madeira birdwatching trip reports

All reports are written in english unless stated otherwise. Also every report is produced in Word (*.doc or *.rtf format) or lately in PDF, which can be viewed in your browser or downloaded to your computer.    In the brief info under each (downloadable) trip report you'll find the subheading 'Highlights', which does not comment much on the (endemic) species breeding in the Madeiran archipelago, but more on high seabird counts and rare and scarce bird sightings.    You are welcome to submit your trip report, which will be added as soon as possible to this web page.

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Monday 4 July 2022

Madeira windbirds seabirding trip report 25th-28th june 2022.

The following is a trip report from a visit to Madeira in June 2022. 

A group of six birders from West Cornwall booked three days with the well known  Madeira Windbird s tours and an additional day-tripper sailing to Desertas Island. Windbirds always depart Machico harbour at 3pm and the Bonita da Madeira departs Funchal at 9am. 

We spent seven days in Madeira but this amount of time is unnecessary if its just seabirds you're after. Away from the coast, there's limited birdlife and all of it can be mopped up in a single morning. Any future trips would be for five days maximum.

Windbirds  is a professional company specialising in watching seabirds and cetaceans. Hugo and Catarina set up the company18 years ago with a ten-seater, 11 metre rib. Two powerful outboard motors get you 25 miles offshore in approx. 90 mins. The team have exact coordinates of the best places to bird.  

You need full waterproof kit including leggings.  Essentially, you are going to get soaking wet, especially on the South side return leg or when you bird the North of the island on the outward leg. There's no formulae on which side to sit. If its windy, you'll get wet.  I wore deck shoes but a pair of crocks or old sandels is fine. (Your feet will also get wet). A wet bag is also essential for your kit.

Windbirds use a tried and tested method of chumming from a floating bucket of diced fish, laced with fish oil. The bucket is re filled several times during the five hour session.  The rib remains alongside the bucket throughout and never leaves the chum slick. The chum slick is created and pretty soon, the petrels and shearwaters arrive.

Bonita da Madeira  is a large day tripper boat specialising in trips to Desertas Grande. The captain will pursue cetaceans or seabirds of interest but keep a respectful distance. The ship lands passengers on Desertas Grande island with a useful and knowledgeable guide to the island's wildlife. We were shown Bulwer's and Cory's breeding burrows. We also saw 12 Desertas Petrels and hundreds of Cory's on the voyage over to the island.  For 80 euros, its well worth it. A free cooked meal and wine is also offered. Well recommended.

The following species accounts give some idea of what can be seen:

Desertas Petrel . Over the four days at sea ie. 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th June, we saw 12, 4, 4, 6 birds respectively. Some views were distant and others reasonably close to the boat.  The name Pterodroma is Greek for Wind Bird, and as the name suggests, these birds thrive in high winds and power through the chum slick at impressive speeds. Some circle round the chum bucket but generally move on quickly. You have to be quick off the mark with id. and any photography.  The species breeds on Bugio Island, which is one of the three Desertas islands (adjacent to Desertas Grande).

Zino's Petrel : Over the four days at sea ie. 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th June, we saw 0, 2, 3, 2 birds respectively and had some really good close views. This species is the number one target for visiting birders. Up to date information from birders at the breeding site on the Madeiran mountain estimate around 80 breeding pairs and a total of just 300 birds. Thus, this species is super rare and extremely vulnerable, especially to feral cats and rodents on the mountain where it breeds.

We visited the mountain breeding site at midnight to listen to them calling. Whilst the conditions of rain, mist and strong wind weren't ideal, we did hear the mournful sounds coming from the burrows. The visit is organised by Hugo and Catarina. (50 Euros.)

Bulwer's Petrel:  Over the four days at sea ie. 25th, 26th, 27th and 28th June, we saw hundreds daily. The species breeds locally on Desertas Island and becomes easier further out in deeper water. Bulwer's visits the chum bucket  and affords close views. That said, its a very tricky bird to photo. Its crazed flight at super speed means only the best modern cameras keep up with it. I took about 500 shots of Bulwer's and just a dozen were acceptable. We were shown a nest site on Desertas in a stone wall with a bird sitting on the nest.

Madeiran Storm Petrel:  This species is a prime target and despite local breeding, is surprisingly difficult to connect with. We saw just two birds on the last day. Both visited the chum slick, one staying for 20 minutes giving stunning views. Bob Flood from Scilly Pelagics also saw one the following week. This species was a key target for us as there are a couple Cornwall records. We wanted to familiarise ourselves just in case one flies past Pendeen! 

Windbirds' skill and experience in approaching this species at the chum bucket was perfect, manoeuvring the rib perfectly to obtain the best views.

European Storm Petrel : Just one was seen on day 2.

Wilson's Storm Petrel : One adult in moult was seen on day 3. It visited the chum bucket and regularly worked the chum slick for a 30 minutes affording excellent views, sometimes close.

Cory's Shearwater : The second commonest seabird behind Bulwer's Petrel. Large rafts of scores and occasionally hundreds of birds seen. There were more on the northern pelagic return leg. Perhaps a couple thousand near the narrow channel linking north and south of the island. This was the largest concentration we saw.  Visits to the chum bucket gave stunning close views.

Manx Shearwater : No more than ten birds seen over the four days. The species is suspected of breeding on Madeira but as yet unproven. Regular summer records suggest otherwise.

Little Shearwater : None seen on our trips but Niall Keogh found one on a ferry trip from Madeira to Porto Santo. One was also seen well from the Windbirds pelagic the following week. Little Shearwater is a prize find and is not guaranteed.

White-faced Storm Petrel : None seen.

Rock Sparrow : One pair seen on the walk to the east end of the island, about 1k from the turning circle car parking area. Berthelot's Pipit and Canary also seen here.

Trocaz Pigeon : We saw a few at Palheiro Gardens north of Funchal and singles dotted around the vast mountain forests.   Madeiran Firecrest  was also seen and heard here.

Peregrine Falcon : We saw two on the coast at Machico. Apparently this species is rare here. Hugo and Catarina stopped the rib to photo it. We also saw the occasional Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard and Kestrels. A moribund House Martin found on the Desertas Grande shoreline was unusual.

In summary, this is a relatively easy place to fly to, fairly cheap living and easily accessible with a hire car. Depending on your culinary and drinking habits, the total trip cost from door to door shouldn't cost more than about £1200. Well worth it.

