MadeiraBirds.com

Zino's Petrel Sea Expedition - starting next year...

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:25:51 +0100

After two successful expeditions with Hadoram Shirihai to find and photograph Zino's Petrel at sea Madeira Wind Birds will start to operate its Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition in April 2010!

After the recently published article of Hadoram about the "the best-ever pelagic in the Western Palearctic" the demand for this kind of pelagic trip has been great and so we are preparing a new service to offer to birdwatchers in Madeira: Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expedition

We are now finalizing the program and details to offer Zino's Petrel Pelagic Expeditions during the next years. One thing we can guarantee you: After Hadoram's experience and knowledge Madeira Wind Birds is now the expert company in chumming on the right place to find the Zino's Petrel and some other tubenoses in Madeira sea.

If you are thinking already on a trip to Madeira to join one of these pelagic expeditions, please send us an e-mail and when we get the program ready we will send it to you!

Sightings on a birdwatching full-day tour in Madeira

Wed, 27 May 2009 02:29:04 +0100

On the 26th of May 2009, on a birdwatching tour with Madeira Wind Birds, the following visitant species were seen:

Ponta do Pargo

Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Grey Heron Ardea cinera

Ribeira da Janela

Green-wing Teal Anas carolinensis
The male common Teal Anas crecca was matting a female Mallard Anas platyrhynchos... Will there be a new species for Madeira?!? A 'Teallard'?

São Vicente

Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii

Later on that same day, at Lugar de Baixo Catarina & Hugo saw:

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Green-wing Teal Anas carolinensis

2nd record of Wilson's Phalarope to Madeira

Tue, 19 May 2009 00:08:38 +0100

On the 15th of May 2009 a Wilson Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor was observed by Gil Caboz on Paúl da Serra, on a water reservoir that feeds Calheta power station. This is the second record for Madeira Archipelago with the first one dating for more than 100 years ago.

In Ponta do Pargo Hugo Romano from Madeira Wind Birds observed a Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator which until 2006 was consider a very rare vagrant with fewer than 5 records on the previous 50 years, though Madeira Wind Birds has recorded it in 2007, 2008 and this year again, for the second time already.

On the 16th of May 2009 in Caniçal:
16 Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus
1 Redshank Tringa totanus
2 Barn swallows Hirundo rustica

On the 17th of May 2009 in Ribeira da Janela:
1 Common teal Anas crecca
1 Green-wing teal Anas carolinensis

Lugar de Baixo
1 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
3 Dunlins Calidris alpina

First Record of Breeding Coots in Madeira

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:59:54 +0100

In Lugar de Baixo, on the 17th of May 2009 at 5:10 pm Hugo and Catarina observed and photographed a pair of Fulica atra feeding 4 recently hatched young, bright red, bold crown, encircled with orange downy feathers and red bill, which proves to be the first breeding record for this species for the Madeira Archipelago. On the 18th of May a movie was made and a week later another movie was made with only 3 chicks this time...

April's vagrants to Madeira

Wed, 06 May 2009 02:01:15 +0100

We have been quiet with bird news for a while as we have passed several days at sea with Hadoram Shirihai trying to photograph Zino's Petrels... But for this matter you will have to wait for Hadoram's trip report which will be posted soon with many interesting observations!

For now we will update the observations of vagrant birds to Madeira, observed in land:

24th Abril 2009 at Caniçal
At least 40 Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus
6 Dunlins Calidris alpina
1 Booted Eagle Aquila pennata

At Ribeira Brava
1 Raven Corvus corax

Seawatching at São Vicente
Many Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus
Lots of Cory's Shearwaters

At Lugar de Baixo - observations by Rui Costa
1 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica - male

28th April 2009 and on 4th May 2009 - Observations by Rui Costa
At Lugar de Baixo
2 Bar-tailed Godwit - pair

At Ponta do Pargo
16 Whimbrels

30th April 2009 at Machico
3 Greenshank Tringa nebularia
1 Redshank Tringa totanus
13 Dunlins
1 Little Egret Egretta Garzetta

2nd May 2009 at Lugar de Baixo
8 Dunlins
1 Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis - still the 2nd record

