Oceanodroma - WELCOME!!

Oceanodroma is the family name of Storm-petrel and to be entitle to this brand new boat "Oceanodroma" it had to be launched to the water on a stormy day... Red alert for strong winds and heavy rain was issued by the Regional Authority of Civil Defense but that was not enough to stop its first day on Madeira waters. For those who invested great part of their lives on this fantastic RIB those were very stressful moments but fortunately everything went well and Oceanodroma is now on the water and ready to fly!

On the photos you may see it being prepared with all security equipment and then the inauguration day with family.

So now you finally know what Oceanodroma is! Oceanodroma is the 11 meter long rigid inflatable boat (RIB) that is being explored by Madeira Wind Birds to:

WELCOME OCEANODROMA!

   

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Business is War (part II)

"Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy:—this is the art of retaining self-possession."
Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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Posted 1 day ago by Hugo Romano 

Business is War (part I)

Therefore one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the most skillful. Seizing the enemy without fighting is the most skillful.
是故百戰百勝,非善之善者也;不戰而屈人之兵,善之善者也。
Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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Posted 3 days ago by Hugo Romano 

Six Years...

Yes, we've just made six years in business! Hard times, though strong times.
We have learnt to creatively transform any threat in an opportunity...
and that arse kissing doesn't get you any where but friendship does!
Although many will tell that you should never have an "In your face
attitude...", we believe this is the right attitude.

Personally, everyday we get distracted with topics that are irrelevant
or that we can't change them (i.e. politics, government budget, etc).
Solution? Concentrate more in your life project...

Eventually one day, which should be very close, charities will become
serious businesses paying tax, and then businesses will have a greater
social agenda. Ultimately they will "DO" and not brag about it or make
an event out of it.

By the way... For the next 4 years, we aspire more birds and wildlife
encounters...

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Posted 5 days ago by Hugo Romano 

2010 the Biodiversity year... (part I)

Indeed, 2010 will be a year of diversification for Madeira Wind Birds and we will certainly go a bit more into "bio"! It will all start with "Oceanodroma" and our countdown has just started... 5 days for "Oceanodroma" to be disclosed...

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Ponta do Pargo - the destruction of an IBA for a golf course...

Unfortunately the economic crisis did not hit Madeira Island as it should and money is still being spent on the worst things... One of Madeira's Important Bird Area (IBA) is being destructed for the construction of another unprofitable (the 3rd one already!) golf course... :(

Ponta do Pargo is the westernmost tip of Madeira island and it was a very good spot for bird watching some of the endemic birds as Berthelot's Pipit, Rock Sparrows and Spectacled Warblers but also for migrant birds where Stonechat, Wheater, Woodchat Shrike, Lapwing, Golden Plover, Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Buff-breasted Sandpiper were some of the species already recorded there.

As you can see from the pictures the regional government didn't care about any kind of life there and just 'cleaned' every bit of Gorse Ulex europaeus, Pride of Madeira Echium nervosum, Globe Flower Globularia salicina, Fennel Foeniculum officinale and some other bushes that were the habitat of the endemic birds listed above, for some butterflies as Painted Lady Cynthia cardui and Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus as well as for other insects as bumble bees or spiders. They didn't even start on just one side and move forward slowly to give a chance for the birds and other creatures to move away from the work field, instead they just started all around, trapping all species...

Only today, 3 weeks after the works started and much time after this project was publicly presented, SPEA, the Portuguese BirdLife partner had come to the newspapers saying they do not agree with that Golf Course and that it goes against the Territorial Planning Project for Madeira where it states that Ponta do Pargo is (was) for agriculture only. Why didn't they press charge against the government or said something before the damage was done?

Madeira Wind Birds mourns for all the species murdered at Ponta do Pargo.

   

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Executive Order: Killing of Trocaz Pigeon

Law belongs to the Public Domain, here are two executive orders for the killing of our beloved Trocaz Pigeon Columba trocaz.

We are just passing information. No comment by Madeira Wind Birds.



Filed under  //  law  
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Posted 11 days ago by Hugo Romano 

Lifejackets always in RIBs

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Posted 15 days ago by Hugo Romano 

Any snakes in Madeira?

This is a very popular question among tourist visiting Madeira: "Any snakes in Madeira?"
My personal and safe answer: "That I'm aware. No. Though occasionally there is an unwanted pet snake."

Today we received these photos from a friend.

Luckily it eats small rodents...

     

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Posted 16 days ago by Hugo Romano 

Destruction of Ponta do Pargo

The first move was to destroy some nests (although it is January we have seen the birds building nests) and the nesting area of Spectacled Warbler and Berthelot's Pipit. Very wise!!!

Comment (1)
Posted 17 days ago by Hugo Romano