Eleonora's Falcon First for the Azores

I left this morning whit a single guest named Mary Hearthcoat,  from Ponta Delgada to do a routine Bullfinch tour when I met two Swedish Birders, Kristian Stahl e Ms on the entrance of the Tronqueira road and after a short talk I invited them to come walking whit us.
Stil just whit some Goldcrest and singing Bullfinch on the list Kristian alerted for a Peregrin crossing just over us on the way to the foggy mountains.I saw a big tail like a kestrel but the bird was to big for that. No peregrin we new very soon. The elegant flying bird was moulting and as an Azoren birder my knowledge about strange raptord was obviously to small to make a gues. But lucky for us e god thanks that we invited them to come whit us, there was the Swedish team and whithout guide whit us he already was quite sure about a Falco eleonorae

I was stil not recovered from the White tailed Tropicbird so who tought about a mega rarity on a Bullfinch trip.

White tailed Tropicbird

Today after directing several birders to the spot I got it by myself, Flying around the university I had some great views on it. Thanks to\Nuno Bicudo, Carlos Pereira and Carlos Ribeiro who tipped me at first.

The first smell of Autum

No time to recover from the Pelagic trip near Graciosa. GerbyBirding is entering in hot season so I have to work. I had seen already some early waders on Terceira but the first arived as wel on my own Island.
Spending my time whit my great guests I had a relaxed time and the Bullfinch youngsters together whit the first White rumped Sandpipers keeping me busy while getting ready for Autum.

Dunlin

Bullfinch

Curlew Sandpiper

White rumped  and Curlew together

Juvenile Common Snipe

Pictured by The Nikon team

The Nikon team

World listers in action

New young talent on the way

Garganey

Pelagic trip Graciosa

Last week I changed my wel knowned land spots four some days of ocean near the small Island of Graciosa. Main target was the Monteiros Storm Petrel and it take not long to spot a dozen of them on the first day.

Monteiros Storm Petrel

Picturing this birds on a ful moving boat is not a easy but the good conditions whit a flat Ocean stil gave me a change to take some stuff. Fea, Band Rumped and Bulwers Petrel. Great Manx and Sooty Shearwaters and a Pomarine Skua was the main bird menu on this first day.

Feas Petrel

Corry Shearwater

Great Shearwater

Bulwers Petrel

Great Shearwater

 But it was not only birds passing by. At least 5 species of dolphins, some Beaked whales, a Blue Shark and lots of Turtles made the party complete.

The second day on the sea was completly different. A strong northern breeze made the trip less confortable and a new explores bank more south of the Island only brought us a lost Blue Shark. The afternoon back to the east side and still near the shore we found the 3th Brown Booby for the Azores (got the second by myself some years ago on my local patch) having trouble whit two Artic Skuas.

On the bank there was not much to do less a big number of Sooty Shearwaters flying by.
Slowly drifting back to Graciosa we had some Monteiros and Band rumped Storm Petrels but my best moment where the 3 Long Tailed Skuas apearing from nowhere.

Long tailed Skua

The last day on the sea whit even worse conditions did not alow us to go far out. So we checked out the Praia Islet where we got two Sooty Terns.

Sooty Tern

Waiting for the Autum

Summer is ending on the Azores. Not so much to do less the Bulfinch and some lost older vagrants and a recently discoverd Red Kite (Jorge Cardoso). Whit the last light on a Birding tour stil managed to get a record shot.

 

 

So why not try some Canaries in my wifes vegetable garden.

 

The adult Azorean Yellow Legged Gull start to show his tipical black striped head while Terns are doing the oposite and turn themselfes in a confusing soup whit A Common and Roseate mix.

Azorean Goldcrest family

Today doing some Bullfinch whit a wonderful guest and went to focus on a Goldcrest family wich I had met earlyer this week. Mommy came out all messes up searching despered for insects to recover. The 4 chicks looked great and lucky for me they stil are reather slow in their movements.

 

 

Summer birding

Not to much is happening lately on the Azores. Bullfinch is coming final out of the jungle and after the hard winter ,wich have certainly done some damage, it feels good to see them in good numbers coming out of the jungle.

 

Of course there are stil other birds around and a fast trip to Flores priced me whit a nice Western Goldcrest Regulus inermis.