July was a fairly quiet month the highlight being the seventh Red Kite for the Azores at Caminho de Goyanes, Sao Miguel on 11th. 

August saw the first autumn vagrants arriving with Hudsonian Whimbrel, Least Sandpiper and Pectoral Sandpiper being recorded.  The first of the season's pelagic trips recorded the second Swinhoe's Petrel for the Azores on the Bank of Fortune on 25th and also Fea's/Zino's Petrel. Single Sooty Terns were recorded from Graciosa and Faial. The Red Kite on Sao Miguel was seen again on 22nd.

Interest gathered pace through September. An Eleonora's Falcon over Serra da Tronqueira on 14th and 23rd was the first record for the Azores, a Black-billed Cuckoo at Lagoa Azul, Sao Miguel was the fifth record and an Avocet on Santa Maria was the fourth record. Autumn waders numbers picked up with a Short-billed Dowitcher, 12 White-rumped Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, 9 Semipalmated Plovers, up to three Lesser Yellowlegs, an American Golden Plover and Hudsonian Whimbrel. The pelagic trips off Graciosa continued in early September with highlights including the third record of Swinhoe's Petrel, third record of Brown Booby, a Desertas/Cape Verde Petrel and the White-tailed Tropicbird was present on Sao Miguel for most of the month. The month closed in dramatic style with a Northern Flicker photographed on the road side in Faial. 

The long staying Asian Oystercatcher remained at Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel throughout. 

MAY:

May highlights included a record flock of 18 Night Herons at Lagoa do Ginjal, Santa Maria on 14th and a further two on Faial on 15th. Other May sightings included a Pied-billed Grebe still at Lagoa Azul, São Miguel on 19th, a Great Blue Heron at Paul da Praia, Terceira until 3rd, a Squacco Heron at Mobil, Santa Maria on 5th, a Barnacle Goose still at Lagoa das Furnas, São Miguel on 19th, the drake Wood Duck and 2 American Black Ducks still at Lagoa Branca, Flores on 24th, a Garganey at Lagoa do Ginjal, Santa Maria on 2nd-9th, three Semipalmated Plovers at Cabo da Praia, Terceira on 23rd, a Lesser Yellowlegs on Corvo on 14th, the Oystercatcher (of the Asian subspecies longipes) still at Ribeira Grande, São Miguel on 21st and a Fieldfare at Escampadouro, Terceira on 11th.

 JUNE:

June records included a Wilson’s Storm-petrel off Pico on 5th, a Night Heron still on Corvo on 19th, up to nine Cattle Egrets still on São Miguel all month, an increase to five Semipalmated Plovers at Cabo da Praia, Terceira on 17th, the Oystercatcher (of the Asian subspecies longipes) still at Ribeira Grande, São Miguel on 24th and a Common Swift over Ribeira Seca, São Miguel on 4th.

 

Images top to bottom: Great Blue Heron, Terceira (Jerry Bettencourt), Great Egret, Flores (Gerby), Barn Swallow, Sao Miguel (Gerby), House Martin, Terceira (Jerry Bettencourt), Sand Martin, Terceira (Sofia Goulart)

April highlights included the sixth and seventh Red-rumped Swallows for the Azores, together at Ribeira da Povoação, São Miguel on 25th as well as a massive influx of at least 160 Swallows, 32 House Martins and 13 Sand Martins from 21st. Other April sightings included Great Northern Divers at Porto Martins, Terceira until 2nd and Praia da Vitória, Terceira on 4th, Great Blue Herons at Horta, Faial until 2nd (from 26th March) and Paul da Praia, Terceira on 26th with one found dead on Corvo on 11th, a Purple Heron at Mobil, Santa Maria on 25th, American Great Egrets at Santa Cruz, Flores on 22nd and Zamba, Santa Maria on 25th, a Barnacle Goose still at Lagoa das Furnas, São Miguel on 20th,  a Blue-winged Teal at Paul da Praia, Terceira until 1st, three Garganey at Lagoa dos Espraiados, São Miguel on 14th and a drake at Lagoa do Ginjal, Santa Maria on 27th, a drake Green-winged Teal at Pico Careca, Terceira on 11th, an American Golden Plover at Ribeira Grande, São Miguel on 9th, a Semipalmated Plover at Ribeira Grande, São Miguel again on 9th and two still at Cabo da Praia, Terceira on 26th, a Hudsonian Whimbrel still at Cabo da Praia, Terceira on 16th and a Lesser Yellowlegs there until 17th, Wood Sandpipers near Lagoa do Junco, Terceira until 5th and at Zamba, Santa Maria on 26th, five Purple Sandpipers at Porto Martins, Terceira on 27th, Ring-billed Gulls at Lajes, Terceira on 15th and Ponta do Albarnaz, Flores on 18th, a Common Swift at Ferraria, São Miguel on 27th and 3 Fieldfare at Lagoa das Narcejas, Terceira on 17th