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Birding Madeira

Madeira, as an island with temperate climate and dense vegetation is an ideal habitat for birds. Moreover, when it was discovered, in 1419, the only animals found here were birds and the endemic wall lizard Lacerta dugesii. As an island habitat, species which live here have adapted themselves to the geographical conditions; over time this causes endemism; 21% of Madeira bird species and sub-species can only be seen in the Madeira Archipelago whilst 33% are species and sub-species endemic to the Macaronesia region (this is the geographical region which comprises the archipelagos of Madeira, Azores, Canary islands and Cape Verde and also part of Northwest of Africa).

So, for those of you who thought that Madeira was only a trekking and beach holiday destination, be aware that there is birdlife here that makes the island worth a visit. Zino’s Petrels Pterodroma Madeira Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz and Madeira Firecrest Regullus madeirensis are the exclusively Madeiran species but there are also some interesting sub-species such as the Madeira Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs madeirensis, a race of Berthelot’s Pipit Anthus bertheloti madeirensis, and Madeira Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia madeirensis among others. As part of Macaronesia, Madeira has Fea’s Petrel Pterodrom fea, Plain Swift Apus unicolor and Canary Serinus canaria canaria as well as 13 sub-species including Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli, White-face Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca, Kestrel Falco tinnunculus canariensis, Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus granti and Yellow-legged Gulls Larus cachinans atlantis to name but a few.

In general the Madeira Archipelago has 43 breeding species but beyond that it has some regular visitants like Little and Cattle Egrets, Whimbrel, Dunlin, Turnstone and sometimes very interesting accidental vagrants like Laughing Gulls, Spoonbills etc.If you want some birdwatching hot spots in Madeira then there is nothing like going to its IBAs (Important Bird Areas). In Madeira Island there are 4 IBAs all being situated in areas where human occupation is reduced or in difficult to access sites. Three of these are integrated into Madeira’s Natural Park, so are protected areas. This is the case for the Laurel Forest, the Central Mountainous Massif and Ponta de São Lourenço. The other IBA is in Ponta do Pargo – see these hotspots described below.

This page is sponsored by EVOA - Tagus Estuary Birdwatching and Conservation Area

Central Mountainous Massif

Laurel forest, ponta de são lourenço, ponta do pargo, catarina fagundes.

Madeira | [email protected]

iGoTerra Checklist

A Birdwatchers' Guide to Portugal, the Azores & Madeira Archipelagos

Birds of the atlantic islands, field guide to the birds of macaronesia, where to watch birds in the madeira archipelago, wildlife of madeira and the canary islands, african bird club, sociedade portuguesa para o estudo das aves.

Abbreviations Key

NP Parque Natural da Madeira

Madeira wind birds, 2007 [05 may] - ashley beolens, 2010 [02 february] - catarina fagundes, 2011 [11 november] - honeyguide, 2012 [11 november] – catarina fagundes, 2015 [08 august] - andreas ranner, 2017 [07 july] - catarina correia- fagunde s, 2017 [09 september] - gergő gábor nagy, 2018 [03 march] - mark graham, 2019 [02 february] - geoff upton, 2019 [03 march] - dave flumm, 2019 [03 march] - mark graham - cruise, madeira birding, madeira seawatching, aves at ilha da madeira.

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Bird Watching in Madeira

Contemplating life in nature.

• Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs madeirensis);
• Bis bis (Regulus ignicapillus madeirensis);
• Papinho (Erithacus rubecula rubecula);
• Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea schmitzi);
• Zino's Petrel (Pterodroma Madeira).

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Madeira - March 2019

Introduction This was a two-week family holiday with my wife Gerda and brother Tony to escape the rain and gales in Cornwall. We often go to the Canaries at this time of year, driven by the dreadful weather back home but none of us had visited Madeira before so promises of Trocaz Pigeon and Madeira Firecrest as well as other island endemics provided a further attraction in addition to the promise of better weather. We were not to be disappointed. Madeira, like the Canaries is a volcanic island but after its birth c14 million years ago, several volcanic eruptions have eradicated any central cone that may have once existed and although rising 6km from the ocean floor only 1km of it sits above sea level. At 90km east-west, it is 30km longer than volcanic Lanzarote in the Canaries (which was born around the same time) and much more mountainous. It is also 200km north of the Canaries so a bit cooler and of course with its own endemic flora and fauna. It is situated 935km due west from Morocco so is hardly on any bird migration route. Consequently, any spring migrant is a welcome surprise...and so it proved to be. By comparison with the Canaries, this was a much cheaper holiday for us. We flew from Bristol to Funchal, Madeira with EasyJet for £533 (£178 ea including extra baggage allowances) and picked up our 4-door hire car (a Mitsubishi Space Star) for two weeks from Zest Car Rental at the airport for £239 incl. insurance, unlimited mileage and free additional driver. As it turned out we didn’t take advantage of the latter; neither my wife or brother fancied driving on the narrow twisty roads that crisscross the island. Their decision may have been influenced by Yours truly almost writing the car off on the first day when I misjudged the width of the concrete road above our apartment resulting in the front offside wheel dropping into the hidden (that’s my excuse!) ditch bordering the road. It took several large boulders and Madeirans to help raise the wheel so I could drive the chassis up off the concrete. Apparently, this had happened before so after that I just took more care. Although not as warm as the Canaries, the weather was great: between 19-21 degrees every day although cooler, often misty in the hills. Of course, I was hoping for rain to bring in some migrants (I was alone in this regard) but other than some slight drizzle on the return to the airport, it was sunny and dry every day. Sites visited We concentrated our efforts around the coast in western Madeira so this report is really based on there and in particular only two main areas: Ponta do Pargo and Fajã da Ovelha. I wanted to be close to the lighthouse at Ponta do Pargo in case it attracted any migrants (it did) or seabirds off the headland (it didn’t). We based ourselves at Fajã da Ovelha just a nine-minute drive away in a magnificent 3-storey house on a hill overlooking the town and sea for just £19/night for the three of us. However, with additional cleaning and Airbnb fees etc we paid £480 for the 14 nights – still very good value for what we had and cheaper than anything we looked at closer to Funchal. Ponta do Pargo. This is the most westerly point in Madeira and on the map looks good for seawatching – although I had read it was otherwise due to the height of the cliffs there @ 447m with no access to a lower elevation for seawatching. As somebody used to seawatching off high cliffs in Cornwall, this didn’t put me off but even so it was surprisingly devoid of seabirds and I soon gave up looking, concentrating instead on the bushes and open ground behind the lighthouse which looked great for passerines – and they were. The Government had plans to turn the whole area here into a golf course and it is already shown as such on the map I had bought so I was (pleasantly) surprised when I couldn’t find it! I contacted a local naturalist, Catarina Correia-Fagundes of Wind Birds (see their excellent website for up to date news on sightings and guided trips around Madeira for birds, plants, butterflies etc: https://www.madeirawindbirds.com/ ) and Catarina told me the plans for a golf course had been dropped. Unfortunately, the Government now have plans for building holiday homes instead. After discovering Ponta do Pargo, we visited the area every day. It is still very undisturbed with some great habitat for migrants as well as breeding Red-legged Partridge, Spectacled Warbler, Berthelot’s Pipit, Blackbird, Blackcap, Canary and other finches which seemed rare elsewhere such as Linnet, Goldfinch and Greenfinch. We also had the place to ourselves and never met another birder (anywhere on Madeira in two weeks) and day-trippers seldom arrived before 10am, by which time we had mostly surveyed the place. The only disruption to our routine came on a day the army arrived and turned the site into a firing range – maybe 100 soldiers already camped and scattered across the headland before we got there. Birding to the sound of gunfire (including machine guns and goodness knows what else!) was quite unsettling especially as we didn’t know if the ammunition they were using was live or blank! Gerda stayed in the car on this occasion as Tony and I split up but within minutes he was captured and escorted back to the car. I pretended not to see the soldiers shouting and waving but when a jeep with soldiers started towards me, I decided to hide as I had just seen what I thought were two Tawny Pipits flying up to a nearby hillside and I was in hot pursuit. The status of Tawny Pipit is given as ‘One record’ for Madeira prior to 1995 so I had to nail these! Unfortunately, the army reached the summit before me and must have flushed them as I never saw them again...until three days later. Luckily, the soldiers had left the following day. Judging from the areas of burnt vegetation they left behind (and I was worried about the nesting species mentioned above) in retrospect I think their ammo must have been live!? Fajã da Ovelha. Our house was situated >1km from the sea and about as high as the cliffs at Ponta do Pargo but with the telescope set up on the balcony we enjoyed views of Cory’s Shearwater every day, their numbers increasing as the time went on with up to 400 towards the end of our stay. They must have been c3km distant but if you’ve ever watched them off Porthgwarra, Cornwall, that’s close! The hills here offer some great walking and we had Trocaz Pigeons most days, even from our balcony. The village itself is very quiet and peaceful and like the towns, completely free of litter and dog-mess in sharp contrast to home. We found the whole of Madeira so clean and free of these aspects which blight our lives in the UK. Feral cats seem to be widespread across the island so presumably must be having an impact on bird populations but we saw no evidence of hunting. With no foxes or deer (of course) I don’t know what quarry species, if any, would be targeted by hunters. We didn’t even see a rabbit. The absence of a common bird species such as Woodpigeon, coupled with the steep mountainous terrain probably makes hunting unattractive. Useful references For daily sightings and news of events, tours etc: https://www.madeirabirds.com/ For status of individual species: https://www.madeirabirds.com/madeira_birds For full checklist and historical data: ‘Birds of the Archipeligos of Madeira and the Selvagens II – New records and checklist update (1995-2010)’ by Hugo Romano, Catarina Correia-Fagundes, Francis Zino and Manuel Biscoito.

