Hi folks!
**DISCLAIMER: Long, rambling report ahead. For those in a hurry, or simply not bothered, look at the list. You get the idea.**
Well for the last week I have been away. I was in Italy, just outside Florence. I travelled a good bit. Altogether I spent time in Florence, Siena, Lucca and the Cinque Terre National Park.
Despite researching some of the birds in general, I forgot to look up what
Italy is like for birding in general. In particular, the Tuscany region. I since
found out that a LOT of hunting goes on there, as in most Mediterranean
regions, so birding is not really a priority as a whole there. However, I did
expect that it is an important place for passage migrants, and based on
what I saw and my Collins Guide, this proved correct! o
Speaking of Collins Guide, this proved INVALUABLE! I saw many
confusing species and having took down notes on odd features and calls,
it was due to the Guide that I managed to identify the birds.
I have given the report a bit of thought. Rather than do a full comprehensive day-by-day report, I will simply list the birds down as I flick through my notebook. I got a lot of lifers and a few great birds. I'm not showing off or rubbing anything in, but I want to get back into the swing of things regarding Birdforum reporting, so what better way to start again? Mabel's reports 2.0 comin' up!
Most of the birds were standard European fare. As in you'll get them very commonly in Britain and even in Ireland. Thing is though, lots of Continental and British species are rare or absent where I am so any treat is gold as far as I'm concerned. Also, I'm not a twitcher, so any odd birds I hear about, I still don't make an effort. :smoke: OK here goes:
Feral Pigeon
Collared Dove
Blackbird
Hooded Crow
Magpie
Serin (lifer)
Marsh Harrier (lifer) saw a few of these. They breed near the area but I'll bet the ones I saw were on passage
Tawny Pipit (needed the guide for this lifer)
Swift
Alpine Swift (lifer)
Woodpigeon
Turtle Dove
Starling
House Sparrow
Kestrel
House Martin
Spanish ( rather, it's stable hybrid form-or "Italian") Sparrow
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Tree Sparrow
Swallow
Buzzard (quite a few of these)
Jackdaw
Black Kite (lifer)
Red Kite (two on passage-lifer)
Yellow-legged Gull
Great Egret (lifer)
Little Egret (not too many of these)
Rock Dove
Moorhen
Coot
Mistle Thrush
Wren
Black-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull (lifer)
Mediterranean Gull (lifer)
Red-rumped Swallow (lifer-very few of these)
Sand Martin
Coal Tit
Mallard
Montagu's Harrier (was told they are quite common, especially on passage, as was the case here! Took a lot of study in the guide though-lifer)
Goldfinch
Pallid Swift (lifer)
Crag Martin (town I was staying in had a roost of these lifers)
Yellow Wagtail (lifer)
White Wagtail (lifer)
Greenfinch
Long-tailed Tit (in the trees outside my room)
Tree Pipit (lifer, and another irritatingly confusing species)
Honey Buzzard (one, another lifer)
Wood Warbler (ID'd by call and notes-lifer)
Marsh Tit (only because Willow Tit is not in the area lol-lifer)
Skylark
Grey Heron (would have preferred Purple but a spectacular bird nonetheless)
Black-eared Wheatear (a beauty!-lifer)
Black Redstart (lifer)
Common Crossbill (lifer)
Dipper
Peregrine Falcon
Cirl Bunting (lifer and gorgeous)
Crested Lark (got a close view-I thought it was an odd Skylark-lifer)
Jay
Tawny Owl (heard and saw this target-I missed it in England-lifer)
That's all the birds. A lot were confusing, but not a bad lot, once you know the little distinguishing features and calls. I didn't, so full credit goes to Collins Guide here. Plus notes. Lots and lots of notes.
What can I say about birding in Italy? Here's a few pointers:
- Drink water. I spent the start of the holiday dehydrated and suffered from slight heat exhaustion. You don't need this. Water cures all.
- Sunblock. I can go Bullfinch pink after 5 minutes, so this is another thing you just don't need.
- Learn your hirundines and Swifts. It doesn't take long, but you'll definitely need it season depending.
- Learn your Raptors. There are a lot of potential target birds here to make any raptor watcher proud.
I had a few targets in mind. Hoopoe being the first. I didn't get it. I never get Hoopoes even though I've been to Spain, Portugal and Italy several times in my youth. I have no idea why this is. I got the Tawny and the Marsh Tit though. Also missed Nuthatch.
Still, I'm not complaining. Anyway, this has been a long report, so I hope you enjoyed it.
Ciao for now folks!
