August has been hot and there are already some bird species visiting Madeira, as:

30th of August at Machico harbour - recorded by Andy Paterson (ESP)
1 Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus - juvenile/2 cy flying E-W and seen for a about 1 minute and with no falconry jesses.

20th of August at Lugar de Baixo pond - recorded by Sjaak Schilperoort (HOL)
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis - also observed on the 22nd of August

July was a quiet month in terms of vagrant birds but here are the highlights:

30th July 2013 at Santo da Serra Golf Course
Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva

21st July 2013 at Caniçal during a bird, dolphin & whale watching trip
1 Dunlin Calidris alpina
1 Turnstone Arenaria interpres

16th July 2013 at Deserta Grande - reported by Micha Arved Neumann from Birdingtours (GER)
1 Dunlin Calidris alpina

Indeed, this pelagic was not so good for seabirds but was amazing for marine mammals! We observed more species of cetaceans than birds and we even watched the rare Mediterranean Monk Seal... That's how wild life watching is!

18th July
Cory's shearwaters Calonectris diomedea
Bulwer's Petrels Bulweria bulwerii
3 Fea's/Desertas petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta
3 Common tern Sterna hirundo

Beaked whales Mesoplodon sp. breaching far away
Short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis
2 probable Bryde's whale Balaenoptera edeni