The Selvagens are probably the ultimate destination for anyone
interested in Western Palearctic seabirds. If you look for
the Salvage Islands or Ilhas Selvagens (in Portuguese) –
the "wild islands" – in an atlas for the first
time, it will take time for sure. They are no romantic islands
in the Caribbean with golden beaches and bars, but a tiny
rocky archipelago, about 162 nautical miles (300 km) south
of Madeira and 80 nautical miles (148 km) north of the Canary
Islands. The archipelago consists of two groups and has a
total area of 283 hectares (2.83 km²). Very few birders
have had the opportunity to go there and a round-trip by boat
from Madeira to these islands is indeed a memory for life!
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| Seabird photographers aboard
"Ventura do Mar" during the tour to the Salvage
Islands on 6-10th July 2005. Photo: Niklas Holmström. |
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New
sound recording added
18th March 2008: A couple of years ago I received a tape
cassette from Steve Gantlett, which I thought was packed with
sound recordings from our Salvage trip in July 2005. Today,
I have listening to it (sorry Steve) and it was just a few recordings,
Bulwer's Petrel beeing one and have been added today. Imagine,
while Steve recording these Bulwer's at night the air was filled
by thousands of silent White-faced Storm-petrels! |
Acknowledgements
I'm grateful
to the Madeiran birder's Frank Zino, Manuel José Biscoito,
João Nunes and Isabel Fagundes, who kindly have providing
additional and valuable information, photos as well as comments
on the text!
Read more
here» |
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