At Ponta do Pargo
18 Whimbrels

5th May 2009 at Lugar de Baixo
2 Bar-tailed Godwits
1 Greenshank
4 Dunlins
1 Whimbrel
1 Green-winged Teal

At Ponta do Pargo
2 Peregrine/Barbary Falcons - seen at long distance
2 Yellow Wagtails - 1 Motacilla flava cinereocapilla and 1 Motacilla flava flava
7 Whimbrels

Andrew Moon birdwatching trip report

Thu, 07 May 2009 16:27:32 +0100

Here is a trip report kindly sent by Andrew Moon:

30th March 2009 at Funchal area
Grey Heron: 2
Cory’s Shearwater: 100+
Macaronesian Shearwater: 2
Manx Shearwater: 6
Turnstone: 1
Plain Swift: 6+

31st March 2009 at Funchal area
Cory’s Shearwater: 100+
Manx Shearwater: 1
Mediterranean Gull: 2 (1st-summer birds) - harbour
Roseate Tern: 3 sitting on buoy in front of Madeira Carlton Hotel
Turnstone: 1
Little Egret: 1
Plain Swift: 10+

1st April 2009 at Funchal area
Cory’s Shearwater: 300+
Macaronesian Shearwater: 5+ (Ponta da Cruz)
Manx Shearwater: 10+
Plain Swift: 50+
Ponta do Pargo:
Swallow 6+
Skylark: 1

2nd April 2009 at Funchal area
Great Skua: 1+
Cory’s Shearwater: 100+
Macaronesian Shearwater: 2
Turnstone: 8
Plain Swift: 10+

3rd April 2009 at Funchal area
Cory’s Shearwater: 300+
Macaronesian Shearwater: 2+
Manx Shearwater: 1
Great Skua: 1
Pallid Swift: 2 (Palheiro Ferreiro)
Plain Swift: 30+

4th April 2009 at Funchal area
Cory’s Shearwater: 400+
Macaronesian Shearwater: 13+
Manx Shearwater: 2
Roseate Tern: 1
Common Tern: 6+
Kittiwake: 1+ adult winter plumage (harbour)
Turnstone: 20+
Plain Swift: 30+
Whimbrel: 1

Lugar de Baixo
Common Sandpiper: 1
Dunlin: 1 (part summer plumage)
Green-winged Teal: 1 adult drake
Little Egret: 1

5th April 2009 at Funchal area
Cory’s Shearwater: 200+
Macaronesian Shearwater: 8+
Manx Shearwater: 1+
Little Egret: 1
Turnstone: 3

Birdwatching in Madeira - join our tours

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:48:15 +0100

Madeira Archipelago offers excellent conditions to birdwatchers, not only in terms of breeding birds but also vagrants. Though there are only 43 confined breeding species, 21% are endemic species and subspecies to Madeira and 33% to Macaronesia.

In this archipelago there are 4 ZPE's, which are: the Laurel forest, the Central Mountainous Massif, Desertas Islands and Selvagens Islands and 8 IBA's, which are Ponta do Pargo, Laurel Forest, Central Mountainous Massif, Ponta de São Lourenço, Desertas Islands, Selvagens Islands, Western Porto Santo and Porto Santo islets.

In Madeira there are three endemic species, the Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz, the Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis and the Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira and 4 species further, restricted to Macaronesia, Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae, the Madeira Storm Petrel Oceanodroma castro, the Canary Serinus canaria and the Plain Swift Apus unicolor.

One of the most interesting features of birding in Madeira is the high number of endemic subspecies - 6 restricted to Madeira and 13 common to Macaronesia islands. For some birdwatchers the ornithological highlights are the blueish Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs madeirensis and the darker Barn Owl Tyto alba schmitzi.

However, seabirds are the major attraction for birdwatchers because there are several colonies of world importance. In Madeira archipelago one may find 8 breeding seabirds species namely the rare Pterodromas (P. feae and P. madeira) and Macaronesia species and subspecies as Macaronesian Shearwater Puffinus baroli, Madeira Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro and White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca. This last species being confined to Selvagens Islands.

Seawatching on Madeira gives you also the chance to observe some visitors like Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis, Great Skua Stercorarius skua, Wilson's Storm-petrel Oceanites oceanicus or Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus.

Join one of our tours and you will see not only Madeira Birds but also untouched landscapes!