April is starting with some Easterly winds which are the best to blow vagrant birds out of their migration route between Africa and Europe... So lets see what April has to offer us in terms of vagrant bird species:
30th April 2017 at Ponta de São Lourenço
3 White Stork Ciconia ciconia - watched by Sue Jepson (UK)
At Caniçal
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
29th April 2017 at Ponta do Pargo
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
10 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
At Lugar de Baixo
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
28th April 2017 at Funchal
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo - observed by Ron Shergold (UK)
At Machico
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
27th April 2017 at Lugar de Baixo
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
At Ponta do Pargo
5 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
13 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
19th April 2017 at Lugar de Baixo
2 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
At São Vicente
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
At Porto Moniz
Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
At Ponta do Pargo
5 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
At Santa Cruz
>17 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
18th April 2017 at Santa Cruz
Dozens Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
> 40 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
At Lugar de Baixo - sightings by Gunter Ehlers (GER)
2 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
At Funchal harbour - reported by Christian Schulze & Nina Gallmetzer (AUT)
5 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
17th April 2017 at Lugar de Baixo - observations by Chris Swaine (UK)
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Off São Vicente - by Christian Schulze & Nina Gallmetzer (AUT) while seawatching
Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus
270 Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus puffinus
16th April 2017 at Ponta de São Lourenço - reported by Chris Swaine (UK)
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Sand Martin Riparia riparia - feeding with several Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica & Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
At Caniçal
Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix
15th April 2017 at Caniço - sightings by Christian Schulze & Nina Gallmetzer (AUT)
Great Northern Loon Gavia immer
At Pico do Arieiro
Black Kite Milvus migrans
At Porto Santo - reported by Gil Caboz (POR)
7 White Stork Ciconia ciconia
13th April 2017 at Machico
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
8 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
At Ponta de São Lourenço - reported by Christian Schulze & Nina Gallmetzer (AUT)
5 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
2 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
12th April 2017 at Ponta do Pargo
5 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
At Lugar de Baixo
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
3 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
At Levada Grande, Porto Moniz - observations by Christian Schulze & Nina Gallmetzer (AUT)
10 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
3 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum
2 Sand Martin Riparia riparia
At Caniço - reported by Jane & Tony Duffield (UK)
Great Northern Loon Gavia immer
11th April 2017 at Funchal - observed by Philippe Loyoddin (AUT)
White Stork Ciconia ciconia - flying over
4th April 2017 at Ponta do Pargo
White Stork Ciconia ciconia
5 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
At Lugar de Baixo
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
13 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
At São Vicente
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
3rd April 2017 at Pico do Arieiro - reported by Han Buckx (NED)
2 Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis
Black Kite Milvus migrans
2nd April 2017 at Ponta da Cruz - observations by Han Buckx (NED)
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus
2 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus phaeopus
5 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
At Funchal Harbour
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
3 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
At Lugar de Baixo
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
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