December started with strong easterly winds and very warm temperatures, beating the records of the last 50 years. Lets see if these inviting temperatures and the winds pushed some any interesting birds into the Madeira archipelago.

30th of December 2018 at Caniçal
2 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus - flying off the coast
Great Skua Stercorarius skua - off the coast
21 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea - at the fish farm
46 Little Egret Egretta garzetta - close to the fish farm
2 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
2 Sanderling Calidris alba
11 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

27th of December 2018 at Ribeira Brava
2 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus - flying westwards, off the coast

At Ponta do Pargo
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

At São Vicente
3 White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

It's November and air and sea temperatures are still above 20ºC... Perfect conditions for the migrating birds to stop by and rest for a few days before continuing their journey! So let's see which bird species will visit Madeira during this month:

19th of November 2018at Machico - observed by Dave (UK)
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
10 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Ribeira Brava - by Michel de Lange (NED)
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo - flying east

18th of November 2018at Porto Moniz - seawatching by Michel de Lange (NED)
216 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis

17th of November 2018at Porto Moniz - by Michel de Lange (NED)
3 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
2 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus

October started as a summer month in Madeira with high temperatures. Migration is on the go though on the continent strong easterly winds were felt and these can push some birds into the Atlantic so let's see which species will be lucky enough to find Madeira archipelago as a landing spot.

31st of October 2018 at Camacha
7 Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

At Santo da Serra
3 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula

28th of October 2018 at Ribeira Brava - recorded by Miguel (POR)
8 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
2 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

18th of October 2018 at Machico
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
12 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Santa Cruz - observed and photographed by Claudia (POR)
Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris - female - this is an exceptional vagrant bird to Madeira, with less than 5 records on the last 50 years!

September is normally a good month to start watching some vagrant birds - birds who got lost on their migration route and were lucky enough to find a piece of land (Madeira!). So let's see what the winds will blow this way during this month:

28th of September 2018 at Faial
3 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

27th of September 2018 at Machico
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
13 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

26th of September 2018 at Baía d'Abra fish farm
4 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea - 1 dead between the fish farm nets
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo - dead between the fish farm nets

A nice pelagic expedition which started with a Madeiran Storm Petrel as soon as we dropped the first block of chum - a good sign as on the last pelagic we missed this species! We had very good views of at least 14 seabird species but unfortunately missed the one that named these pelagic expeditions. Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis and Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii, again were the commonest species observed everyday.

August started with very hot temperatures in mainland Portugal but Madeira is been keeping its mild temperatures and even some rain, so lets see if which birds prefer this temperate climate of Madeira archipelago to spend a few days or weeks.

29th of August 2018 at Ribeira Brava
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

22nd of August 2018 at Ribeira Brava
2 Sanderling Calidris alba
Lesser Black-backed gull Larus fuscus
4 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

21st of August 2018 at Caniçal
Sanderling Calidris alba
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula