Seabirds of the Mountain, Pico do Arieiro, Madeira

Madeira is the top of a massive shield volcano that rises 6km from the sea floor in the northern Atlantic Ocean forming an archipelago of four islands. It is roughly 520km away from north western coast of Africa. Madeira is well known for its unusual plants and endemic species although throughout its history it has been changed by man. Due to the climate the island was once covered by subtropical rainforest known as laurisilva (laural forest) which has existed for 1.8 million years. Sadly it is now only common in a few areas of the island but is home to few species of endemic birds and plenty of plants which will be detailed in another post.

Pico do Arieiro at sunset

I'd been lucky enough to be invited by Mark Cutts with the Royal Naval Birdwatching Society (RNBWS) for a week of birding (and botany for me),and with luck and the help of Frank Zino to hopefully see one of the island rarest inhabitants.

A sea of cloud below the peaks

Running through the spine of the island is an area of jagged peaks, one of these is particularly special due to an unusual breeding species. At 1,818 m (5,965 ft) Pico do Arieiro is Madeiras third highest peak, high above the clouds its the last place you'd expect to find one of the rarest bird species in Europe . Its also a treasure trove of endemic plant species which either cling to the rocky cliffs or survive on the narrow shallow ledges.

Pride of Madeira, Echium candicans

One strange thing about travelling up towards Pico do Arieiro is the layer of cloud which you have to travel through to get to the top, the mountain sitting within a sea of cloud making it seem you were at a much lower elevation. Although barren looking, any crevice or ledge was covered in plants. Of these by far the most spectacular in flower was the Pride of Madeira Echium candicans, a large sub-shrub member of the family Boraginaceae.

Everywhere I looked it seemed another stunning endemic plant which had managed to get a foothold in the crumbling rock making it seem like a botanist paradise, which of course it was. Many of the plants had adapted to the extremes of temperature which can occur daily at Pico do Arieiro. Succulents were common and well adapted with fleshy leaves, although not easy to identify. The Disk Houseleek Aeonium glandulosum was one such plant, endemic to the islands which make up the Madeira archipelago where it is limited to these high barren rock faces. Many species look similar to plant species found withing Europe and North Africa but have eventually evolved due to their thousands of years of isolation, one such species was Madeiran Thrift Armeria Maderensis which looks superficially similar to the species I regularly see on the sea cliffs of Mid-Wales.

Although I was distracted by all the flora, it was really the fauna I had come to see but for that we'd have to wait until it got dark. Whilst waiting we had plenty of time to watch the endemic Plain Swifts Apus unicolor screaming over the ridges and into the valleys below. A male Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata was announcing his territory from a dense bit of scrub, while his partner was busy collecting caterpillars to feed their brood in a low gorse bush. A few tattered Macaronesian Red Admiral Vanessa vulcania bathed on the eroded summit, gathering the last warmth from the sinking sun.

Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata

After setting the nets along a narrow ridge, all we had to do was wait. Just like clockwork, at 10.45 each evening we heard some strange sounds calling from the inky blackness. For many years the shepherds of Curral das Freiras mistakenly thought this to be the sounds of suffering souls of the shepherds or nuns who lost their lives in the mountains. The source of the noise probably never went silent but was forgotten about, believed extinct until in 1969 Alec Zino played a call of Fea's Peterel to a local Shepard who recognised the eerie walling and took them to the area now regarded as the breeding ledges. For us the journey was easy, well maintained paths allow us to view the area in relative safety, for Frank and his father back in 1969, a narrow shepherds track was all that separated them from a drop into the deep valleys on either side, a treacherous place for a nocturnal walk. I don't think i'll ever forget the first time I heard that strange wailing in the distant inky blackness or the occasional shadow pass over the starlit sky. To me the calls didn't sounds eerie, they sounded almost friendly. Frank noted the number of calls each 15 minutes, keeping count with a clicker. Although the calls were regular for a couple of days all I managed to see was a few glimpses of these mysterious birds.

Then at 11pm on our third night as I was walking to the far end of the net something hit the net in front of me, a pale bellied shape hanging in the gloom. A Freira Pterodroma madeira, more commonly known as Zino's Petrel, named after the family which have done so much for the identification and conservation of this species. Originally the birds found breeding within macaronesia were thought be part of the Soft-plumaged Petrel Pterodroma mollis complex but but mitochondrial DNA analysis and further differences in size, vocalisations, breeding behaviour have shown that the macronesian birds are not closely related to Pterdroma mollis. Sangster further recommended splitting between the macronesian birds, which was further supported by Nunn & Zino based on analysis of feather lice on birds from Madeira and Bugio Island which have been estimated to have split 850,000 years ago. More recent work has splitting the birds found on the Desertas islands from the birds found on Cape Verde Island creating the Desertas Petrel Pterodroma deserta and the Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae although the identification of this complex of species is still confusing, especially in the field.

The Freira, Pterodroma madeira. Europes rarest seabird.

