Trip report Madeira      August  2-16  2004

Kenneth Rosén & Lena Carlsson, Hultsfred, Sweden

We hade both read a couple of articles about bird watching on Madeira and even spoken with people who hade been there so we took a charter trip from Sweden and then hired a car on place. I think we hade luck about the car because it was very few left for hire, so maybe it is better to book before you do the trip. It was a half pension charter so we took lunch and dinner on restaurants and we find the prices rather expensive but probably because that we lived in a “touristarea”. If we had search for local restaurants the prices probably should be lower. We stayed for two weeks so we really got to know the island and have time to have a kind of laid backed bird watching in the end. On the website Birding Madeira we got lots of information and hints were we should go for god sites etc. We find the island easy to explore and the low numbers of species makes you to relax a little bit compare to other birdcrowded places where it is easy to be more “nervous” and “stressed”.  We also spent time to explore the flora and of course the sealife. Remarkable was all the construction works with harbors, marinas, roads and tunnels ewerywhere. The endemic inland birds are quite easy to find and if you dont want to spend any “non bird time” you probably can have them in 1-2 days. We decided not to go to Porto Santo because of the costs and in the end we almost had all the birds that we wanted to see.
We spent money on the tours with Ventura do Mar and in all we join 4 trips with the crew so we were their best customers, and we will highly recommended this family company for their great kindness and service. Next time we maybe plan for a booked “trip” down to Selvagens near the Canary Islands with Ventura.....
Enjoy your time on Madeira!

Monday – 2
We landed on Madeira 11.40 am. and from the bus we saw the first bird on the trip, a Kestrel and a few Feral Pigeon in front of the rocks. We installed us at the hotel and the balcony was splendid for coming lazy seabird watching!?. Many flocks of  Plain Swifts flew around the hotel and after little relax we took a walk to the marina and arranged the trip to the Desertas Island tomorrow. We hade booked this trip months ago and in the end we hade luck and enough people booked make the trip possible. Like a mirage the Desertas was tempting at the horizon. Tomorrow!! During the walk along the marina we notice lots of Common Tern, 
a few Grey Wagtails and many Atlantic Yellow-legged Gulls. We find Funchal rather noisy and crowded so we looked forward to explore the other Madeira. Blackbird and Goldfinches were seen on the way to the hotel. We spent the early evening at the balcony with cold beer and sea watcing. At least 50 Cory´s Shearwaters and one Lesser Black-backed Gull were seen over the sea. 

Tuesday  - 3
Early in the morning a Blackcap were singing in the hotel garden, a rather different song compare to the Swedish birds. Balcony watching before breakfast gave 2 Lesser Black-backed Gull, lots of Cory´s Shearwaters, Plain Swifts and Atlantic Yellow-legged Gulls.
After breakfast we went to the marina and installed us on the boat Ventura do Mar which should be our home for over a day. Aleix Comas and company from Spain was also entering the boat. Together with them and the very nice and helpful crew it was a great trip out to the islands. We first rounded the Ilhéu Chao and sail along the eastern coast of Deserta Grande and out in front of the Bugio before we went to the Research Station in the evening. So far on the trip we listed...
Bulwers Petrel  60 – 70, Cory´s Shearwaters hundreds, Fea´s/Zinó Petrel 10. Very many of the birds come close to the boat, even a few of the Fea´s/Zinó Petrel. Near the Deserta Grande we also saw two Hammerhead sharks near to the boat. Unfortunaly it wasn’t allowed to land at the Deserta Grande because of a landslide in late May so we had to sleep on the boat. During a beautiful sunset we had dinner on the boat in front of a cave where hopefully the Madeiran Storm Petrels should appears in the night. The sounds of  Cory´s Shearwaters where all around us in the early night and it was a mighty feeling to lay on the boat deck and listen to them and look at the full moon and stars above.

Wednesday - 4
During the breakfast in the sunrise some of the Spanish people said they briefly heard one Madeiran Storm Petrel in the night. We hade one Berthelot´s Pipit on a rock just before we left the island and one more Hammerhead shark . On the way back it was rather heavy rolling on the sea so it was not easy to watch for seabirds. We hade 3-5 Fea´s/Zinó Petrel and at least 22 Bulwers on the trip back. A couple of 20-30 Spotted Dolphins amused us along the shore and near Funchal we also saw 20-25 Bottlenose Dolphins around the boat. 
Aleix Comas gave us the hint that we should listen for Madeiran Storm Petrels at Ponta Garajau, a big rock at the sea with a big Christ statue. We immediately saw the possibility and the second chans so we planned to go there later. We said goodbye to everyone and went to the hotel. The first Canary were seen in Funchal back to the hotel. We celebrated the very nice trip to Desertas with a good dinner in front of the sea........