Above: Killdeer, Santa Maria (Ruben Coelho) and Northern Gannet, Sao Miguel (Gerby)

March was a relatively quiet month. Highlights included the overwintering Oystercatcher (now thought to be of the Asian subspecies longipes/buturlini) still at Ribeira Grande, São Miguel on 22nd, a Great Blue Heron remained at Lajes, Pico until 2nd,  a first-summer Night Heron was at Lagoa Azul, São Miguel on 9th, a Killdeer still on  Santa Maria on 26th and the Belted Kingfisher still at Ribeira de São Francisco, Santa Maria on 23rd.

Photos (top to bottom): Oystercatcher showing characteristics of Asian sub-species longipes, Sao Miguel (Gerby), Night Heron on Corvo (Gerby) and Fulmar, Sao Miguel (Ruben Coelho)

Highlights of the month included a Bohemian Waxwing (2nd record for the Azores) at Horta, Faial from 2nd to 21st and six Double-crested Cormorants together at Ponta das Contendas, Terceira on 12th. The Belted Kingfisher and a Killdeer remained on Santa Maria throughout and other noteable records included a Black-crowned Night Heron on Corvo till 4th, up to three Jack Snipes on Terceira and a good selection of winter waterbirds.

The long staying Oystercatcher that had been present at Ribeira Grande, Sao Miguel generated some regional interest when Dutch Birding members noticed that the bird was showing features which were characteristic of the Asian sub-species longipes . Features included the large throat patch, brown scapulars and long nostril. If accepted this will be the first record of the sub-species for the Western Palearctic.  More on this here:  

http://gerbybirding.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/oystercatcher-longipesbuturlini-first.html

Top to Bottom: Belted Kingfisher, Santa Maria (Gerby),  Dotterels, Santa Maria (Joel Bried), Cattle Egrets,  Sao Miguel (Jorge Cardoso), Barnacle Goose, Sao Miguel (Ruben Coelho), Pink-footed Geese, Santa Maria (Gerby)

Birding highlights in January included two Long-tailed Duck at Faja dos Cubres on 6th (11th record), a Red-throated Pipit at Canada do Quinhao Grande, Terceira on 25th-27th (13th record) and a Snowy Egret reported from Sao Roque, Pico on 13th (6th record).
A significant influx of Cattle Egrets occurred throughout the archipelago with peaks of 16 on Santa Maria, 45 on Sao Miguel, 13 on Terciera, 5 on Pico and one on Corvo.
The Belted Kingfisher remained at Ribeira de Sao Francisco, Santa Maria throughout the month.
A good selection of wintering water birds across the islands  included up to  2 Pink-footed Goose, two Barnacle Goose, 16 American Wigeon,  a new American Black Duck on Sao Miguel,  3 Garganey and  one Goldeneye. Also Great Blue Heron, Great Egret reported

On February 2nd José Soares found a Bohemian Waxwing in a garden in Horta, Faial. This is only the 2nd record for the Azores.

A first-winter Allen's Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni) was picked up in Praia, Graciosa by a local fisherman of name Belxior Pais at 2:40pm on 10th December 2012. He subsequently telephoned for this service of environment, where Pedro Santos Raposo took it into care as it showed signs of emaciation (weighing only 80 grams).