This year for the 4th time I spent my holidays in Portuguese land, three times out of which in the Macaronesia Islands, which I consider my second homeland.
Like all holidays spent together with my family also this year it was not entirely dedicated to BW, since I could not neglet neither my wife nor my son with whom I share other interests as well. Therefore since I had not much time for BW, I omitted the land species and dedicated more to pelagic species.
Madeira Island offers besides BW also a variety of enjoyable options to satisfy all type of interests.
It is exactly at Madeira Island located in the Atlantic Ocean at 545 Km. North-West of the African coast where I spent my summer holidays from 10th to 29th August.
Marvellous Island, with tropical vegetation and weather Madeira is choosen by many European birders, like myself, as their destination to look for endemic species and for seawatching.
The town of Porto Moniz, North-West side of the Island, is one of the main hot-spots to watch the pelagic birds.
The land endemic species are represented by a Columbidae the Trocaz Pigeon (columba trocaz) and by a Passeriformes the Madeiran Firecrest (Regulus madeirensis), and there are many ssp as well.
However as mentioned earlier the most desirable species are the pelagic birds, especially the Procellariidae. The Island's stars are : the Zino's Petrel (Pterodroma madeira) considered extinct up to the 60's, currently only few pairs are nesting at 1650 mt. height on inaccessible rocks at Pico do Areeiro, and the Fea's Petrel (Pterodroma feae deserta), more consolitated species compared to first one, nesting at Bugio on the Desertas Islands. We tried to visit the Deserta Islands on August 16th by sailing boat, but unfortunately at half way trip, due to heavy wind, we had to reverse course and change our destination.