March 2013 birding news for Madeira

On the first week of March Madeira was under a stormy weather with very strong winds blowing from the western quarter, so after the storm it is time to look for vagrant birds that might have been blown into the island. So Wind Birds company (re)started its tours after the storm with a very nice record: Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus! According to Romano et al. 2010 this species is occasional to Madeira, so depending on the weather/wind conditions it visits Madeira sometimes. Other vagrants recorded were:

30th March in Lugar de Baixo
1 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
1 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

28th March in Ponta de São Lourenço
2 Great Skuas Stercorarius skua

Pico do Areeiro
1 Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

27th March in Caniço - by Guido Teenck (GER)
1 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

25th March - by Guido Teenck (GER)
Ponta de São Lourenço
6 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
1 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
1 Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica
1 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Lugar do Baixo
1 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
30 Turnstone Arenaria interpres
1 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

23rd March in Funchal Harbour - by Guido Teenck (GER)
1 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
10 Turnstone Arenaria interpres
2-3 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
10 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

17th March in Caniçal
4 Sanderlings Calidris alba
2 Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis
1 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

10th March in Ponta do Pargo
1 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
At least 3 Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis
2 Skylarks Alauda arvensis

9th March in São Vicente
2 Whimbrels Numenius phaeopus

At Ponta do Pargo
1 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
At least 3 Skylarks Alauda arvensis

At Lugar de Baixo
3 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
1 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
1 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata - female
1 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos