way up
3 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus
Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus

Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris

In August migration starts and so there is always a good chance to get some interesting vagrant bird species stopping or passing by Madeira archipelago. Roseate Terns, for example, this year seem to have departed Madeira for their migration earlier, in July, as we can not find them around anymore... So let's see what August 2019 brings for the birdwatchers visiting Madeira this month:

29th of August 2019 at Funchal harbour - observed by Phil (UK)
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

27th & 28th of August 2019 at Porto Moniz - reported by Michel L. (NED)
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

26th of August 2019 at Ponta do Pargo
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe oenanthe

At São Vicente
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus

21st of August 2019 at Caniçal
Sanderling Calidris alba
7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
2 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

We had some good wind but the storm-petrel seem to be out on vacation... Anyway, we got good views of Zino's and Fea's/Desertas Petrels and, of course, the everyday seabirds Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii

31st of July 2019 - Northern wind up to 12 knots with a swell up to 1.5 meters from the same direction
5 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus
2 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Pterodroma sp. - flew right against the sun so we could not ID it!
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
Probable Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta on the way back

Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella frontalis

A pelagic with very light wind is always more difficult to watch the seabirds than when there is good wind to blow the smell of the chum in a distance. Also, seabirds are lazzy and when there is no wind to help them glide they just sit on the ocean surface. So, we had very challenging conditions on these 3 consecutive afternoons and only by the very end of the expedition (i.e. after 21:00) we got to watch Zino's Petrel and Madeiran Storm petrel!

23rd of July 2019 - North wind up to 8 knots and northeast waves up to 0.5 meters, not so bad conditions though...
Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
3 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

3 Loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta