Holidays > Worldwide Holidays > Portugal

This is a five night trip designed to take in the endemic species of Madeira and the breeding seabirds. We will spend four nights in a hotel/guest house and one sleeping out on the Desertas (optional). A special visit to look and listen for Zino?s Petrels at the top of a 1800m mountain around midnight will also feature. A full tour of the island will be taken to see the endemics and the rest of the time will be spent sea-watching from headlands and relaxing with an extra evening pelagic for good measure. Good digital photography opportunities are on offer. For a better idea of what to expect and a selection images and the trip report from the 2009 trip please click here

Target Birds

Target birds are... Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae deserta, Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii, Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea borealis, Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus, Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli, Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro, Atlantic Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis atlantis, Common Tern Sterna hirundo, Roseate Tern Sterna dougalii, Madeira Firecrest Regulus madeirensis, Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz, Plain Swift Apus unicolor, Berthelot's Pipit Anthus berthelotii madeirensis, Canary Serinus canaria, Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus granti, Buzzard Buteo buteo harterti, Kestrel Falco tinnunculus canariensis, Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata bella, Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia madeirensis. A range of mare familiar birds can be seen as well as Pallid Swift and rarer visitors.

Itinerary

Below is our planned itinerary for the trip, although we try our best to stick to our itineraries, occasionally it does become necessary to change things around a little bit due to the weather or the presence/lack of birds at particular sites during the time of our visit.

The Pelagic and Islands

On the one and a half day trip to the Desertas Islands you will have numerous chances to closely watch marine birds and mammals in their natural habitat. Some of the most common species are the Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea borealis, Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii, Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae deserta, Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus, and if we are fortunate the Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli and the endemic Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira. It is also normal to have the company of the Common Dolphin Delphinus delphis, the Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Stenella frontalis, the Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncates, the Short-finned Pilot Whale Globicephala machrorhynchus and the Bryde's Whale Balaenoptera edeni, some times in groups together with marine birds, feeding on large schools of fish. Tame Canary and Berthelot?s Pipits are also found here. Those with a horseshoe may see the almost extinct Monk Seal.

Holiday date:

12 - 17 July 2010

Holiday Cost:

£679.00

Cost to WWT Members

£645.05

Learn more about the WWT and become a member

Deposit:

£200.00

Please read our Terms & Conditions for more information about Deposit payments

Single Room Supplement:

£72.00

If you are travelling alone but willing to share we maybe able to find a roommate for you to reduce the cost.
Please see the booking form for more information

Flights

Flights available from £140.00

What is included in the cost of your holiday?

All transport on Madeira (transfers to/from the airport/around Madeira on full day tour), all accommodation and meals including a dinner and breakfast but not lunches, sailing boat/crew fees for overnight pelagic, entrance fees to reserves and permit to stay on the Desertas and the services of guides. An evening pelagic and night visit with guide to the Zino?s Petrel site. Drinks and items of a personal nature are not included. Hotel/guest houses will be at least two-star standard. The breakfasts are typically a simple affair of toast/coffee/juice continental style. We may even take a simple packed breakfast with us to eat in the field or alternatively eat at a cafe. Evening meals are two-three courses and will be taken either at the hotel/guest house or nearby restaurant. Hotel details can be forwarded on request when at least six clients have booked.

What is included in the cost of your holiday?

All transport on Madeira (transfers to/from the airport/around Madeira on full day tour), all accommodation and meals including a dinner and breakfast but not lunches, sailing boat/crew fees for overnight pelagic, entrance fees to reserves and permit to stay on the Desertas and the services of guides. An evening pelagic and night visit with guide to the Zino?s Petrel site. Drinks and items of a personal nature are not included. Hotel/guest houses will be at least two-star standard. The breakfasts are typically a simple affair of toast/coffee/juice continental style. We may even take a simple packed breakfast with us to eat in the field or alternatively eat at a cafe. Evening meals are two-three courses and will be taken either at the hotel/guest house or nearby restaurant. Hotel details can be forwarded on request when at least six clients have booked.

Other Information

We will to stay near a good sea-watching point and make the short walk to a local headland if land based sea-watching. A minimum of six clients needed to charter the boat. Our skilled pelagic tour guide and main skipper will help you with any uncertainty in the identification of wildlife and strive to provide quality observations. The journey will start after a complete briefing from the crew about the trip and will last 3 ½ hours to the Desertas Islands. This is where you can enjoy the beautiful islands of the Madeira Archipelago, their natural heritage and birding from the boat. On Deserta Grand Island we will anchor in a sheltered bay, Doca, in front of the warden's research station that belongs to the Madeira Natural Park. There you will have the opportunity to swim in very clear water. A pleasant guided tour on the island of about 1 ½ hours will take place, visiting areas where there are some nests of Bulwer's Petrel and Cory's Shearwater this is followed by dinner which will be served on board the boat. Around 1900 we will do a small pelagic trip (c2 hours) until sunset, giving the chance to observe the returning marine birds to their nests in the colony. Back to the Doca, where we will spend the night and have the opportunity to hear the calls of the Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro.

We return to Madeira the next day leaving by 09:30 am after a nice breakfast, we should experience new observations and arrive in Funchal by 13:30. On this tour is essential to bring your own sleeping bag and lunch for the first day. The Desertas Islands belong to the Madeiran archipelago and are located 11 miles SE of the main island of Madeira and 21 nautical miles from Funchal harbour. Ilhéu Chão, Deserta Grande and Bugio form this sub-archipelago. In 1990 the Desertas became a Nature Reserve, comprising of the islands themselves and the surrounding sea to a depth of 100 metres. The reserve is divided into two protected zones of which the southern half of Deserta Grande and Bugio are strictly forbidden to visitors even by boat. On Deserta Grande there is a permanent research station with tree wardens, who are the only human inhabitants of the islands today. Since 1992 Desertas became part of the European Biogenetic Reserves, mainly because of all the marine birds that breed there and the population of monk seals that uses this island for resting and breeding.

Flights and insurance are not included, the latter is essential on all holidays with suitable cover including cancellation of boat trips (unlikely). Anser will help with flights/insurance on your behalf if you prefer not to book your own but we prefer to do it ourselves. Various airlines fly to Madeira around Britain, we can do the searching for you. Please note that Anser cannot be held responsible for changes in flight times or delays etc. It is advisable to bring a European Health Insurance Card which is free from the Post Office, fill in the form and one will be posted. This provides instant reciprocal cover in the unlikely event of an accident. Portuguese pharmacies are as well stocked as English ones so all self-help treatments can be purchased if needed. The Portuguese currency is the Euro. Although the water is drinkable we recommend that bottled water is drunk, it is advisable to drink regularly. See terms and conditions; ask for a copy if you do not have access to our website.

Partners or anyone who does not want to take part in the boat based or evening trips can find plenty to do in and around Funchal, a wide varety of parks, beaches, pools, museums, art galleries, cafes can be found. Hundreds if not thousands of boutiques and small shops can be explored on the narrow streets, a shopping mall is also present. The botanical gardens and cable car are recommended.

We will factor in time to rest on this trip during the quieter times of the day for wildlife, this allows you to freely explore Funchal.

Clothing & Equipment

Warm clothing such as a fleece with a waterproof should the evenings be cooler or we encounter a shower. Sun-cream, a hat, sunglasses and lighter clothes with shorts are advisable for the warmer weather. A telescope/digital camera is desirable but Anser guides carry Leica/Swarovski telescopes which will be set on any species showing for clients use, unless sea-watching. Swimming gear is worth bringing as you will have the chance to swim, on landing on the beach on the Desertas you will need to wade ashore (knee deep) so bring shorts and a pack to carry your gear in. A sleeping bag/mat is needed for the overnight stay on the Desertas/on deck/in bunks. A scope is needed for sea-watching. It is cooler at 1800m where we look for Zino?s Petrels and the visit is made at night so expect it to be much cooler than in Funchal (sometimes a blessing). It is possible to purchase t-shirts etc on the Deserta islands to support the conservation work and pick up a memento.

Environment

Some steep steps are encountered in the mountainous regions and a few other places. A walk of c20 minutes down the steps and paths to reach the Zino?s Petrel breeding site and back is needed between 2200-0030 to see them. Uneven tracks and paths are also encountered but most areas are flat and provide easy walking. We will walk to close headlands or take a taxi to a good sea-watch point near to the hotel. If it is particularly hot then a break in the middle of the day when sea-watching or on the island. It is usually warm 20-300 c at this time of year. Evening temperatures average around 10-150 c. Part of the trip is aboard a boat, full safety instruction is given. We will land on a beach and climb into and out (assisted) of a smaller boat.

For the pelagics we need good weather so the itinerary may change if need be, about 10% of trips have to be re-arranged to work around unfavourable winds.

It's easy to book your holiday with Anser birding...

If you would like to reserve a place on this holiday then please fill out a booking form and send it, along with a deposit for £200.00 (cheques should be made payable to Anser UK) to the address below. If you have any questions or comments about this trip we are happy to answer them. Please read our Terms & Conditions

By Telephone: Simply call us on the number below and we'll set up your booking

01452 741591

Download a printable booking form (Word or PDF),
complete it and send it to us.


Online: Simply complete the online booking form below for immediate reservation
We'll contact you to confirm and to arrange payments.