Species Lists

Species Checklist. We saw 52 bird species, one lizard, one frog, ten butterflies, two dragonflies and one mammal (Common Dolphin). Cory’s Shearwater. Seen daily from our balcony at Fajã da Ovelha with rafts of birds over 200-strong on the sea in the evenings. At Porto Moniz, an hour’s seawatch 12:00-13:00 on 14th produced a count of 39 birds moving east. Manx Shearwater. A single bird off Porto Moniz on 14th and 9 off Fajã da Ovelha on 21st, the latter too far away to rule out the much-hoped for Barolo’s but on balance they looked like Manx to me. Gannet. Four sightings of adults off Fajã da Ovelha and Ponta do Pargo of birds all moving north. Recorded status ‘occasional’ in Madeira. Cormorant. A 2nd cal year bird at Porto Moniz on 18th. Recorded status ‘occasional’ in Madeira. Grey Heron. An immature at a park in Funchal 16th, the only sighting. Teal. Three on the small reservoir at Achada do Bardo, Poseira on 23rd. Mallard. Four in a park in Funchal of dubious origin. Mute Swan. Ditto Mallard! Sparrowhawk. Of the Macaronesian endemic subspecies A.n.granti, whose status is recorded as a ‘rare breeding bird’ in Madeira. Seen on seven dates with max 2/day at 5 locations. Common Buzzard. I can’t disagree with the recorded status as a ‘common breeding bird’ as they seem to be everywhere. I counted up to 30/day when I first arrived – pairs calling and displaying all round the coastal belt. Kestrel. Of the Macaronesian endemic race F.t.canariensis. Very common. In stark contrast to the UK where our Kestrel populations are in decline, in Madeira they seem to be everywhere, no doubt boosted by the high population of lizards which surely must be an important food resource? Hobby. One over the cliffs south of Ponta do Pargo on 13th made several unsuccessful attacks on a Plain Swift before giving up and heading off south, mobbed by the local Kestrels. Red-legged Partridge. Up to 6 pairs at Ponta do Pargo, where seen daily. Heard also at Calheta. Quail. One flushed at Ponta do Pargo 15th. Whimbrel. One at Calheta 11th. Common Redshank. One at São Vicente 18th. Recorded status ‘occasional’ in Madeira. Green Sandpiper. One at the small reservoir at Achada do Bardo, Poseira on 23rd. Recorded status ‘occasional’ in Madeira. Common Sandpiper. One at Calheta 13th. Turnstone. One Calheta 13th with 3 there 16th. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Single adults of British race, L.f.graellsii at Port Moniz 14th and Fajã da Ovelha 22nd. Azores Yellow-legged Gull. Of the Macaronesian race L.c.atlantis. Seen in small numbers around the coast. Maybe 100 at Funchal on our only visit there on 16th. Common Tern. Three off São Vicente 18th and a single at Calheta 21st. Trocaz Pigeon. It was a relief to see so many of these! A concerted effort at Fajã da Ovelha on our first full day yielded 18 birds and we saw this species on 9 dates altogether at various locations – even on the sea cliffs at São Vicente (a pair on 18th). Always shy and often hidden in trees they could be overlooked but we saw them at any time of day. Beware the smaller, shorter-tailed and much commoner Feral Pigeons which dominate the island, some of which are similarly plumaged. [Feral Pigeon. Very common and widespread.] Collared Dove. Still surprisingly uncommon (especially with so many in the Canaries). The local status was given as ‘Vagrant bird with only one record’ in 1995, then upgraded to ‘Rare breeding bird’ in 2010. We found six pairs: Ponta do Pargo (2), Estrela (1), Amparo (1), Lombo (1) and Vitoria, west Funchal (1). Rose-ringed Parakeet. Single bird heard calling from palm trees in Funchal on 16th. Plain Swift. Seen on 5 dates with max 40 at Fajã da Ovelha on 17th. Alpine Swift. A single bird at Ponta do Pargo 18th feeding over cliffs. Recorded status ‘occasional’ in Madeira. Hoopoe. A single bird looking exhausted spent 15 minutes resting on the Mole island off Port Moniz on 14th sheltering from the wind. Recorded status ‘common breeding bird’ in Madeira, although as it only breeds on Porto Santo, our bird was probably a migrant. Eurasian Skylark. At Ponta do Pargo we had up to 4 birds on 5 dates. Recorded status ‘occasional’ in Madeira. Barn Swallow. Recorded at Ponta do Pargo most days and Fajã da Ovelha with peak counts of 40 at the former on 18th and 10 at the latter 24th. Red-rumped Swallow. A single at Fajã da Ovelha circling valley with House Martins for 5 minutes on 16th. Two birds at Ponta do Pargo with other hirundines 18th for an hour at least. House Martin. Small numbers on 7 dates at Fajã da Ovelha and Ponta do Pargo with max c30 at the former on 24th. Sand Martin. Given that the recorded status in Madeira is ‘Exceptional’, I was surprised to see so many; it must be a good year. All records listed: At Ponta do Pargo 3 13th, 1 14th, 2 17th, 2 18th, 1 19th and 24th. At Fajã da Ovelha a huge flock of 25 feeding over the valley on 22nd with 8 there 24th. Berthelot’s Pipit. Of the island endemic race, A.b.madeirensis. Only found at Ponta do Pargo where at least 7 breeding pairs. Tawny Pipit. Two together at Ponta do Pargo 23rd (possibly since 20th when distant flight-only views obtained) with a Northern Wheatear. Up until 1995 only one record had been accepted for the island but Catarina informs me they have been more regular since. Grey Wagtail. Of the Macaronesian endemic race, M.c.schmitzi. Present in most of the river moths we visited eg. Calheta (4 pairs), Fajã da Ovelha (1 pair), São Vicente (4 pairs), Funchal (1 pair) and at the small reservoir at Achada do Bardo, Poseira (1 pair). White Wagtail. At Ponta do Pargo 8 18th, 5 20th and 4 23rd-24th. Robin. Of the Macaronesian endemic race, E.r.microrynchus. Fairly common and widespread in the lower hills and wooded valleys eg. 10/day in the Fajã da Ovelha area. Common Redstart. A male at Fajã da Ovelha on 18th. Recorded status ‘occasional’ in Madeira. Northern Wheatear. At Ponta do Pargo, 2 19th, 3 20th with 1 remaining to 24th. Desert Wheatear. The bird of the trip! A male at Ponta do Pargo for three days 18th-20th was the first for Madeira in 11 years – since one at the same site 30th April 2008. The comment then was “there have been fewer than five in the last 50 years”. Blackbird. Of the Macaronesian endemic race, T.m.cabrerae. Common and widespread eg a count of 15 in the scrubby land behind the lighthouse (excluding village) at Ponta do Pargo on one day. Spectacled Warbler. Of the Macaronesian endemic race, S.c.orbitalis. 5 pairs in the Ponta do Pargo area but not seen elsewhere. Blackcap. Of the Macaronesian endemic race, S.a.heineken. Common and widespread with up to 10/day for eg in the Fajã da Ovelha area. Madeira Firecrest. After finding two on our first full day at Fajã da Ovelha, I didn’t focus much time looking for this species thereafter so probably overlooked many. Woodchat Shrike. A male at Ponta do Pargo for one day, 22nd in the same area as the Desert Wheatear had been. Recorded status ‘occasional’ in Madeira. Common Starling. A single bird at Ponta do Pargo 19th & 20th. Canary. Common and widespread with up to 100/day. The commonest land bird in Madeira (except maybe for Feral Pigeon)? Greenfinch. Recorded status ‘Rare breeding bird’ in Madeira. Only found at two sites: two singing males at Fajã da Ovelha and three birds together at Ponta do Pargo. Goldfinch. Maxima 16 at Fajã da Ovelha and 10 at Ponta do Pargo with fewer elsewhere. Madeira Chaffinch. Of the island endemic race, F.c.madeirensis. Fairly common and widespread in the hills eg. Up to 15/day around Fajã da Ovelha. Linnet. Of the Macaronesian endemic race, C.c.guentheri. Recorded status ‘Rare breeding bird’ in Madeira so I was surprised to find a flock of 55 at Ponta do Pargo on a couple of dates and pairs clearly breeding there on other days. OTHER WILDLIFE Mammals. The only mammals we saw were c30 Common Dolphins off Fajã da Ovelha on 21st. Given the amount of time I spent seawatching from our balcony I was surprised not to see more. Reptiles. The Madeiran Wall Lizard, Teira dugesii is incredibly common and must be an important food resource for the island population of Kestrels and Buzzards. We saw a lot of larger more uniform coloured, often green, lizards with spots that I thought were Canary Lizards, Gallotia gallotia but apparently this species does not occur in Madeira and I am grateful to Catarina for putting me right – apparently these are just adult T.dugesii. Amphibians. We found a small reservoir at Fajã da Ovelha with six Perez Frogs, Rana perezi which have been introduced to the island (as elsewhere) from southern Europe. Dragonflies. Two species only: a female Emperor, Anax imperator ovipositing in the Levada Nova at Fajã da Ovelha and a male at Jardin do Mar. Up to 8 Island Darter, Sympetrum nigrifemur including some in tandem at the Levada Nova, Fajã da Ovelha. Butterflies. Ten species: Monarch. 13 in Funchal, 11 Jardin do Mar, 1 at Fajã da Ovelha. Red Admiral. Up to 10/day. Macaronesian Red Admiral. A few at Fajã da Ovelha. Painted Lady. 1-2 per day. Small White. Widespread. Up to 20/day. Clouded Yellow. Common. Up to 50/day at Ponta do Pargo. Two white helice forms there. Queen of Spain Fritillary. One on 15th at Fajã da Ovelha. Long-tailed Blue. Mostly seen at Ponta do Pargo. Speckled Wood. Common and widespread. Up to 60/day. Madeiran Speckled Wood. This slightly larger and darker species is said to be declining due to competition with the above but we found it quite common around Fajã da Ovelha – maybe 20/day there.

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Madeira, January 22nd to February 5th 2007 ,

Nick Crouch [email protected]

Introduction

Madeira was chosen as a destination for some winter sun, giving me the chance of a few lifers, and my girlfriend, Laura, some sunbathing opportunities. Target birds were the two endemics, Trocaz Pigeon and Madeira Firecrest, plus Plain Swift, Berthelot’s Pipit and Canary, and also the endemic island forms of various other species. I hoped that there was also a good chance of seeing or finding some vagrant species.

