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| Robin in the Botanical Gardens. |
Spent a week on the superb island of Madeira on what was, basically, a non birding holiday. Managed a few trips around Funchal as well as a trip all around the east of the island. Certainly spectacular scenery but very few birds to note and again, only several species of butterfly.
First birds I encountered were in the small garden of our hotel with a canary being a lifer for me. These were present in the conifer most days, but still not too easy to get a reasonable photo. A few of my efforts here.
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| juvenile canary |
A bird that was seen in every park and many gardens, including the wonderful Botanical gardens, (accessed by 2 cable car rides) was the blackcap. These were heard singing everywhere.
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| male blackcap in hotel garden |
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| female blackcap at the Botanical gardens |
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| another male, singing in a park |
One morning I headed down to The Lido for a spot of seawatching. Usual fare, i.e. yellow legged gulls and terns, mostly common, but after a short while, a roseate winged its way past.
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| yellow legged gull |
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| common tern |
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| suspected roseate tern |
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| roseate tern |
On further searches, I have been informed that roseate breed around the harbour at Funchal, so pleased to note these. They appeared to be on a rock just off the Lido, shown here.
Other common birds were blackbirds, chaffinches, kestrels, endless feral pigeons and on 2 occasions, grey wagtail. A common buzzard was seen in trees as we headed towards Santana, but no other birds of prey.
Disappointingly, my pelagic trip with Madeiran Wind birds was cancelled due to high winds out to sea to the east of the island. Consequently, no petrels or shearwaters to report.
Butterfly watching was dominated by the magnificent monarch. Only recorded this once before, at Portland by the doctors surgery in 2012. Everyday gave great flyby views but rarely settled and when one eventually did, in a park, it had to be the most worn specimen on the island!
Other butterflies were equally non camera cooperative but did manage to fire off a few poor quality shots to get these. Again, end of season, worn examples.
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| worn short tailed blue |
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| Southern small white |
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| long tailed blue. |
These are only putative identifications and if anyone can offer other suggestions I would be grateful. Finally, the most common sight on the island, including the patio outside our room were the lizards. as yet, not identified to species. These were everywhere and on some warm walls in Funchal, present in large numbers. A selection of shades of colour were evident, ranging from green through blues to the regular brown colour.
Edit: surprise surprise: these lizards are called..................... guess.............................. yep: Madeiran lizards. Lacerta dugesii
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| on church wall at Camacha |
Finally, at the top of Pico da Arrierio, the 3rd highest peak on the island at 1818m, there were small pipit like birds, another lifer as they were Bethelot's pipit, a common bird for the Canary Islands. Sadly, the only good sighting I got was of one on top of a telegraph pole and was keen to id it first and it rose before I could train the camera on it.
A brilliant place to visit and much more left to see so, I suspect, we shall be returning in the next few years.
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