Thursday – 5
We hired a car from tomorrow and took a bus to Camacha and walk the levada down to Assumada during a couple of hours. It was a very nice walk with lots of interesting endemic plants and flowers along the small canals. Birds during the walk was..
1 Sparrow hawk , Buzzard, Kestrel, Blackcaps everywhere, 5 – 6 Blackbirds and our first Madeira Firecrests. The first one was a juvenile and after a while we hade noted at least 10 birds. The Madeira Wall Lizard was common everywhere and we even saw the spectacular 
Monarch butterfly. A very cold and refreshing beer down in Assumada before the buss back to Funchal and a nice evening at the balcony.
Cory´s Shearwaters, 1 Bulwers, 1 Little Shearwater in good sight heading west.
20.40 came 1 Purple Heron in the sunset and surprised us.

Friday - 6
From the balcony in the morning before breakfast.....
Cory´s Shearwaters,  2 Bulwers, 1 Manx Shearwater close to the shore,  10 Lesser Black-backed Gull, Plain Swifts and 15 – 20 unidentified dolphins in distance. After breakfast we leaved Funchal with the rental car and after a while we where on our way to Ribeiro Frio. The clouds appears in the mountain and we continued thru the moistly forests and winding roads up to Ribeiro Frio were it was lots of people. A few minutes after parking the car we saw the first Trocaz Pigeon in the trees on the slops. We counted them to 4 birds . 
Robin, Blackcaps, Madeira Firecrests and Chaffinches were singing along the track thru the forest down to the great view Balcony. Here we had 4 more Trocaz Pigeon and a couple of very unafraid Chaffinches. From a little “bar”we saw 4 Grey Wagtails and down at Ribeiro Frio 2 more Trocaz Pigeon. We took the road down to the beach “Prainha” east of Canical for a bath and food on the beach restaurant. 1 Buzzard, Berthelot´s Pipit, and 10 Feral Pigeon on the cliffs. We went down to parking at Ponta de Sâo Lourenco and it was very windy out there. A lots of  Berthelot´s Pipit run along the parking and were very interested of tourists. 2-3 Rock Sparrows were also seen along the cliffs in distance. We spend a time to search the sea and hundreds of Cory´s Shearwaters and 1 Little Shearwater were seen. 2 big Sei Whales and 15 – 20 Common Dolphins were also noted. We tried for Pico Areiro at 1800 m in the late evening. It was very foggy and almost half storm up there so we went down to the hotel again.

Saturday  - 7
About 20 minutes on the balcony before breakfast...
4 Bulwers and of course lots of  Cory´s Shearwaters. A new whale was sighted and it was a Minke Whale together with 15 -20 unidentified Dolphins. Today we had Porto Moniz in mind and after many breathtaking views in the mountains we arrived to the plain Paúl da Serra. It is a completely different landscape from the other Madeira and rather cold and windy. A Quail was heard from the grass, lots of  Berthelot´s Pipits, Kestrels, 5 Buzzards and 3-4 Pallid Swifts. We continued the beautiful road down to Porto Moniz with endemic trees and flowers, and took a look at the reservoir left of the road. Blackcaps, Blackbirds and Robins were singing everywhere in the surroundings and 60 – 70 Linnets were drinking water in the reservoir. A Sparrow hawk flew thru and one Red-legged Partridge was skulking in the bushes. Down in Porto Moniz we find big overarching construction works everywhere along the shore parade so the only place to bee was down at the natural swimming pools near the restaurant “ Cachalote”. It was very few birds on the sea so we just saw 1 Bulwers, Cory´s and 4 Manx Shearwaters in the late afternoon after food and relaxing. Unfortunaly to much people and construction works over the place this time. On the way back we decided to try Pico Areiro again and we arrived at 22.15. After a while the clouds disappeared and the wind were calming down so we began the walk to the place were we thought we have the possibility to hear Zino´s Petrel. We were waiting 30-45 minutes before we heard the first one, a sad wailing sound out in the darkness. It reminds of  a distant Tawny Owl. During the next hour we heard them at least 6-7 times and saw one or two birds when they passing by the cliff. The sounds and the darkness and later the moon gave the place and situation nearly a magic touch. At home we look at the map again and realized that we had went to the wrong place! Instead of going the left track to “Miradouro Ninho da Manta” we took the right one to “Miradouro da Juncal”. We heard them anyway an we celebrated with Madeira wine at 03.00 on the hotel.

Sunday - 8
We drive westwards today and had a look at the big cliff at the sea “Cabo Girâo”. It rises 580 m over the sea and and gave a mighty view. The next stop was at Lugar de Baxio were we checked the lagoon between the road and the sea.
3 Common tern, 3-4 Moorhen, 1 Coot and 5-6 Grey Wagtails was counted.
After lunch and relaxing down in Jardim  do mar we went to Ponta do Pargo. It is located in the west and with the lighthouse and the garden it’s probably a good place for passerines. The whole place and surroundings was interesting so we walk around for a couple of hours.
Berthelot´s Pipits, Kestrels, 4-5 Buzzards, 10-15 Linnets and lots of Canarys was the dividend before we drove home again. A calm evening and relaxing at the balcony.
Cory´s, Atlantic-yellow-legged- and 2-3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls.

Monday – 9
1 Bulwers before breakfast and down in Funchal we booked a new daytrip to Desertas and a another half day with Ventura do Mar! In the marina we saw one Turnstone on the beach. We continued to Ponta do Garajau and stayed there watching the sea from the Christ statue.
3 Buzzard, Kestrels, Cory´s 50-60 Unidentified Dolphins, and Common Dolphins.
We checked the track down to the cliff so we recognized it for the later visit at night trying to hear the Madeiran Stormpetrels. We stayed in Machico, a little nice village northeast of the airport and find 20-25 Common Waxbills in the river. They were very skulking and it took a while before we saw them. Here as well it was construction works everywhere and the whole island seems to be rebuilt with new harbors, marinas and tunnels. We went down to the river mouth were it was crowded with bulldozers and excavators.
Atlantic-yellow-legged Gulls, 3-4 Common tern, Grey Wagtails,13 Turnstone 
and 1 Common Sandpiper was seen here. Further to Canical and we planned a visit at the whale museum but it was closed on Mondays......
When we were searching for a restaurant we find a couple of Spanish Sparrows and during the dinner a Little Egret passed by over the construction works! in the harbor. The late afternoon and evening was spent on the Sao Lourenco peninsula. 
Berthelot´s Pipits,1 Buzzard and 1 Rock Sparrow was the birds here. We arrived to Ponta do Garajau at 21.20 and we took the path down to the cliff. You must have a torch with you otherwise you could take a step to much.....
Lots of Cory´s Shearwaters was incoming from the darkness and even bats that flew around us.
We stayed to 01.00 and just before going they came! We heard the Madeiran Stormpetrels at least 10-15 times and even on short range. It sounds very like a wet fingertip on a window.
Very pleased we arrived at the hotel at 02.00.

Tuesday – 10
Rather late we drive to Rabacal in the mountain and we took a watch on Paul da Serra were the clouds and the rain stops. Berthelot´s Pipits and Buzzard was noted. We went down to the great waterfall at Rabacal and it was a warm walk down to the place. Interesting forest on the mountains and cliffs. I felt a pain in my back and I thought it could be kidney stone and disturbed me a bit....Down at the waterfall we saw 2 Trocaz Pigeon and other birds along the levadatrack was Chaffinch, Robin, Blackcap and Madeiran Firecrest. The walk up to the parking was really heavy in the heat and the pain in may back continued. We took a “lunchdinner” in Lunar de Baxio and from the sea a very colorful parrot/parakeet came flying and disappeared in to the gardens. We checked the lagoon again and saw 20 Common tern and 2 Turnstone. A domestic goose bit Lena in her finger down at the lagoon!
We ended the day at Ponta da Cruz in Funchal.
Very nice evening and Lena observed the first Roseate Tern when it flew around in front of the cliffs. Unidentified Dolphins and Whales, and a very big  Fin Whale was seen and Cory´s of course.

Wednesday -11
Today we were on Ventura do Mar between 10.30 – 14.00 on a half day trip on the sea.
It was nice weather and good to relax on deck and observe Cory´s in short distance.
Flocks of  Spotted Dolphins was swimming along the boat and 1 Unidentified Shark and 2 Flying Fish were seen. Rest of the afternoon we took a bus to Jardim Botanico were we walked around and further to Madeira Wine Company to taste and buy some Madeira Wine.
At home on the balcony we hade some wine and on the corner a folk music group played their music and we were sea watching, the whole Madeira in one place!
Cory´s, 3 Bulwers and a couple of Unidentified Dolphins.

