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Rome without bins (1 Viewer)

TonyC

Well-known member
I've just come back from a short trip to Rome, and I was banned from taking my bins as this was a cultural holiday.
Without binoculars I managed to see - Swift, House Martin, Sand Martin, Kestrel, YL Gull, Mallard, 'Italian' Sparrow, Turtle Dove and Bee-Eater.

Ones that got away - a big raptor circling just outside the airport - long narrow wings like a Kite but a square tail, bigger than a Common Buzzard (Short-toed eagle ???)
A Warbler singing at the top of the Spanish Steps, similar to Blackcap but more 'fruity' and musical.
A diddly-dee type song in the same park - stronger and more musical than Goldcrest, presumably Firecrest.

Any ideas ?
 
Hi Tony - I just joined this forum (my first such) to respond to your question. I just flew back to the US from Rome on June 1, 2005. As we waited to take off around 11am local time - I was observing a Black Kite hovering above a grassy patch on the airport grounds right in the midst all that plane traffic! I was amazed it was there; dark all over with that concave edge to tail feathers. It reminded me of the US Turkey Vulture due to some suggestion of lighter primaries when seen from below.
 
lpmce said:
Hi Tony - I just joined this forum (my first such) to respond to your question. I just flew back to the US from Rome on June 1, 2005. As we waited to take off around 11am local time - I was observing a Black Kite hovering above a grassy patch on the airport grounds right in the midst all that plane traffic! I was amazed it was there; dark all over with that concave edge to tail feathers. It reminded me of the US Turkey Vulture due to some suggestion of lighter primaries when seen from below.

Hi all. The Black Kite is a quite common raptor in C Italy.
Cheers
 
hornet said:
Yeah, smuggle a pair of compacts out with you next time. o:)

Absolutely - or divorce/lose the banner (what kind of relationship would ban binoculars)! Or just make the reasonable argument that bins are really quite handy for looking at the detail of carving on cathedrals, Roman ruins, etc. while on cultural holiday. Barbara
 
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