[ekopa]

Hello!

I plan to spend some time in Milan at the end of September and want to do a couple of days of birding. Will have a car and can be quite mobile (say, go down to the Po delta).
Could you recommend places to go?
My wish list is long and overambitious, so if I see a small part of it, I'd be happy)

Cory's Shearwater
Mediterranean Shearwater
Storm Petrel
Lesser Kestrel
Lanner Falcon
Rock Partridge
Collared Pratincole
Kentish Plover
Dotterel
Pomarine Skua
Arctic Skua
Slender-billed Gull
Audouin's Gull
Gull-billed Tern
Caspian Tern
Rock Dove (a real one)
Barn Owl
Calandra Lark
Crag Martin
Red-rumped Swallow
Alpine Accentor
Black-eared Wheatear
Blue Rock Thrush
Rock Thrush
Dartford Warbler
Moustached Warbler
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler
Cetti's Warbler
Bonelli's Warbler
Collared Flycatcher
Wallcreeper
Woodchat Shrike
Chough
Rock Sparrow
Snowfinch
Citril Finch
Serin
Cirl Bunting

Thanks!
Aleksey

[albatross02]

Rock Trush, Rock Martin, Snow Finch, Wallcreeper I would search in the Alps like Schlern ( norteast of Bolzano ).
Near hut Tierser Alphuette is an easy via ferrata, where I found Rock Trush.

Blue Rock Trush should be in the stone pit near Brandzoll or at the rocks near Stratten south of Bolzano.
But I tried it 3 x and did not found.
South Stratten I found Ortolan bunting. There is and old hopuse in front of stone pit.

For alpine birds Is also possible to go to Monte Baldo, the mountains east of lake Lago di Garda.
Alpine Accentor I saw there.
From lake site is a lift up.
From east site is possible to drive quite high with car.
Lake site very touristy, west side rather empty.

Alpine crow with yellow beak You will find on every peak between Bavarian and South Tirol.
With red beak rather western alps.

[albatross02]

At Delta di Po I was in the northern part ( see map ).
http://www.parks.it/parco.delta.po.e...pt=iti&id=1866

I saw many waders, Flamingo and all kind of european herons there.

I stayed in agriturismo.
http://www.agriturismo.it/en/farmhou...625/index.html

In a very small lake in front of the house was Little Bittern.
Nearby the house also Scops Owl.

This homepage is only in german language, but maybe a good orientation of the routes ?
http://www.birdinggermany.de/podelta.htm


Check also this page
http://www.ornitho.it/index.php?m_id=1&langu=en

[ekopa]

Thank you very much for the tips!
Although I don't read German, the PO delta plan is very useful.
Am I right in assuming that the red lines on the last two maps indicate the route that I can drive?
Is there any visitor centre where I can get a detailed plan of the area?

[albatross02]

Yes Your are right.

South of main river was a town with information centre ( I cannot remember the name ), there You get maps an good informations.

I made a report in birdforum, but somehow it seems disappeared.

Maybe this page can help ?
http://www.ornitho.it/

This I found also
http://www.birdingitaly.net/

Did You contacted this user ?
http://www.birdforum.net/member.php?u=30

[albatross02]

Another idea, If You start from Milan, one idea is go by train ( trenitalia.it ) to Padua, Bologna or Ravenna.
Train is quite cheap in Italy, driving on main street is quite reckless.

[ekopa]

Thank you!
it's exactly what I'm planning to do: to take a train from Milan to Bologna and then to rent a car