Madeira 2007

It seems like a while ago now, but I spent a fortnight on Madeira at the end of January and beginning of February 2007. It was a bit chilly and the weather was mixed, and one week would've been enough. However, there were several birding highlights, which included the island and Macaronesian endemics, i.e. Madeiran Firecrest, Trocaz Pigeon, Plain Swift, Berthelot's Pipit and Island Canary. 

But it was the vagrants that were almost more memorable. Firstly, I was aware that a Sora had been located the previous December at Lugar de Baixo, and was pleased to relocate this bird  - the second for Portugal, and only the second for Macaronesia after one on the Azores in 1998. This bird was accompanied by a Spotted Sandpiper, which in all probability was also a bird from the previous October (although I wasn't aware of this at the time), and was the eight for Madeira. In one surreal moment, I watched the Sora chase the Spotted Sand off it's favourite patch of mud; now that can't have happened too often on this side of the Atlantic...

Sora

Spotted Sandpiper

However, best of all was a 1st winter Bonaparte's Gull which I found lurking amongst a few Black-headed Gulls on the beach next to the marina in Funchal. I saw this bird on a further three dates; it transpired that this was a first for Madeira! 

Bonaparte's Gull