Madeira 8th August to 15th August 2013

Pelagic 1st day - 9th August | Pelagic 2nd day - 10th August | Pelagic 3rd day - 12th August

With the lack of any Scillonian Pelagics in recent years I felt myself pushed to look farther afield to get my fix of sea birds so this year I took the plunge and flew to Madeira with fellow Weston birder Paul Gregory for 3 deep sea pelagics with Wind Birds. The results exceeded my expectations with some superb views of many species of sea bird including 2 White-faced Petrels and prolonged views of Zino's Petrels.

Weather conditions for all 3 pelagics were roughly force 3 north-easterlies. We weren't sure what the best wind direction was for producing birds but knew that windy condtions were best and the results certainly reflected this.

All photos at sea were taken with a 70-300mm Nikkor on a Nikon D7000 SLR. On land I again used the 70-300mm but also digiscoped some of the trickier species.

Madeira Wind Reports | Madeira Wind Website

Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis

Laughing Dove - One seen at Ponta da Cruz on the 8th August.

Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii

Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii

Roseate Tern - Seen in Funchal Marina and at sea.

Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria

Atlantic Canary - Regularly encounter throughout the Island.

Cattle Egret Bulbulcus ibis

Cattle Egret - One seen flying overhead and continuing east at Canical

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Yellow-legged Gull - Many seen with most around the coast and smaller numbers at sea and on the mountain plateau.

Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis

Spanish Sparrow - A party seen on the coast at Canical.

Xanthorhoe rupicola

Xanthorhoe rupicola - One seen on the roadside in the mountains.

Madeiran Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs maderensis

Madeiran Chaffinch - Not always easy to find but can be reliably seen at certain key sites. Very different to it's European relative.

Plain Swift Apus unicolor

Plain Swift - Quite common over much of the Island

Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotii madarensis

Berthelot's Pipit - Encountered in areas of sparse vegetation by the coast and in the mountains.

Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicilatta orbitalis

Spectacled Warbler - Only two seen: At Prazares and Ponta do Pargo.

Spilostethus pandurus

Spilostethus pandurus - Several seen flying around scrub at Ponta do Pargo above the light house.

Anthrax anthrax

Anthrax anthrax - One on a wall near Pocos at the north end of the Island.

Trocaz Pigeon, Madeira Laurel Pigeon or Long-toed Pigeon Columba trocaz

Trocaz Pigeon - Doing quite well on the Island with good numbers seen at several sites on the wooded mountain slopes.

Cyclophora maderensis

Cyclophora maderensis - Seen at Faja da Nogueira

Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii

Red-veined Darter - Not much of an expert on dragonflies but believe this to be Red-veined Darter perhaps immature male. There is yellow at the base of the hindwing and a yellow pterostigma with a strong black border.