Paul do Mar and vereda dos zimbreiros

Madeira firecrest.

Vereda dos zimbreiros is a footpath which starts just 100m down the road from our accommodation. It starts out as a relatively flat cobbled path, around 2 or 3m wide, but don't be fooled, it quickly turns into a steep, narrow descent into the fishing village of Paul do Mar. 

Close to the top of the path, it crosses a wooded stream called Ribiera de Sao Joao. This is about the best part of the path for birds, with lots of blackcaps, Madeira firecrests, Canarian kestrels, Atlantic canaries, blackbirds, buzzards and Trocaz pigeon. I even heard a Sardinian warbler here, which is a rare species in Madeira.

These Trocaz pigeons are really difficult to spot let alone photograph. I've spent many hours trying to get a better view but usually all I get is a 10 second fly past. They're very secretive birds and this is the only photograph I have ever managed to get from two visits to Madeira.

Madeira firecrest is an endemic species and one of the commonest birds in the woodlands, a real gem of a bird.

Blackcaps are everywhere in Madeira and like so many species here it is a different race Sylvia atricapilla heineken. I'm not sure how they differ from the UK blackcap, perhaps a little browner, but as always these races are worth seeing because as with the chaffinch, you can never be sure when they will be classed as a separate species.

Atlantic canary.

The descent down to Paul do Mar is over 450m, 1500ft, or around half the height of Scafell Pikes, so not to be undertaken lightly, especially on a hot day. Remarkably, as recently as the 1960s the vereda dos zimbreiros footpath, or I suppose boat, were the only ways into the village, there were no roads. These days there are two roads in, one from our village of Faja da Ovelha, the other more modern road is from the east via a series of impressive tunnels through the mountains. You can see the small village of Jardim do Mar on the small headland at the top of the picture.

Looking at Paul do Mar from nearby Jardim do Mar you can see scale of the challenge, the vereda dos zimbreiros footpath winds it's way up the cliff behind the town to reach Faja de Ovelha on top of the cliff! Now it really does look like it's half the height of Scafell Pikes!

Paul do Mar itself is a great place, one of our favourite villages in Madeira, and is well worth a visit. One of these buildings had a plaque saying that it was built in 1901, way before there was any kind of vehicular access to the village.

Paul do Mar also seems to be surf central, with some impressive waves. Apparently in 2001 it was one of the venues for the World Surf Championships.

Only recommended for experienced surfers I believe. 

The yellow-legged gulls in Madeira are of the race atlantis, or Azorian gull. At this time of year I had hoped to see a few in their impressive hooded winter head dress, but they all appear to be white headed.