We stayed for two weeks in a flat/cottage in Funchal, called ‘The Painters Cottage’, found at www.ownersdirect.co.uk . Overall, it was very nice, located on the edge of the Old Town (Zona Velha), but certainly much more expensive than a hotel. It had a pool, but we didn’t have a chance to use it. We flew with Thompson from Luton (suffering a 4 hour delay on the return due to low cloud and rain preventing landings at Funchal airport), and hired a car in advance from Europcar (an under-powered Seat Ibiza) which we picked up at the airport.

Overall, the weather was slightly disappointing. We had four decent days of more-or-less unbroken sun, when it felt hot, and one day of almost unbroken rain. The rest of the days were mixed, with promising-looking mornings often clouding over, and an average temperature of 15 or 16˚C. In the mountains it was decidedly cool at all times, down to 2˚C at Pico Areeiro (according to our car’s thermometer). We where both glad we’d brought proper jackets with us!

Information

I printed off lots of information from Niklas Holmström’s excellent Birding Madeira website ( http://madeira.seawatching.net/index.html ), which provided up-to-date details of all the main birding sites, and a list of recent sightings. I also took several trip reports produced by others who had visited the island during the winter, namely Heikki and Sinikka Karhu ( Madeira, 7-14/2/2004 ), Dan Mangsbo ( Reserapport fran Madeira, 16-23/1/2006 ) and Stefan Cherrug ( Trip Report Madeira, 22/2-1/3/2006 ). I also took a report by Niklas Holmström ( Madeira, 23/8-6/9/2002 ), as it provided good seawatching details (not that I needed them in January…), and a tour report from Naturetrek ( Madeira , 7-14 May 2006 ), as it had some information about plants. With hindsight, I wish I had got hold of a copy of ‘ Madeira’s Natural History in a Nutshell ’ by Peter Sziemer, as I think this would have augmented my trip. None of the bookshops visited in Funchal stocked it.

Itinerary and sightings highlights

Monday 22nd January

After picking up our car at the airport, we drove to Funchal, seeing several Kestrels en route. We eventually found our accommodation in Funchal, and from the cottage terrace, I noted several Canaries in the area, along with a few other species including Grey Wagtail , Buzzard , Blackcap and Goldfinch .

Tuesday 23rd January

From the cottage terrace in the morning, a similar selection of species was seen as yesterday. We then walked down into Funchal to explore the town and find some lunch, seeing  a pair of Mandarin Ducks on the Ribeira de St.a Lucia. We then walked down to the harbour and docks area, seeing Turnstones (c.20), Yellow-legged Gull (c.200 roosting on the dock platform), Lesser Black-backed Gull (1 amongst the Yellow-legs), Black-headed Gull (15) and Common Sandpiper . A Blackcap was calling from the cliffs behind the docks.

Returning to our accommodation in the afternoon, at least 22 Plain Swifts passed through in small groups, heading east.

Wednesday 24th January

Another day exploring Funchal, which included a walk down through the old town to the fort, then along the sea-front to the docks again. In the docks, the number of Yellow-legged Gulls roosting had increased to around 700, with at least 3 adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls lurking amongst them. Elsewhere, a Barn Swallow was flying up and down Rua de Janeiro.

In the afternoon we took the teleferico up to Monte Tropical Gardens, which produced the first Madeira Firecrests of the trip, along with several Chaffinches , a Robin , and lots of Blackbirds . A Grey Heron was flapping about in the trees next to the lake, and to the west of the garden, 10 Plain Swifts were feeding over the eucalyptus woodland.

Thursday 25th January

We were meant to go on a boat trip to the Desertas today. Arriving slightly early at the marina, I scanned through a group of 18 Black-headed Gulls on the beach. Amongst them was a 1st winter Bonaparte’s Gull , which was something of a surprise! We then found out that the trip was cancelled due to rough sea conditions, allowing me time to photograph the Bonaparte’s Gull, and take a description. Also on the beach, a 1st winter Great Black-backed Gull was present in a small group of Yellow-legged Gulls .

In place of our boat trip, we decided to explore the south coast a bit, calling in at Calhetta, seeing a Little Egret in the marina, and then continuing on to Ponta do Pargo, where a pair of very confiding Berthelot’s Pipits were around the car park, and a single Barn Swallow was present.

Heading home, I tried to find Lugar de Baixo, but didn’t have directions with me, and after asking, ended up being shown a new swimming pool in the marina complex (not the sort of pool I was after, although I did see a Grey Heron …). Continuing on, a flock of 40 swifts, assumed to be Plain Swifts , were feeding over the motorway at Campanário.

Friday 26th January

I got up early to go back down to the marina to get some better photos of the Bonaparte’s Gull , which I succeeded in doing. A Little Egret was roosting on the marina wall, and in the centre of Funchal, 2 or 3 Barn Swallows were cruising up and down the rivers channels, as were 2 Plain Swifts .

In the afternoon, we headed east, calling in at Caniçal. A small number of Spanish Sparrows were found in the gardens of the small houses next to the harbour, and a Little Egret flew past. We then continued on to Ponta de Sâo Lourenço, to do the walk out along the peninsular. Just beyond the car park, large numbers of passerines were present, with c.40 Linnets and c.150 Goldfinches in flocks. Canaries were also abundant. Further on, 13 Whimbrel were feeding on the grassy slopes, and a couple of pairs of Berthelot’s Pipits were present. On the way home, I had a brief try for Rock Sparrow and Spectacled Warbler in the areas described on the Birding Madeira website, but failed - I didn’t try too hard as I didn’t want to push my luck and use up birding time on other occasions! We also called in very briefly at Machico, seeing a Little Egret on the beach, but didn’t have a look at the river mouth.

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th January

Two sun-bathing days, with no birding undertaken.

Monday 29th January

We arrived at the track to Faja de Nogueira, just beyond Ribeira Frio, mid-morning. After driving a short distance up the track, we stopped and instantly located 2 Trocaz Pigeons in the laurel forest up on our left. Further scanning revealed at least 6 more birds, including a couple much closer to us, although they disappeared into the canopy pretty quickly. Two Madeira Firecrests were also noted here.

We then took the short walk from Ribeira Frio to the Balcões viewpoint, which is a spectacular look-out point, and well worth doing. From the viewpoint a single Trocaz Pigeon was seen on the cliffs below, and lots of Chaffinches provided good photo opportunities. Also seen were several Madeira Firecrests , Blackbirds and Robins (although the latter was more often heard than seen).

