November 2013 birdwatching reports for Madeira

November is always a great time for Nearctic (North America) vagrant birds. Waders and Ducks are the easy ones to find, smaller passerines simply disappear in our Laurel Forest. Also a good time for migrating birds of prey. Cory's Shearwater will migrate mid November and Fea's Petrels are still around.

30th November at Machico
Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
2 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
1 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

29th November at Lugar de Baixo
6 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Sanderling Calidris alba
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana

Paul da Serra
6 Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

Arieiro, Funchal
5 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus flying eastwards

Funchal harbour - sighting by Dan Bendixen (NOR)
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus flying in E-NE direction

22nd November at Paul da Serra
Eurasian Teal Anas crecca
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
10 Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus

Lugar de Baixo
Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
2 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
1 Dunlin Calidris alpina

21st November at Ponta de São Lourenço on a Bird, dolphin & whale watching trip
17 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
1 Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea - by now this species should have migrated South so this is a late sighting
1 Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae/deserta

18th November at Lugar de Baixo
Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
12 Turnstones Arenaria interpres
Osprey Pandion haliaetus - this is a different bird than Lalli as it was not carrying any satellite and Lalli, after 2 weeks in Madeira continued its migration Southwards being in the Western Sahara on the 16th of November.

14th November at Deserta Grande
1 Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
1 American/Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica/fulva
1 Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
1 Hobby Falco subbuteo
1 White Wagtail Motacilla alba

6th November at Lugar de Baixo
1 Northern Pintail Anas acuta

Ribeira Brava
1 White-rumped sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
1 Semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla
1 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Pico do Areeiro
2 Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina - reported by Michael Anderson (Scotland)

5th November at Caniçal
1 Hoopoe Upupa epops
1 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
1 Whimbrel Numenius p. phaeopus

Machico
1 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
1 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia

3rd November at Caniçal
1 Sanderling Calidris alba

Funchal Marina
1 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

Ponta do Sol
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus haliaetus - Lalli, the male satellite Osprey on its Autumn migration route!

4th November at Casa Velha do Palheiro Hotel/ Palheiro Gardens - observation by Mark Eising (NED)
Tawny Owl Strix aluco - First record for Madeira! - According to Mark the owl was found "floating in the water of the pond in front of the resort/hotel, which is shown on the 4th photo. My guess is that it drowned after hitting the wires that were attached over the water surface of the pond".

2nd November
Caniçal
7 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
1 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus

Ponta do Sol
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus haliaetus - Lalli, the male satellite Osprey

1st November
Ponta do Sol
Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus haliaetus - Lalli, the male satellite Osprey

Lugar de Baixo
1 Western Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
15 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

Ribeira Brava
1 White-rumped sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis
1 Semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla
2 Sanderlings Calidris alba

Funchal harbour - observations made by Martin Lewis (UK)
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia- juvenile
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis