If you are a keen Western Palearctic lister a visit to Madeira is a must and July to mid August is the best time to connect with all target species, hence this trip to the island. We decided the simplest way to do it would be to book a package with Thomas Cook. This allowed us to fly direct from Glasgow to Funchal and accommodation was arranged in a self catering apartment at Four Views Monumental Lido. Finally we used 121car hire to book a car, which we collected from Insularcar in Funchal. I had left it late to book and had to try several agencies before I found one that still had cars available at a relatively economic price. I had looked at a few trip reports to get details of birding sites, but mostly I used madeiraseawatching.net/sites
6th August. We arrived at Funchal airport and had a smooth transfer to our hotel. From the balcony we could see lots of Plain Swifts were feeding low over the trees near the hotel. We could also see the sea and between 1600 and 1730 had 100+ Cory’s Shearwater and 6 Bulwer’s Petrels flying east. After a nice meal in a local restaurant did another seawatch from the balcony between 1945 and 2015 had more Cory’s Shearwaters going east and another 55 Bulwer’s Petrels.
7th August. Took a taxi up to Palheiro Gardens on the edge of Funchal. They open at 9am and I’d arrived before any other visitors. Luckily the severe fires that had affected the area in July had only reached the bottom edge of the garden. In the main garden area I heard a soft “coooo” and soon located a pair of Trocaz Pigeon sitting out on a deciduous tree. I walked out to the eastern edge of the garden and overlooking the golf course found another pair sitting high on the dead branches of a large tree and flushed a third pair from a bush. Returning to the garden I flushed yet another pair, then found three sitting together on a large burnt tree and lastly got incredibly close views of one feeding on fallen fruit on one of the paths in the garden. This definitely must be one of the easiest places to get good views of this species. The only other birds seen were a few Robins, Blackbirds and a Buzzard overhead. As the gardens started to get busy with visitors I decided it was time to leave. I started walking down the road towards Funchal and soon got a bus that took me to the city centre close to the harbour. As I walked back to the hotel I found my first Blackcaps, Goldfinch and Canaries.
8th August. At 0900 collected our car and decided to head out west. Our first stop was at the lagoon at Lugar de Baixo (for details see site 15 on madeirasewatching.net/sites). Here we had 6 Common Coot, 2 Moorhen, a Ringed Plover, a family of Grey Wagtail and a Common Waxbill. Offshore was a family of Common Tern.
We continued on west and just past Prazeres turned off the road at Maloeira. Turned right parked the car and walked through the agricultural area. Not many birds seen. However, where the road crossed a deep wooded valley had good views of our first Madeiran Firecrest feeding a juvenile.
Our final stop was at Ponta do Pargo where we turned left in the village following signs to the lighthouse. Parked at the car park by an observation point and headed down towards the lighthouse. We didn’t use the track but instead zigzagged through the ‘fields’ above the track. Here we had lots of Canaries, a few Linnets, a single Rock Sparrow and several Berthelot’s Pipits. In the brambles near the start of the track we found Spectacled Warblers. Not much at the lighthouse bar Plain Swifts and a Common Kestrel. Walked back to the car park and beyond it at the edge of a valley flushed a covey of 13 Red-legged Partridges. Returned towards Funchal, seeing a couple of Common Buzzard enroute. An ice cream stop by the harbour at Calheta produced 300+ Cory’s Shearwater offshore and more Common Terns.
9th August. Up at 0700 for a sharp start. We drove up the steep narrow roads out of Funchal heading towards Ribeiro Frio. As we entered the conifer zone we flushed a male Sparrow Hawk sitting with prey in the middle of the road. We parked in front of the restaurant in Ribeiro Frio and walked up the steps sign posted Mirador Balcoes. As we walked through the laurel forest had good views of more Madeiran Firecrests. It was a clear sunny morning and from the viewpoint at Balcoes we got good flight views of around 10 Trocaz Pigeons, plus lots of Plain Swifts and some very tame Madeiran Chaffinches.
We then continued down to Faja da Cedra Gordo and drove a wee bit up the valley towards Faja da Nogueira till we found a spot to park. Took a leisurely walk up this very scenic valley, finding lots of Blackcaps and more Madeiran Firecrests and eventually brief views of a pair of Trocaz Pigeons perched in a tree and a flight view of a third. Returned to the car and proceeded down to the river mouth at Faial, where we had few Grey Wagtails, with Common Buzzard and Common Kestrel overhead.
Next stop was Machico. Walked down alongside the river channel towards the sea seeing a family of Moorhen and a few Common Waxbills on the way. A larger flock of waxbills were in a large bush in a garden near the shore, where they were feeding on a bird table. It was then onto Canical where we stopped by the shore for the obligatory ice cream. By the harbour found more Common Tern and two Turnstones. As we drove up through the town saw a few Spanish Sparrow and a Collared Dove.
Then headed to the marina at Quinta do Lorde where I had pre booked a pelagic trip with Madeira Wind Birds. Left the marina on the rib at 1600 and headed out to sea getting close views of a few Cory’s Shearwaters on the water and then two passing Bulwer’s Petrels. Further out we headed towards a group of feeding Cory’s, which were associating with some Atlantic Spotted Dolphins. As the dolphins began to feed more Cory’s Shearwaters were attracted in and a noisy feeding frenzy took place, eventually attracting in a Fea’s Petrel, which gave excellent close views as it circled round the rib. We then headed north and located a pod of Pilot Wales, including one female with a very young calf. Headed back to the marina after what had been a fabulous trip on very calm seas. Had a meal at the restaurant at the marina and it was then a rush to get back to Funchal to get ready for the night trip.
I met up with Bill Bailey prior to being picked up by Madeira Wind Birds outside the hotel at 2100 and driven up to the car park at Pico do Areeiro. It was a perfect night with a wonderful clear sky as we walked out in the darkness along the narrow steep path to the petrel colony. We settled down to await the arrival of the birds, our wait enlivened by three spectacular shooting stars and wonderful views of the milky way. At 2300 we heard the first Zino’s Petrels arriving giving their softish “aaahoooh” call. We possibly had four or five calling birds fly by, just getting the merest glimpse of a shadowy shape.
10th August. A late start after the late night. We met up with Bill and headed west then north to Sao Vicente. A stop at the river mouth revealed a small group of Common Tern, whilst a walk along the shore produced the usual Blackbirds, Blackcaps and Canaries. Continued northwest to Ribeira da Janela where at the river mouth we located the female Green-winged Teal that has been present at this site for over five years. Continued on to Porto Moniz. This is supposed to be the best seawatching site on the island, but despite spending over an hour from 1600 only logged a few passing Cory’s Shearwaters, some Common Terns and the usual Yellow-legged Gulls.
11th August. Another sharp start as we headed north into the mountains. Had a quick look round Monte, before the visitors arrived. Then headed back up to Pico do Areeiro to have a look at the site in daylight. Walked out along the spectacular path. Only birds were a few Linnet and Berthelot’s Pipits, with Plain Swift and Common Kestrel overhead. Spotted a few of the artificial petrel burrows on the ledges and the rat/cat traps. Lots of walkers were heading out along the paths so we returned to the car park and drove down to Poiso. Stopped in the conifers just east of the junction and took a short walk through the wood. Lots of Chaffinch, a pair of Madeiran Firecrest and surprisingly flushed a Trocaz Pigeon. Then went to the picnic site about 2km further down the road in an open area of scrub. Found two Spectacled Warblers here and had yet another Trocaz Pigeon fly low over the pinewood below. Back to the hotel and then in late afternoon went to try and find the Porta da Cruz seawatching point. Missed it and ended up at Praia Formosa beach, where had a steady stream of Cory’s Shearwaters go by and seven distant Bulwer’s Petrels. Then returned hire car having done about 400km.
12th August. Walked down to the harbour in the morning where we found a Little Egret and three Turnstones amongst the many roosting Yellow-legged Gulls. Then had a nice walk round the old town. In the late afternoon I walked out along the lower Lido road. Just past Enotel Lido I turned down left and then followed a coastal pathway west along the shore. Just beyond a bathing area got good views of a Roseate Tern, the only one of the trip. I continued along the pathway till just beyond jogging point 9 I found the path down to the rocky beach at Ponta da Cruz. Scoped from 1/3 of the way down the path where in 40minutes had many passing Cory’s Shearwaters plus 20 more distant Bulwer’s Petrels and a feeding group of Common Tern.
13th August. Up for a final walk down to the harbour. By the marina found two Turnstones and a Common Sandpiper. By the river mouth there were at least five Lesser Black-backed Gulls amongst the Yellow-legged Gulls. Back to the hotel ready to be collected at 1100 for our 1350 flight back to Glasgow.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Madeira. Bird numbers overall are pretty low. We only saw 36 different species, but four of these were lifers. The weather was hot and sunny most of the time, though the breeze meant it was not overbearing.
Bob Swann (robert.swann@homecall.co.uk)