We then drove up to Pico Areeiro, where two Berthelot’s Pipits were present, but the cold (2°C) soon saw us beat a retreat back down to the coast, heading for Lugar de Baixo, which I managed to find this time (exactly as described on the Birding Madeira website). This proved to be a highly productive little spot - amongst the first birds seen were a Spotted Sandpiper and a Sora ! Both these birds had been found at the end of 2006 by other visiting birders (I knew about the Sora but not the Spotted Sandpiper, at the time). Also present were Dunlin (2), Common Sandpiper (1), Turnstone (22), Mallard (1 ‘pure’ male bird, with another hybrid and a lot of other ‘soup ducks’), Eurasian Teal (1 female), Coot (22), Moorhen (8), Cattle Egret (1) and Little Egret (6).

Tuesday 30th January

I got up early for another visit to Lugar de Baixo. The species present were the same as yesterday, with both the Spotted Sandpiper and Sora showing well (the latter often disappearing into the reedbed), and in one surreal moment the Sora chased the Spotted Sandpiper off its favourite patch of mud! The number of Cattle Egrets had increased to 3, and the number of Little Egrets to 10. Turning my scope around, I finally had a look out to sea, and in 30 minutes saw 18 Manx Shearwaters and 1 Cory’s Shearwater (distantly).

For the rest of the day, we explored in the car, heading up to the north coast, through Ribeira Frio, to Faial. Just short of Faial, we stopped at Lombo de Baixo to look at butterflies. In the gorge to the east of the road, visible from the ‘causeway’ just south of the ‘Casa de Chá’, 3 Trocaz Pigeons were seen, and 3 Plain Swifts were overhead. Turning west, we stopped at the Sâo Gorge viewpoint, seeing Robin and Blackcap .

Heading home, we called in at the Faial harbour complex. A single Common Sandpiper was at the river mouth. Back up the harbour access road, there is a promising looking wet area where the river is held back by a weir, opposite the karting track, but there were no birds here today. We headed on to Machico, seeing a Little Egret again, but nothing at all at the river mouth. We made no attempt to look for Waxbills.

Wednesday 31st January

Another early start, this time to try some seawatching at Ponta da Cruz. In just under 1 ½ hours, a total of 69 Manx Shearwaters passed (23 east, 38 west, 7 sat on the sea), along with 2 distant Cory’s Shearwaters (both heading west). Also seen were large numbers of Common Dolphins, with small groups going in both directions, some of which ’laid’ on the surface, and others put on spectacular jumping displays.

Most of the rest of the day was spent sunbathing, although a late trip down into Funchal found 2 stunning summer-plumaged Roseate Terns roosting on the marina wall, along with 14 Turnstones , 5 Black-headed Gulls and 1 Little Egret .

Finally, whilst watching TV back in our cottage, a Barn Owl landed on the tall pole sticking out of the wall at the end of our terrace. Unfortunately, it flew off as soon as I reached for my binoculars, and I got nothing more than a silhouette view.

Thursday 1st February

Another early seawatching session, for about an hour, produced a total of 26 Manx Shearwaters (10 east, 11 west, and 5 lingering to the west). A single Cory’s Shearwater also passed, much closer than yesterday’s birds, heading west. There were still some Common Dolphins offshore, but also in reduced numbers, with around 30 individuals noted. In addition, 3 Little Egrets flew past, and a Plain Swift allowed close inspection.

We then headed up to Curral das Freiras, but cloud and rain meant the trip was a bit of a wash-out, although a few Madeira Firecrests were seen and heard, so we headed back to the coast, to Cabo Girão. Two Little Egrets flew past, and a Buzzard flew along the cliffs at eye-level, but best of all were 10 Plain Swifts which zoomed past on repeat foraging passes just metres away from us. Another 30 or so Plain Swifts were also feeding just off to the west.

We continued on to Ribeira Brava for lunch, noting the ‘wild’ Dragon Trees, plus a single Grey Plover and 11 Turnstone on the breakwater. We then spent the rest of the afternoon sunning ourselves on the ‘beach’ at Lugar de Baixo. High tide meant that there was no exposed mud on the pool, so fewer waders were present (and preventing the Sora from showing itself). However, the Spotted Sandpiper was still present (catching flies on the island), along with the Eurasian Teal and a single Dunlin . The highlight of this visit, however, was a group of c.50 Waxbills , which I suddenly became aware of perched on the wall at the western end of the pool. They then flew off in small groups, heading west, with only a single bird remaining by the time I had got my camera and scope set up! Scanning of the area then yielded a female/1st winter Black Redstart in the cultivated area to the west of the pond.

As the afternoon progressed, a Common Sandpiper appeared, along with 3 Turnstone , 5 Little Egrets and a Cattle Egret , whilst a quick look offshore produced small numbers of Manx Shearwaters passing in both directions, including one bird very close in, and a Cory’s Shearwater going west, which was also relatively close in to shore.

Friday 2nd February

Today we were finally making it out to the Desertas on board the Ventura do Mar, after a further two cancellations with Gavião. As we left the marina, the two Roseate Terns were sat on the marina wall, along with the Bonaparte’s Gull and 13 Black-headed Gulls .

As we sailed east out of Funchal, 7 Manx Shearwaters were noted, with another individual seen midway in the crossing. Two Cory’s Shearwaters were also seen, one about halfway across and another close to Deserta Grande, both heading in a southerly direction, and both fairly close to the boat. In addition, an adult Gannet flew north, again about halfway across.

On Deserta Grande itself, a Grey Heron was seen, along with a few Canaries and Berthelot’s Pipits , but nothing else (other than some translocated examples of the endemic ‘Rock Cabbage’).

The return voyage produced another 2 Cory’ Shearwaters , one mid-journey (heading south), and the other close to Madeira (heading north-east), along with 4 Manx Shearwaters .

Saturday 3rd February

Another sun-bathing day, with no birding undertaken, other than to note 2 Little Egrets flying east over the marina in Funchal at dusk.

Sunday 4th February

I got up early for a final look around Funchal harbour, seeing the Bonaparte’s Gull on the beach, along with 14 Black-headed Gulls . The pair of Roseate Terns were also still present. A look off Ponta da Cruz showed the sea to be almost devoid of shearwaters, with just a solitary Manx Shearwater heading east (and no dolphins), although 2 Plain Swifts and a Little Egret were seen.

We then headed up to Ribeira Brava for a last look at the laurissilva, walking part way down the levada that goes to Portela. Madeira Firecrest and Chaffinch were seen, plus 2 Trocaz Pigeons (one startled out of a tree just above our heads), and around 20 Plain Swifts feeding over the forest. Another 30 or so Plain Swifts were also seen about 4 kilometres north of Ribeira Brava.