The Freira is the most endangered species of sea bird in Europe with an estimated population of 80 known pairs. Due to this it was a little surprising then that the bird we caught was a new un-ringed bird allowing Mark to ring it. The population is well monitored with majority of chicks ringed in the nest and many of the adult bird caught during the previous years, even more surprising was the second bird caught a couple of nights, during quite a blow, I watched nervously as it bounced out  of the net, only to go in again seconds later by which time I was already upon  it. Being a new bird gave me the opportunity to ring a bird, under the supervision of Frank. They really are a very pretty bird with an amazing wingspan, their webbed feet and sharp claws, their delicate soft plumage which gives the name to their relatives is evident in the hand.

Madeiran rings, you know its special if you find one of these

Freira's are one of two species to be ringed using Madeira rings (the other being the Deserta/feae Petrel complex). Although the moult sequence, and ageing birds is currently not feasible, if anyone would know it would be Frank who seemed to think both of these birds were likely to be third year birds checking out the breeding colony before breeding themselves. Blood samples and bio-metrics were taken for each of the birds before they were released back in the night, hopefully to be re-caught in a subsequent years. As each individual is an important breeding bird, which will help to increase this fragile population.

Although the birds breeding ledges are protected within the Parque Natural da Madeira national park and they have shown an increase in productivity over the last 20 years they are still at risk. The fact that only six ledges are used for burrowing and nesting means that degradation to the vegetation from grazing goats, wildfires and predators could still spell disaster for this species. A fire in August 2010 swept through the breeding site killing three adults and 25 of the 38 chicks. Vegetation around the nest sites were destroyed, leaving them open to predators and at risk of erosion. For an island which evolved without ground dwelling mammals, its no surprise that they can cause huge problems. Rats played a significant role in decimating the petrels numbers early on but active trapping has helped eliminate them as such a risk. Feral Cats are now the main cause for concern, previously these were trapped after 10 adults were killed by a single cat in 1990. The government of Portugal have since made trapping cats illegal leaving this delicate population once again at risk from these troublesome tabbies. While up at the breeding ledges we saw several cats but little can be done about it until permission from the government is granted, sadly it may be a long time coming.

This really was one of the most special experiences I've had and will always be one of my birding highlights and it was an honour to be allowed to ring one of these special birds. Frank Zino is tireless in his effort of furthering the protection of these and several other seabirds species in Macronesia, its not often you get to see a species named after the family of the person who shows you but now I needed to see a Pterdroma at sea.

Petroglyphs Provincial Park, Woodville, Ontario

With the migration season over it was time for a bit of rest and relaxation, I was lucky enough to be staying with Mike and Kathy in the County but they decided to take me out for the day to the wonderful Petroglyphs Provincial Park.

A beaver pond close to Minnow Lake

Wild Sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicauli

Petroglyphs Provincial Park  was designated a historical class provincial park in 1981 due to the large assemble of first nations petrogylphs present on the site. The rock carvings were rediscovered in 1954 by a prospector and contain about 1200 carvings, representing humans like figures, animals and a dominant figure whose head may represent the sun. The carvings were made using Gneiss hammers around 900 to 1100AD by either Algonkian or Iroquian speaking people. Today first nations people
call the petrogylphs, Kinomagewapkong which means "the rocks that teach" or "the Teaching Rocks".

The forest which surrounds the petrogylphs is rich in Red Pine Pinus resinosa and Wild Sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis. Creating a rich acidic soil, although plenty of other species could be found growing on the smooth granite rocks which surrounded Minnow Lake and form Islands between stands of pines.

The plants were similar to many of the species I'd come into contact with in Scandinavia allowing me identifying many of them relatively quickly although some species such as White Trillum Trillium grandiflorum are North American specialists.

White Triulliums, Trillium grandiflorum

One of the more attractive species to be found was the Winged Polygala or Gaywings Polygala paucifolia, which can be found over much of Eastern North America. With its delicate Winged purple flowers it was a lovely little plant to see spread across the forest floor.

Winged Polygala, Polygala paucifolia

Out on the more open areas where the granite broke through the substrata drifts of Pale Corydalis Capnoides sempervirens could be found. It is also known as the Rock Harlequin due to it habit of growing almost out of the smallest of cracks in the rock.

 

Pale Corydalis, Capnoides sempervirens

Canada May-Lily Maianthemum canadense

Three other species of plant were common on the edges of the gloomy moist pine forest, Starflower Lysimachia borealis named after its distinctive shaped flowers and Canadian Bunchberry, Cornus canadensis which was often found growing on old moss covered stumps and logs, later its edible red berries would later be an important food source for migrating birds. Canada May-Lily Maianthemum canadense is another sub-boreal specialist species and could be found growing in abundance.

Starflower, Lysimachia borealis

Canadian Bunchberry, Cornus canadensis

It wasn't just plants which could be found in the sunny glades, Dragonflies of all sizes were busy hunting the plentiful mosquitoes which provided a constant hum in the background. The first species I came across was the Twin-spotted Spiketail Cordulegaster maculata a large and impressive species which perched for a long while on a dead stick. A more plentiful species was the Common Baskettail Epitheca cynosura,which were busy catching small insects in almost every clearing we encountered. 

