February is a transition month, while some passerines start displaying, like Spectacled warbler, other birds are still in their winter schedule. In Madeira February started cooler than normal, with snow up on the highest peaks and also windy and wet. Not the best conditions to go out birding though...

24th of February 2018 at São Vicente
4 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
2 White wagtail Motacilla alba alba

At Ribeira Brava
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - female
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
9 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Ponta do Pargo
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

22nd of February 2018 at Machico
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
8 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Caniçal
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

21st of February 2018 off Porto Moniz
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus - adult

Happy New Year for all birders around the world!!! It seems clear that climate is changing and although in some parts of the globe temperatures are really low, in others, like Madeira, January started feeling like a spring month with temperatures as high as 24ºC in the first week. So lets see which bird species will fly away from the cold and land accidentally in this warm archipelago:

31st of January 2018 at Ponta do Pargo
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
>30 Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

At São Vicente
3 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
White wagtail Motacilla alba alba

At Ribeira Brava
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - female

30th of January 2018 at Caniço
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

At Machico
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Northern Pintail Anas acuta - drake
15 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

December started very wet in Madeira which is not so good (and in some places not safe!) to go out birdwatching... Anyway, let's see what Santa will bring us in terms of vagrant bird species:

29th of December 2017 at São Vicente
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca - male
2 White wagtail Motacilla alba alba

28th of December 2017 at Machico
Northern Pintail Anas acuta - male
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
9 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

At Funchal Botanical Garden - photographed by Richard Winters (NED)
Yellow-browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus

At Ribeira Brava - observed by Manuel Ribeiro (POR)
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
White wagtail Motacilla alba alba

At Ponta do Pargo - by Manuel Ribeiro (POR)
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
14 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

27th of December 2017 over Neves, Funchal - reported by Ole Steinset (NOR)
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

At Porto Santo Golf Course - observations by Manuel Ribeiro (POR)
3 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
7 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
8 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
4 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
3 Yellow-browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
11 White wagtail Motacilla alba alba

At Tanque pond, Porto Santo - by Manuel Ribeiro (POR)
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
3 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
2 Red Knot Calidris canutus
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

At Pico do Castelo, Porto Santo - by Manuel Ribeiro (POR)
2 Yellow-browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
7 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

End of October was very warm and with light winds which was almost better than summer! But in November, the month before Christmas, temperatures already dropped a little bit and rain is finally showing itself. Despite the weather events on the Atlantic on the last couple of months, so far no real rarities have shown up in Madeira archipelago, so lets keep birding around in search for some interesting vagrant birds.

Another migration month! October started with summer weather, with warm winds from the eastern quadrant though not strong enough to blow many different species out of their course into Madeira. Anyway, fingers crossed for some rarities!

26th of October 2017 at Caniçal
Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
4 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

At Machico
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
13 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

23rd of October 2017 at Ribeira Brava - reported by Christopher Knight (UK)
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres

September is a good month for migration and so in Madeira archipelago we sometimes get some interesting vagrant species... More, with all these storms on the other side of the Atlantic we may well get some blown away birds, so let's see what surprises September will bring to birdwatchers in Madeira.

29th of September 2017 at Tanque Reservoir, Porto Santo - sightings reported by Doug Radford (UK)
Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes
Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola
Common Ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula
8 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
3 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
4 Western Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava flava

26th of September 2017 at Faial
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea