31 October 2016

Azores 2016

Not a vintage year.  Two largely fruitless weeks under the Azores high with further frustrations care of Brexit idiocy inspired currency devaluation and the small matter of there being a Sibefest in northwest Europe.  No world ticks, one WP tick (Northern Flicker, gripbacktastic), five Azores ticks and only one decent find.  Here's a quick species list and a few pictures. Species marked with an asterisk relate to putative/possible records of almost certainly unacceptable birds listed purely to jog the memory at some distant point in the future. 

Brent Goose Branta bernicla hrota, Wigeon Anas penelope, American Wigeon Anas americana, Teal Anas crecca, Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis, Mallard x Black Duck Anas platyrhynchos x rubripes, Pintail Anas acuta, Shoveler Anas clypeata, Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris, Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula, Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis, Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae, Cory's Shearwater Calonectris borealis, Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Grey Heron Ardea cinerea, Buzzard Buteo buteo rothschildi, Moorhen Gallinula chloropus, Coot Fulica atra, Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula, Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus, Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus, Dotterel Charadrius morinellus, Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva, American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica, Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola, Sanderling Calidris alba, Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla, Little Stint Calidris minuta, White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis, Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos, Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea, Ruff Philomachus pugnax, Snipe Gallinago gallinago, Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus, Woodcock Scolopax rusticola, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda, Redshank Tringa totanus, Greenshank Tringa nebularia, Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes, Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres, Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor, Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus, Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus, 'Azores Gull' Larus michahellis atlantis, Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis michahellis*, Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis, Cabot's Tern Sterna acuflavida*, Common Tern Sterna hirundo, Feral Dove Columba livia, Woodpigeon Columba palumbus azorica, Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto, Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus, Long-eared Owl Asio otus, Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus, Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea patriciae, Robin Erithacus rubecula, Blackbird Turdus merula azorensis, Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla gularis, Goldcrest Regulus regulus azoricus and R. r. inermis, Starling Sturnus vulgaris granti, House Sparrow Passer domesticus, Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild, Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus, Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus, Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs moreletti, Atlantic Canary Serinus canaria, Greenfinch Carduelis chloris aurantiiventris, Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis parva, Common Yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas and Scarlet Tanager Piranga olivacea.

Blue Shark Prionace glauca (dead), Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus and Azores Noctule Nyctalus azoreum.

Semipalmated Sandpiper foraging on and adjacent to the track near the seismic station, Corvo, seen to catch and consume various invertebrates including several Tipulidae larvae.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth feeding on dahlia in garden adjacent to the supermarket, Corvo. Yes, I did want something from the shop. Yes, it was a Cornetto.

Dotterel feeding on one of the low hills southwest of the lakes within the caldera, Corvo.

American Golden Plover foraging on the flower (mostly Taraxacum officinale agg.) bedecked slopes below the reservoirs, Corvo.

Pacific Golden Plover loafing in the post-industrial martian landscape of the Cabo da Praia quarry, Terceira. Self-found (actually re-identified, the bird had been reported as European Golden Plover for two days) and the second record for the Azores, I found the first one too. Get me.
 
Long-tailed Duck on the new pond at Paul da Praia, Terceira.