Twin-spotted Spiketail, Cordulegaster maculata

Common Baskettail, Epitheca cynosura

All in all it was a lovely wander through the sub-boreal forest and a chance for me to see some interesting flora and fauna.

Minnow Lake

Four More Weeks, Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, Ontario

With the weather continually warming but it still seeming to rain a lot (eventually with some consequences), it was soon starting to feel a bit more like the spring I knew.

Blood moon rising over Lake Ontario

With this mixture of weather came the midges Chironomidae spp., bad news for us, these huge swarms  covered everything, it's almost like driving through rain when trying to get to town but its good news for the birds, high in fat these tiny insects allow the birds to rapidly put on weight, becoming little butterballs allowing them to continue their northerly migration, many back to the boreal forest which covers vast swaves of the northern landscape.

Blackburnian Warbler, Setophaga fusca one of the stars of the show

Day by Day the numbers of sparrows were now getting less and less, many of these species with only the local breeders being heard and seen by the end of the month but replacing the sparrows were what I had really come to see, the New World Wood-Warblers Setophaga spp. in Spring.

This really is a spectacle worth the travel, many of the species I had seen last fall, they were ugly in comparison to what they now looked like. Prime examples of this were Blackpoll Setophaga striata, Chestnut-Sided Setophaga pensylvanica and Blackburnian warblers Setophaga fusca, all of which looked amazingly different to their drab autumnal selves. Some species change very little, Orange-Crown Vermivora celata, Chestnut-Sided Setophaga pensylvanica (my favourite fall warbler) and Black-Throated Blue Warblers Setophaga caerulescens don't feel the need to change and look much as they do all year round.

A jewel, an adult male orange morph Scarlet Tanager, Piranga olivacea

The most noticeable difference to the fall is the noise, no simple confusing chips now, the birds had found their voices and were belting out a cacophony of song. Confusing songs and whole new learning curve and eventually I managed to learn the most obvious and distinctive.

The Lighthouse, now with additional water

By mid-May the woods were a riot of sound, colour and smells. Birds of all colours had moved up from the south, Scarlet Tanagers shared trees with Baltimore Orioles, looking like last years left over Christmas decorations. Dormant seeds had sprouted into ephemeral spring flowers and Bursting buds bathed the forest floor in soft spring light but still the water levels on the lake kept rising.

In the end the water levels were the highest recorded on Lake Ontario for a 100 years, causing flooding in many low lying areas, the net lanes often had water running through them and the swamp was filled to the brim. A westerly breeze caused huge problems, the fisherman lost their dock, the cottage opposite lost several foot of shoreline and eventually the lighthouse became stranded and surround by water.

The change in flora was also noticeable, the Dutchman's Breeches and trout Lillies gave way to Woodland Phlox Phlox divaricata, which enjoyed the wet weather and formed a mauve carpet all through the woods. Canadian Columbine Aquilegia canadensis grew along the paths. One of my favourite flowers and a key nectar species for hummingbirds in the spring, A truly lovely species to find.

Canadian Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis

Eastern American Toad, Anaxyrus americanus americanus

More fauna was also becoming more noticeable, especially snakes which could often be seen basking on in the shrubs and on the paths. Northern Water Snake Nerodia sipedon sipedon had taken to basking in the dogwoods above the flooded pools around the harbour area. A Raccoon Procyon lotor was found sleeping in one of the larger trees on the 4th of May. Eastern American Toads Anaxyrus americanus americanus started showing up early in May and could be found occasionally for the rest of the month.

Male Golden-Winged Warbler, Vermivora chrysoptera

A number of notable species were caught, including many I wasn't really expecting to be extracting out the nets.

An Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus was caught on the 10th May, a male Golden-Winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera on the 11th and a female banded on the 23rd.

An Evening Grosbeak Coccothraustes vespertinus on the 15th, Mourning Warbler Geothlypis philadelphia on the 16th, Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus on the 20th after several days of two being present on the site.

Yellow-Breasted Chat, Icteria virens

A Yellow-Breasted Chat Icteria virens on the 21st, Hooded Warbler Setophaga citrina on the 22nd, Orchard Oriole Icterus spurius and finally an Olive-Sided Flycatcher Contopus cooperi on the 26th. In the end a very busy month!

By far the most special was what most people would class a boring species, a corvid but not your ordinary crow. A week prior to being caught Dave had thought he had seen a Fish Crow Corvus ossifragus. Similar looking to the related American Crow, it has a distinct nasal call and is generally much less shy. He was right and a few days later it was confirmed. Now we had to catch it, eventually after a couple of days feeding on some stale crisps left by some children it was caught in a bow net. This is the first case of the species being banded in Canada and a species Dave had never banded, not a common occurrence in the slightest!

Fish Crow, Corvus ossifragus