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 and one sleeping out on the Desertas. A full tour of the island will be taken to see the island endemics and the rest of the time will be spent sea-watching and relaxing with the possibility of an optional extra evening pelagic. Good digital photography opportunities are on offer.

Target Birds

Below is a list of the birds that we can reasonably expect to see at this time of year in this location.
This is intended only as a guide and we cannot guarantee that we will see every species listed, however we may also see birds which are not listed

• Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae deserta
• Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira
• Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
• Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea borealis
• Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis
• Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus
• Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli
• Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro
• White-faced Storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina
• Atlantic Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis atlantis
• Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
• 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
• Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus granti
• Buzzard <em>Buteo buteo harterti
• Kestrel Falco tinnunculus canariensis
• Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata bella

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

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 and one sleeping out on the Desertas. A full tour of the island will be taken to see the island endemics and the rest of the time will be spent sea-watching and relaxing with the possibility of an optional extra evening pelagic. Good digital photography opportunities are on offer.

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, the Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii, the Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae deserta, Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis, the 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 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.

Holiday date:

July 2009

Holiday Cost:

£599.00

Cost to WWT Members

£569.05

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:

£50.00

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 £180.00

What is included in the cost of your holiday?

All transport on Madeira (transfers to/from the airport/harbour, around Madeira on full day tour), all accommodation and meals including a dinner/breakfast/lunch on the pelagic trip days and when on a full tour of the main island (three lunches to pay for yourself, we shall stop for suitable dining) sailing boat/crew fees for overnight pelagic, entrance fees to reserves and permit to stay on the Desertas and the services of guides. 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 or 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 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/harbour, around Madeira on full day tour), all accommodation and meals including a dinner/breakfast/lunch on the pelagic trip days and when on a full tour of the main island (three lunches to pay for yourself, we shall stop for suitable dining) sailing boat/crew fees for overnight pelagic, entrance fees to reserves and permit to stay on the Desertas and the services of guides. 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 or 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 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, perhaps even from our hotel and make the short walk to a headland. Our skilled pelagic tour leader and main skipper will help you with any uncertainty in the identification and will provide quality, safe observations. The journey will start after a complete briefing about the trip, made by the crew, and will last 3 ½ hours, to the Desertas Islands where you can enjoy the beautiful islands of the Madeira Archipelago and their natural heritage and birding from the boat. On Deserta Grand Island we will anchor in a shelter 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 in the island with about 1 ½ hours will take place, visiting areas where are some nests of Bulwer's Petrel and Cory's Shearwater, followed by a nice traditional dinner which will be served on board the boat. Around 7:00 pm we will do a small pelagic trip (2 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 the opportunity to hear the calls of the Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro.

We return to Madeira in the next day, leaving by 9:30 am after a nice breakfast, experienced new observations, and arriving Funchal by the 13:30 pm. 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 comprise this sub-archipelago. In 1990 the Desertas became a Nature Reserve, comprising 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.
Please note: Anser cannot be held responsible for changes in flight times or delays etc.

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 seawatching. 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. A scope is needed for seawatching.

Environment

Some steep slopes are possible in the mountainous regions and a few other places. Uneven tracks and paths are also encountered but most areas are flat and provide easy walking. We will walk to headlands or 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.

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