Madeira part 2 - the land

After the excitement of the sea, my land-based birding in Madeira was a bit more sedate. Having seen all the island and regional endemics previously, I didn't feel the need chase around after anything, but did see all of the island and Macaronesian endemics available; Madeiran Firecrest in Monte Tropical Gardens in Funchal and at Rabacal; three Trocaz Pigeons at Rabaçal; and Canaries and Plain Swifts pretty much everywhere. Berthelot's Pipit was a little trickier, with 3 on Deserta Grande and several on Ponta de Sao Lourenço. The well marked race of Chaffinch was also fairly widespread.

Canaries

Berthelot's Pipit

Berthelot's Pipit

Rabaçal

Rabaçal

I made no effort to see anything else, and didn't even visit Lugar de Baixo, which is something of a rarity magnet. Therefore, everything else was seen incidentally as a result of non-birding activities - and the only migrants were several Turnstones along the coast around Funchal, and a Grey Heron off Ponta de Sao Lourenço. 

Aside from birds, the butterflies were good, albeit limited in number; I never got tired of seeing a huge Monarch float past! Madeira Graylings proved easy to see (e.g. Monte Tropical Gardens, Rabaçal and Curral das Freiras), but Madeiran Speckled Woods were harder work in the laurel forest. Other species included one brief Madeiran Brimstone, (Madeiran) Small Copper, Long-tailed Blue and Lang's Short-tailed Blue.  

Monarch

Long-tailed Blue

Madeiran Grayling

Madeiran Wall Lizards also proved easy to see, and must be incredibly abundant, basking n walls and feeding up in the canopy of bushes and shrubs - and also mugging tourists for their lunch! 

A moulting Madeiran Wall Lizard

Madeiran Wall Lizards - fond of cheese...

Whilst on a levada walk at Rabaçal, I came across one almost gone over orchid, which I'm assuming must be the island-endemic Dactylorhiza foliosa. I'm afraid I didn't look at any of the other plants...

Dactylorhiza foliosa