New book - Birdwatching in the Azores

This is my new book about birdwatching in the Azores

Rodrigues, P. & Michielsen, G. Birdwatching in the Azores. Artes e Letras. 164 pp, Ponta Delgada

To buy just send a e-mail to the editor (Livraria SolMar – Artes e Letras): livraria@livrariasolmar.pt

And ask for the book (18 € + post taxes) and give your post mail and contact

I hope you enjoy it!

EM CONSTRUÇÃO - IN CONSTRUCTION

Today at Ponta Delgada

At Ponta Delgada harbour

1 Larus marinus

1 Larus delawerensis

1 Egretta garzetta

1 Egretta thula

At São Roque

1 Bubulcus ibis

Today at Furnas lake and Caloura

At Furnas lake: 1 Fulica americana 6 Fulica atra 1 Anas rubripes (male) 5 Ardea cinerea At Caloura: 1 Nuemius phaeopus hudsonicus 1 Egretta garzetta 3 Pluvialis squatarola 10 Arenaria interpres 1 Calidris canutus

Today at Sete Cidades lake

1 Anas americana
4 Aythya collaris (2 males and 2 females)
1 Anas crecca (male)

Today at Ponta Delgada harbour

2 Larus marinus (first winter) 3 Larus delawerensis (1 adult, 1 first winter and 1 second winter) 1 Bubulcus ibis 1 Egretta garzetta

Today near Ponta Delgada

2 Limosa limosa
2 Pluvialis squatarola
2 Calidris alba
9 Arenaria interpres
1 Calidris canutus

Major birding places in São Miguel Island

If you want to watch some American birds in São Miguel Island, there are some major places to go: Mosteiros coast (1) – On the west side of the island, with rocky pools. Good place for shorebirds and seabirds. Sete Cidades Lake (2) – On the west side of the island, a volcanic crater with a huge lake. It is possible to watch vagrant ducks and waders. São Roque – Ponta Delgada (3) – Along the coast between Ponta Delgada and São Roque there is plenty of rocky areas were it is possible to watch shorebirds and seabirds, and a small islet (Rosto do cão) with Common and Roseate Tern colonies. Caloura (4) – Rocky shore in south of the island, between Lagoa and Vila Franca do Campo. There are some islets where Common and Roseate Tern form colonies. Fogo lake (5) – Located on the middle of the island, Fogo lake is a Natural Reserve, where it is possible to watch waders, tern colonies and the colony of seagulls at highest altitude in the world. Furnas lake (6) – On the east part of the islet, good place to watch herons, ducks and waders. Tronqueira (7) – Nordeste – The only place in the world were it is possible to watch Priolo (Azores Bullfinch), Pyrrhula murina. Good place to watch the principal native bird species.

Azores - Birding place

The Azorean archipelago, located in the north Atlantic Ocean, between Europe and America, is an interesting place for birds, mainly seabirds, not only due to the coast line with steep scarps but also to its geographical location (36-39ºN, 25-31ºW) that represents an ornithological transition between temperate and tropical zones. It is possible to watch around 30 native species and a variety of neartic waders and accidental rarities from the western paleartic. Priolo (Pyrrhula murina), an endemic specie, and one of the rarest bird in Europe, with an estimated population of 150 couples, is probably the most interesting bird of the Azores. Azores comprises twelve species of seabirds. The regular breeders are Bulwer’s petrel (Bulweria bulwerii), Cory’s shearwater (Calonectris diomedia borealis), Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus), Little shearwater (P. assimilis baroli), Band-rumped storm-petrel (Oceanodroma castro), Yellow-legged gull (Larus cachinnans atlantis), Common tern (Sterna hirundo) and Roseate tern (S. dougallii). There are two occasional breeders, Red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) and Sooty tern (S. fuscata), a possible breeder, Cape Verde petrel (Pterodroma feae), and a possible former breeder, White-faced storm-petrel (Pelagodroma marina). The archipelago accounts the biggest population of Cory’s shearwater of the world with more than 180.000 couples (79% of the European population). Also representative are the populations of Band-rumped storm-petrel, 915 to 1240 couples (around 29% of the european population), Little shearwater, 800 to 1500 couples (around 21% of the European population), Roseate tern with more than 1000 couples (63% of the European population) and Common tern, around 2000 couples (5% of the European population). Other birds from Azores: Canary (Serinus canaria), endemic of Macaronesia Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands); Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) with 3 subspecies (R. regulus azoricus, R. regulus santae-mariae and R. Regulus inermis), Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla atlantis), Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea patriciae), Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs azorensis), Blackbird (Turdus merula azorica), Starling (Sturnus vulgaris granti), Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis parva), Robin (Erithacus rubecula), House sparrow (Passer domesticus), Northern Wheater (Oenanthe oenanthe), Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus azorica), Rock Dove (Columba livia atlantis), Azorean Buzzard (Buteo buteo rothschildi), long-eared Owl (Asio otus), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Teal (Anas crecca), Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa), Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), Coot (Fulica atra), Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) and Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus).