Thanks for all the info, here's how I got on
I had to go in school summer hols, and wanted to do pelagic as early as poss, but by Apr earliest pelagic that wasn't already fully booked was starting 22 aug. I decided to go for it, and chance my luck without booking the night trip, or taking a scope for seawatching, as already I would be spending too long away from the family for it to be fair. Blimey I must have finally grown up! This has ended up meaning I've dipped a couple of birds thatit turns out I could have seen, if I'd been a bit meaner on the family (I'm still in Madeira as I type, but that's it for any chance of my missed seabirds!).
The windbirds pelagic was always going to be an expensive gamble in late aug, and you can't put a price on breathtakingly close Bulwer's Petrels into three figures, and at least 15 Fea's/Desertas Petrels, most within view of Bugio, and some very close with honking great hooters, so I'll treat myself to that one. Madeira Storm Petrel was a skin of the teeth job, and massive high when it finally hit the chum, again it was incredible views. But with a little less luck we could easily have dipped that, and we dipped on Zino's and Barolo, possibly making Desertas P, Bulwer's P and Madeiran Stormie the most expensive 3 lifers I've specifically paid for!
Some cracking bonus birds in the form of 3 very close lingering Wilson's Storm Petrels, and 5 Great Shearwaters so close you could see every feather. And of course Cory's well into 3 figures.
The guys who did the night trip heard a few Zino's and saw one in silhouette. One guy who'd been seawatching off the north coast for a week leading up to the trip had seen lots of good stuff, including about 5 Barolo Shears, all in the evening, from either Porto Moniz or Punto Do Sao Jorge...
The pigeon and firecrest are very easy, the pigeon shockingly so compared to its rellies on Canaries. We stayed for a couple of nights in the beautiful cabinas Ribeiro Frio in the forest above Ribeiro Frio, where the pigeons were especially common. The Chaffinch is great, our 6 year old had them feeding on his hand.
Other goodies included a few Spectacled Warblers and Berthelot's Pipits on a day visit to the (breathtaking) Zino's colony area (to see the site at least!)
Canaries were fairly thinly spread , Plain Swift remarkably common.
Other birds seen: Grey Heron, Turnstone, Whimbrel, Yellow-legged Gull, Common and Arctic Terns, Manx Shearwater (1), Kestrel, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Blackbird, Robin (heard only), Blackcap, Grey Wagtail, Siskin. Very few birds in general).
Intros seen: Muscovy Duck, Feral Rock Dove, Collared Dove, Common Waxbill (riverbed near Machico harbour).
Few butterfly species, but some endemics were fairly common: Madeiran Brimstone, Madeiran Grayling, Madeiran Speckled Wood, plus Monarch, Long-tailed and Lang's Short-tailed Blues, Small Copper Clouded Yellow, Small White, and Speckled Wood
Only dragonfly so far appears to be a few Island Darters around Machico.
Very picturesque place ��
