Friday 4 October 2024

Corvo 2024, Day Eight, Game Over

I only had the morning today before the plane arrived for the 1pm flight back to Sao Miguel so I concentrated on the coast and got some good views of the Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Elsewhere on the island today a new Indigo Bunting, Philadelphia Vireo and Northern Parula were found and a briefly seen large Kingfisher was presumably a Belted. There was a new White-rumped Sandpiper on Corvo and on neighbouring Flores a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was found so new birds keep coming in. The run of westerlies continues well into next week with a new Hurricance, Hurricane Kirk affecting the region. 

I arrived on Sao Miguel at about 3pm to overnight for the early morning flight to Lisbon. I birded Ponta Delgada harbour but didn't see much, just 75 Common Tern, 1 Whimbrel, 3 Sanderling and 15 Turnstone were the only birds of note.

So that's it for 2024 and my 20th Anniversary visit. Didn't do too bad found Trindade Petrel, a Red-eyed Vireo and Semipalmated Plover (presumed) and saw Bay-breasted Warbler, Bobolink, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Glossy Ibises, Arctic and Great Skua, Northern Gannet, Grey Plover and also glimpsed and heard Northern Parula and Common Yellowthroat so not bad at all for a week visit and a 'weather twitch' but not as good as I had hoped and my first visit to the Azores ever with no WP or even Azores tick. I'm leaving the option open of possibly doing another weather twitch in late October if conditions look good as it would be nice to get something big for the 20th anniversary- will see.

For all the news from today and for the rest of this autumn see CORVO BIRDERS FACEBOOK

The beautiful juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper (above and below) which allowed approach down to a couple of meters 

First-winter Common Tern off Ponta Delgada

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