Returning to the coast, I negotiated a final visit to Lugar de Baixo, but the tide was up again. However, the Spotted Sandpiper was still present, again sneaking up on flies as they sunned themselves on the rocks on the island, along with the Eurasian Teal , and single Dunlin , Cattle Egret and Little Egret .

Returning to Funchal, the final species of the holiday presented itself in the form of a male Sparrowhawk circling over the motorway at Campanário, a species I had given up hope of seeing.

Monday 5th February

A few Canaries at our cottage, and one or two Kestrels en route to the airport were the last sightings of the holiday.

Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea borealis 1 off Lugar de Baixo on 30/1 2 off Ponta da Cruz on 31/1 1 off Ponta da Cruz on 1/2 1 off Lugar de Baixo on 1/2 4 on the crossing between Madeira and Deserta Grande (2 there, 2 back) Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 18 off Lugar de Baixo on 30/1 69 off Ponta da Cruz on 31/1 26 off Ponta da Cruz on 1/2 <10 off Lugar de Baixo on 1/2 12 on the crossing between Madeira and Deserta Grande (8 there, 4 back) 1 off Ponta da Cruz on 4/2 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus 1 mid-way between Madeira and Deserta Grande on 2/2, heading north Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 1 at Lugar de Baixo on 29/1, with 3 there the following morning, and singles also present on 1/2 and 4/2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta Fairly frequent along the south coast, with a notable count of 12 at Lugar de Baixo on 30/1 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 1 in Monte Tropical Gardens on 24/1, 1 near Lugar de Baixo on 25/1, 1 on Deserta Grande on 2/2 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 1 pure male at Lugar de Baixo on 29/1, 30/1, 1/2 and 4/2 Eurasian Teal Anas crecca A female at Lugar de Baixo on 29/1, 30/1, 1/2 and 4/2 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus A male at Campanário on 4/2 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo Frequent on the south coast, a maximum of 5 together at Calhetta on 25/1 Common Kestrel  Falco tinnunculus Frequent Sora Porzana carolina 1 at Lugar de Baixo on 29/1, 30/1; this bird was first reported in December 2006 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Present at Lugar de Baixo, with 8 there on 29/1 Coot Fulica atra Present at Lugar de Baixo, with 22 there on 29/1 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 1 at Ribeira Brava on 1/2 Dunlin Calidris alpina 2 at Lugar de Baixo on 29/1 and 30/1, with singles there on 1/2 and 4/2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 13 at Ponta de Sâo Lourenço on 26/1 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 1 in Funchal Harbour on 23/1, 1 at Lugar de Baixo on 29/1, 30/1 and 1/2, 1 at Faial on 30/1 Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularia A first-winter at Lugar de Baixo on 29/1, 30/1, 1/2 and 4/2 - presumably the bird seen here at the end of 2006 Turnstone Arenaria interpres Frequent, especially at Funchal - the most notable counts made were 20 in Funchal Harbour / Docks on 23/1, with similar numbers noted there on other dates; 22 at Lugar de Baixo on 29/1; and 11 at Ribeira Brava on 1/2 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus Only seen at Funchal, with between 10 and 20 (on 24/1) noted on each visit to the harbour area Bonaparte’s Gull Larus philadelphia A first-winter lurking amongst the Black-headed Gulls on Funchal Beach on 25/1 was a surprise find; also seen there on 26/1, 2/2 and 4/2 - a first for Madeira! Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus A first-winter on Funchal Beach on 25/1 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 1 adult with the Yellow-legged Gulls on the dock platform in Funchal on 23/1, with 3 adults there on 24/1 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis atlantis Common all along the coast - peak counts of 200 roosting on the dock platform in Funchal on 23/1, and 700 there the following day Roseate Tern Sterna dougalii 2 summer-plumaged birds in Funchal Harbour on 31/1, 2/2 and 4/2 Feral Pigeon Columba livia Common, especially in Funchal; possible ‘pure’ Rock Doves seen at Ponta de Sâo Lourenço on 26/1 Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz 8 from the track to Faja de Nogueira (near Ribeira Frio) on 29/1, and 1 on the cliffs below the Balcões viewpoint at Ribeira Frio on the same date; also 3 in the gorge to the east of Lombo de Baixo on 30/1, and 2 in the laurissilva on the levada walk from Ribeira Frio towards Portela Barn Owl Tyto alba schmitzi 1 briefly in the garden of our cottage in Funchal on 31/1 Plain Swift Apus unicolor Fairly frequent, with notable counts of 22 in Funchal on 23/1, 10 near Monte Tropical Gardens on 24/1, 40 over the motorway at Campanário on 25/1, 40 at Cabo Girão on 1/2 and 20 at Ribeira Frio on 4/2; also seen on multiple occasions at Lombo de Baixo and Ponta da Cruz Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica 1 in Funchal town centre on 24/1, 1 at Ponta do Pargo on 25/1, and up to 3 in Funchal town centre on 26/1 Berthelot’s Pipit Anthus berthelotii madeirensis Small numbers seen at Ponta do Pargo, Ponta de Sâo Lourenço and Pico Areeiro Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea Frequent throughout Robin Erithacus rubecula Seen (but more often heard) in laurissilva areas, especially on the walk from Ribeira Frio to the Balcões viewpoint, and also seen in the Monte Tropical Gardens Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochrurus A 1st winter or female was present in the cultivated area just to the west of Lugar de Baixo on 1/2 Blackbird Turdus merula Seen occasionally in Funchal, and more frequently in laurissilva areas; very common in Monte Tropical Gardens Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Heard calling fairly frequently from areas of dense vegetation; lots noted in the ornamental flower beds of the hotel complex behind Ponta da Cruz Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis Seen in Monte Tropical Gardens, and frequently encountered in laurissilva areas, especially around Ribeira Frio Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis A handful in gardens of the small houses (next to where the river enters the sea) at the harbour at Caniçal on 26/1 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Small numbers in Monte Tropical Gardens, and also seen frequently in laurissilva areas, with several tame birds (c.10) at the Balcões viewpoint at Ribeira Frio Canary Serinus canaria Common and widespread Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis Occasional seen, in small numbers, the exception being 150 at Ponta de Sâo Lourenço on 26/1 Linnet Carduelis cannabina Only seen at Ponta de Sâo Lourenço on 26/1, when 40 were feeding on seed heads Waxbill Estrilda astrild 50 at Lugar de Baixo on 1/2

Other Wildlife

Butterflies were rather thin on the ground, but did include; Small White Atrogeia rapae – frequent Clouded Yellow Colias crocea – 1 at Lugar de Baixo Madeiran Speckled Wood Pararge xiphia ­ – small numbers in various locations, particularly the viewpoint at Ponta de São Jorge at Cabo Girão. Monarch Danaus plexippus – 1 hanging over the road in Funchal town centre on our first day almost caused me to crash into the back of a truck. Another seen in Funchal along the cliffs behind the docks. Singles also seen in Ribeira Brava and over the motorway near Campanário The only terrestrial mammals seen were Brown Rats ( Rattus norvegicus ). At sea, Common Dolphins ( Delphinus delphis) were seen off Ponta da Cruz on 31/1 (c.100) and 1/2 (c.30). Madeiran Wall Lizards ( Lacerta dugesii ) were seen at several locations, including Funchal.

