May this year be greener, cooler and much more peaceful than the previous ones! And despite all these climate changes let's hope for some interesting bird species to visit Madeira and that the breeding ones keep coming in the same numbers as they used to.
27th of January 2025 at Camacha
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
At Santa Cruz
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
22nd of January 2025 at Camacha
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
At São Gonçalo
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Seasonally speaking we are almost entering winter but the maximum temperatures in Madeira coastal areas have been still above 24ºC which was not usual for early December...
30th of December 2024 at Camacha
Yellow-browed Warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
29th of December 2024 at Santa Cruz harbour
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
2 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Off Porto Moniz - reported by Michel (NED)
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
28th of December 2024 at Paul da Serra reservoir - photographed by Michel (NED)
Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris
25th of December 2024 off Porto Moniz - observed by Michel (NED)
Great Skua Stercorarius skua
24th of December 2024 off Porto Moniz - seawatched by Michel (NED)
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
First, our deepest sympathy to the loss of lives and homes in the south of Spain due to the extreme weather events. It is heartbreaking to watch the consequences of climate change!
Considering the rough weather events through the Western Palearctic in the 1st days of November and the ones that are still forming in the Atlantic ocean, one might expect some different bird species to be blown into Madeira but it is really scary to think if rainfall like that hits Madeira this winter, after last August fires which burnt a huge part of the central mountainous massif...
22nd of November 2024 at Lugar de Baixo - reported by Michel (NED)
Great White Egret Ardea alba
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
off Porto Moniz
679 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis - in only 2 hours of seawatching
21st of November 2024 off Porto Moniz - seawatched by Michel (NED)
440 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
9 Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus
19th of November 2024 at Caniçal
14 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
Reported by Ian (UK)
At Baía d'Abra
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
At Santana
Black Kite Milvus migrans
At Porto Moniz sightings by Michel (NED)
Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
328 Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
10 Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus
2 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
18th of November 2024 at Fanal photographed by Neil (UK)
Lapland Bunting Calcarius lapponicus - 1st record for Madeira
October should be an autumn month but temperatures in Madeira are still like summer... Migration should be on its way, so let's see which bird species will visit Madeira archipelago this month.
24th of October 2024 at Caniçal
5 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
19th of October 2024 at São Vicente - observed by Hannu (FIN)
Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus
18th of October 2024 at Lugar de Baixo
Little Crake Porzana parva - photographed by Hannu (FIN) - less than 5 records in the last 50 years!
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Although Madeira is not so attractive as it once was, due to fires, overbuilding and overcrowding, it might still work as a lifeline for some of the vagrant bird species that lost their way during migration...
27th of September 2024 at Faial
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
24th of September 2024 at Caniçal
3 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
3 Sanderling Calidris alba
14 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
15th of September 2024 off Porto Moniz - seawatching record by Michel (NED)
15 Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus - flying west
13th of September 2024 off Machico
2 Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
Usually in August starts migration and depending on wind and weather conditions sometimes Madeira gets a few vagrant birds which were diverted from their migration course... Some seabirds species do pass close to Madeira coasts so one can expect to watch some Great shearwaters, Manx shearwaters and Skuas.
30th of August 2024 off Porto Moniz - seawatched by Michel (NED)
2116 Great shearwater Puffinus gravis
From the 14th to the 24th of August 2024 at Madeira central mountainous massif
Madeira has suffered forest fires for 10 days, burning at least 5 thousand hectares (50 million square meters) on the highest mountains and down some valleys in the centre of the island. Huge loss of habitat for many species of fauna and flora! We believe one of most affected species by these fires was (again) the threaten seabird Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira but it is still too early to know exactly how much it was loss from this endemic species.
20th of August 2024 at Caniçal harbour
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Sanderling Calidris alba
5 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
8th of August 2024 at Cabo Girão - photographed by Paul (UK)
Barbary Falcon Falco pelegrinoides