*also saw no land animals except an Adder. There was a Bat roost nearby though so evenings were spent sitting outside watching them feed. I have no idea of the species though.*
**DISCLAIMER: Long, rambling report ahead. For those in a hurry, or simply not bothered, look at the list. You get the idea.**
Well for the last week I have been away. I was in Italy, just outside Florence. I travelled a good bit. Altogether I spent time in Florence, Siena, Lucca and the Cinque Terre National Park.
Despite researching some of the birds in general, I forgot to look up what
Italy is like for birding in general. In particular, the Tuscany region. I since
found out that a LOT of hunting goes on there, as in most Mediterranean
regions, so birding is not really a priority as a whole there. However, I did
expect that it is an important place for passage migrants, and based on
what I saw and my Collins Guide, this proved correct! o
Speaking of Collins Guide, this proved INVALUABLE! I saw many
confusing species and having took down notes on odd features and calls,
it was due to the Guide that I managed to identify the birds.
I have given the report a bit of thought. Rather than do a full comprehensive day-by-day report, I will simply list the birds down as I flick through my notebook. I got a lot of lifers and a few great birds. I'm not showing off or rubbing anything in, but I want to get back into the swing of things regarding Birdforum reporting, so what better way to start again? Mabel's reports 2.0 comin' up!
Most of the birds were standard European fare. As in you'll get them very commonly in Britain and even in Ireland. Thing is though, lots of Continental and British species are rare or absent where I am so any treat is gold as far as I'm concerned. Also, I'm not a twitcher, so any odd birds I hear about, I still don't make an effort. :smoke: OK here goes:
Feral Pigeon
Collared Dove
Blackbird
Hooded Crow
Magpie
Serin (lifer)
Marsh Harrier (lifer) saw a few of these. They breed near the area but I'll bet the ones I saw were on passage
Tawny Pipit (needed the guide for this lifer)
Swift
Alpine Swift (lifer)
Woodpigeon
Turtle Dove
Starling
House Sparrow
Kestrel
House Martin
Spanish ( rather, it's stable hybrid form-or "Italian") Sparrow
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Tree Sparrow
Swallow
Buzzard (quite a few of these)
Jackdaw
Black Kite (lifer)
Red Kite (two on passage-lifer)
Yellow-legged Gull
Great Egret (lifer)
Little Egret (not too many of these)
Rock Dove
Moorhen
Coot
Mistle Thrush
Wren
Black-headed Gull
Slender-billed Gull (lifer)
Mediterranean Gull (lifer)
Red-rumped Swallow (lifer-very few of these)
Sand Martin
Coal Tit
Mallard
Montagu's Harrier (was told they are quite common, especially on passage, as was the case here! Took a lot of study in the guide though-lifer)
Goldfinch
Pallid Swift (lifer)
Crag Martin (town I was staying in had a roost of these lifers)
Yellow Wagtail (lifer)
White Wagtail (lifer)
Greenfinch
Long-tailed Tit (in the trees outside my room)
Tree Pipit (lifer, and another irritatingly confusing species)
Honey Buzzard (one, another lifer)
Wood Warbler (ID'd by call and notes-lifer)
Marsh Tit (only because Willow Tit is not in the area lol-lifer)
Skylark
Grey Heron (would have preferred Purple but a spectacular bird nonetheless)
Black-eared Wheatear (a beauty!-lifer)
Black Redstart (lifer)
Common Crossbill (lifer)
Dipper
Peregrine Falcon
Cirl Bunting (lifer and gorgeous)
Crested Lark (got a close view-I thought it was an odd Skylark-lifer)
Jay
Tawny Owl (heard and saw this target-I missed it in England-lifer)
That's all the birds. A lot were confusing, but not a bad lot, once you know the little distinguishing features and calls. I didn't, so full credit goes to Collins Guide here. Plus notes. Lots and lots of notes.
What can I say about birding in Italy? Here's a few pointers:
- Drink water. I spent the start of the holiday dehydrated and suffered from slight heat exhaustion. You don't need this. Water cures all.
- Sunblock. I can go Bullfinch pink after 5 minutes, so this is another thing you just don't need.
- Learn your hirundines and Swifts. It doesn't take long, but you'll definitely need it season depending.
- Learn your Raptors. There are a lot of potential target birds here to make any raptor watcher proud.
I had a few targets in mind. Hoopoe being the first. I didn't get it. I never get Hoopoes even though I've been to Spain, Portugal and Italy several times in my youth. I have no idea why this is. I got the Tawny and the Marsh Tit though. Also missed Nuthatch.
Still, I'm not complaining. Anyway, this has been a long report, so I hope you enjoyed it.
Ciao for now folks!
*also saw no land animals except an Adder. There was a Bat roost nearby though so evenings were spent sitting outside watching them feed. I have no idea of the species though.*
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