Why not send us a report, or an update to one of your current reports?

@birdingdad

Monday 5 october 2020, welcome to the pterodrome: madeira trip report september-october 2020 - part one.

I was lucky enough to be offered a flight by my old mate Philip Precey to Madeira, an island off Portugal. He was heading there last minute to put together a wildlife trip for his company, Wildlife Travel .

The remote island of Madeira is well-known for its endemic wildlife and for hosting the only known colony of Zino's Petrels in the world, with only c80 pairs (almost close to extinction when the colony was discovered a few years ago). On the nearby Desertas Islands, the only known colony of Desertas Petrels breed, although there is some debate as to the taxonomic status of these birds and whether they are a subspecies of Fea's Petrel, which breeds on the Canaries. They are a chunkier version of Zino's. Add to this spectacular whale and dolphin possibilities, outside chance of the world's rarest seal and a host of endemic insects and plants (and a small number of land birds!), and you have one exciting destination for a few days birding!

I have recently been vicariously salivating over sightings of Pterodroma petrels down in Cornwall, made by my mates Dunc ( check out his Ely10 blog account here ) and Mark (@GrafhamBirder) and the chance to catch up with one of these mindblowing seabirds was not to be missed...

Sunday 27th September. 

Flight from Heathrow (3 hours with a strong tailwind!), Coronavirus test on arrival and then restricted to our AirBnB (at Canico, just west of the airport) until the results came through. Fortunately, we had a balcony overlooking the ocean and the negative results arrived after only five hours! During this time we saw our first four Desertas Petrels and a mum and calf Bryde's Whales (!) along with about 200 Cory's Shearwaters. Once released from house arrest, we found a spot with a better view of the ocean from 6pm til dusk.

Monday 28th September

Seawatching at Porto Moniz, the northwest corner of the island (about an hour's drive), followed by visit to Europe's steepest cable car down to a secluded community, with some interesting plants. Then a visit to Pont Do Pardo lighthouse, the very western tip of Madeira, good for American vagrants (not while we were there). We had a quick look at the river mouth of Ribera Brava and nearby tiny wetland, but didn't see much.

Tuesday 29th September

Whale watching trip off Funchal. In a rib, with Ventura , was great with knowledgeable guides and good w-w etiquette. However, the trip which was sold as 3-4 hours only lasted 1 1/2 hours before we came back in. Nevertheless, we did get great views of Short-finned Pilot Whales and Bottlenose Dolphins. Expensive for the short duration!

We then went to the Palheiro Gardens in Funchal, a well-known spot for Trocaz Pigeons. Here we bumped into a British birding couple who said they thought they had heard Zino's Petrel before dawn that morning up at Pico Do Arieiro. This seemed unlikely, but we thought we would give it a go anyway. We went up before dusk, but sadly the peaks were enveloped in low cloud and it was drizzling! We waited an hour until dark in this spectacular location, but then gave up as it was really grim and any self-respecting petrel would have stayed at sea level in the warm!

Wednesday 30th September

The undoubted highlight of the trip was a visit by boat to the Desertas Islands.  This was a full day trip aboard the Bonita Da Madeira and I could not recommend it highly enough. The journey was a couple of hours each way allowing great views of seabirds, including stunning views of Bulwer's and Desertas Petrels, plus Atlantic Spotted Dolphins and Short-finned Pilot Whales. Best of all, following a swim and an informative tour of Deserta Grande, we saw a Mediterranean Monk Seal! - absolute mammal mega and something we didn't really think we'd see. Most of the locals we'd asked about this species said they were very rare and elusive and hard to see, so this was an undoubted highlight of the trip.

Thursday 1st October

Walk at Ribera Do Frio in the morning along the lavada through the Laurel Forest. Most of the native Laurel Forest has gone, but this easy walk took us through some great natural vegetation, with some cool endemic plants. 

We then went up to Pico Do Arieiro to have a look at the view in the daylight - absolutely amazing! We then headed north down to Porto Moniz for another seawatch.

Friday 2nd October

Did a long walk at the eastern end of the island along the mountainous peninsula to Caso Do Sardinhia, again supposedly good for migrants etc but apart from two Greenland Wheatears, not on the day we were there. Neverthless, as with everywhere on Madeira, spectacular scenery, lots of endemic plants and a few cool birds. We checked out the river at Machico (little!) on the way back and then did a last bit of seawatching at Canico to end the trip. 

If you want more specific details, please drop me a line, or check out the really useful website MadeiraBirds.com

Desertas Petrel with its only known breeding island of Bugio in the background.

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Will be arriving a week today and was wondering what the birdwatching scene is like or indeed if there is one at all.

Any help appreciated.

Plenty of bird watching, look at Things to do in top green bar or use Google

The two companies I've had trips with are Madeira Fauna and Flora and Wind Birds. Both excellent with knowledgeable guides. The staff on the GMT catamarans are also great for identifying birds. Have a look at the Wind Birds website, I think they have a checklist of Madeiran birds to download.

Great post .Enjoyed reading it .Thank you .

Tripadvisor staff removed this post at the original author's request.

Thanks all.

Our binoculars will definitely be coming with us. We are staying on the north coast so will more often be "looking out to sea".

Thanks again.

Visited 30th Sept to 21st October this year. Allthough we did not go on a birdwatching trip we are keen birdwatchers and always carry binoculars. Before visiting we thought with all the varied plant life there would be loads of birds, but disappointingly this was not so. Even in all the lovely parks there were not many birds and definitely not many varieties. But these are the birds we did see on our walks:

Firecrest, Pigeons, Collared Dove, Robin, Kestrel (loads of them!) Blackbird, Serrin (loads) Red legged Partridge, Grey Wagtail, Madeiran Chaffinch, Swift, Buzzard, Goldfinch, Turnstone, Egret, Common Tern, Yellow legged gull.

Also spotted Dolphins while sitting by the hotel pool.

Thanks Jongleurgirl,

If we manage to see what you have listed we will be quite satisfied.

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