Thursday – 12
Nearly the whole day was spent for my supposed kidney stone. I was a surprise  to meet the doctor when he introduced him self as Dr Zino! We was talking kidney stone for 3 minutes and birds for 25 minutes. He sent me to a X-Ray clinic  and in the afternoon we meet again. He were upset when I told him that we hade visit Pico Areiro alone at night and he said it was forbidden without a guide. He and his companions had seen birdwatchers hanging in the cliffs with diving lights and tape recorders and of course they had disturbed the birds. When I told him that we didn’t know it was forbidden without a guide and said that we went to the wrong place he was very interested. He said that he should check it out and I promised him to spread the rules on Areiro on night. I got horse pills  against the pain and feel very happy and had no pain at all.......In marina in the afternoon we saw 2 Great Ringed Plover and 2 Roseate Tern very close. From the balcony in the evening, Kestrel, Plain Swifts, Cory´s and 1 Unidentified Shark. We went down to Lida were we took a god dinner and later we walked to Ponta da Cruz. In front of the cliffs and the hotels we could watch 2 Barn Owls when the were soaring around together with Cory´s Shearwaters ! 

Friday – 13
The whole day on Ventura do Mar and a new trip out to Desertas!! Birdwatchers from Britain and Denmark were also on board and all together we were 16 people. We got a beautiful day and lots of birds and other experience. 
65 Bulwers, hundreds Cory´s Shearwaters, 9 Fea´s/Zinó Petrel were seen during the day and lots of them in very close range. Other was 1 Loggerhead near the boat, 1 Flying Fish, 1 Hammerhead Shark close to Ventura, 15 Spotted-,10 Bottlenose Dolphins and 1 Sei Whale in close range on our trip back in the evening. The highlight of the day was the curious
Monk Seal that was kind enough to be seen out in front of the Deserta Grande! We were back at the hotel after 20.30 and with the waves in our legs and sunburned shoulders we took a glass Madeira Wine on the balcony to end the day.

Saturday - 14
Today we went to Canical again for bath, relaxing and the Whale museum. It was a little but very nice and well done museum with photographs from the hunting period on Madeira and bones from whales. 2 Roseate Tern, Common Tern, and 1 Sanderling in the harbor was seen and again we noted the Spanish Sparrows in the village. The evening at the balcony gave at least 50 Bulwers and a nice Sparrow Hawk sitting in a Norfolk pine in front of the hotel. After a fine dinner we went to Ponta da Cruz but no owl this time.

Sunday – 15
We spent the morning from 07.00 – 09.00 at Ponta da Cruz and we saw
2 Fea´s/Zinó Petrel, 10 – 20 Bulwers, 1 Whimbrel, and 2 Roseate Tern and 
40-50 Unidentified Dolphins . After packing for tomorrow and other things we went out with Ventura do Mar again for a little trip in the afternoon 14.30 – 18.30 Not so many birds but a fine ending of our journey with Cory´s and Bottlenose Dolphins. In the harbor we had 1 Turnstone and from the balcony we could study a whole Kestrel family in the Norfolk pine.
We also noted 2 Manx Shearwaters on the sea. We spent the late evening on a restaurant with Madeiran specialties.

Monday – 16
The last check from the balcony gave Cory´s Shearwaters, Atlantic Yellow-legged Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel Canary and Plain Swifts. We left from Madeira at 14.00 and were very satisfied with our stay. In all 42 species and lots of sea animals, flowers and sceneries. 

List of species during the stay in Madeira on August 2–16 2004 
Fea’s/Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma feae/madeira 
Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira 
Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii 
Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris diomedea borealis 
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus 
Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli 
Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro 
Little Egret Egretta garzetta 
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus granti 
Buzzard Buteo buteo harterti 
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus canariensis 
Quail Coturnix coturnix
Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa 
Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 
Coot Fulica atra 
Great Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula 
Sanderling Calidris alba 
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Turnstone Arenaria intrepres 
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus 
Atlantic Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis atlantis 
Roseate Tern Sterna dougalii 
Common Tern Sterna hirundo 
Feral Pigeon/Rock Dove Columba livia 
Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz 
Barn Owl Tyto alba schmitzi 
Plain Swift Apus unicolor 
Pallid Swift Apus pallidus 
Berthelot’s Pipit Anthus berthelotii madeirensis 
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea schmitzi 
Robin Erithacus rubecula 
Blackbird Turdus merula cabrerae 
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla heineken 
Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis 
Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis 
Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia madeirensis 
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs maderensis 
Canary Serinus canaria 
Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis parva 
Linnet Carduelis cannabina nana 
Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild .......................