Thursday, 2nd January 2025, 11:26 a.m.
4º Troço da Tronqueira, Nordeste, Nordeste, Região Autónoma dos Açores, Portugal
Julien Amsellem
58°F. Winds between 15-30 mph. Heavy fog, mist, and intermittent drizzle.
Pleasant outing with Gerby in the lush forests of NE Sao Miguel. Targeting the Azores Bullfinch, the only other endemic on the Azores I haven’t seen. Despite Gerby emphasizing my minimal chance at finding the AZBU, even going as far as to suggest we cancel due to the weather, I was pushy since this was my only full day on the island. And persistence indeed did pay off!
We arrived and immediately had AZBU calling from the dense forest along the road. While there was minimal success in seeing them, and few birds in general, the habitat — and moreover the weather — was magical. With some of the densest fog I’ve observed, you could see how the wind ripped through the sky, and we slowly got drenched despite minimal rain.
Highlight was hearing and (briefly) seeing the AZBU but the cloud-forest-like habitat was dreamy despite the birds not being very cooperative.
7 | Goldcrest (Sao Miguel)Regulus regulus azoricus |
3 | Eurasian BlackbirdTurdus merula |
2 | Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea |
55 | Azores ChaffinchFringilla moreletti |
7 | Azores BullfinchPyrrhula murina *Rare and high. Incredible to encounter so many. All heard only for the most part, with one briefly seemed in-flight over the road. Walked many roads (and one steep muddy trail), where the birds were often close but too skittish to see due to the strong wings, heavy fog, and occasional rain. Groups of 2-3 and one singleton. The native habitat of laurel forest and thick moss was impossibly stunning, especially as it got slowly drenched by the most. I just wish that the birds showed up to make it a little more beautiful. |
1 | European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelis |
30 | Atlantic CanarySerinus canaria |