A week in the north-east of Italy (Lammergeier galore) (2 Viewers)

[3Italianbirders]

We spent 8 days in northern Italy, 3 in the north-east in the Udine area and the remaining ones in the Val Venosta, a bit of the Trentino-Alto Adige region where we had only spent a few hours two years ago. The Udine bit was never going to be too birdy, as we had family engagements there, but we had planned a couple of trips to local hotspots and a meeting with a birder friend and had a few targets, namely Ural Owl, Black Vulture, Eagle Owl and Red-rumped Swallow, plus we hoped to see connect with waders and terns along the coast.

We decided early on not to attempt the Ural Owl, as there was a conflicting schedule with our commitments in town, thus eventually the only birding we managed in the area was at the nearby Lake Cornino Reserve. Here we dipped on Black Vulture (sometimes one shows up among the about 40 pairs of resident Griffon Vultures) and also on Eagle Owl, despite spending a long time peering at the cliff where they are supposed to hang out (obviously not easy during the day). However we had a good time there, with the Griffons, lots of Black Kites, Ravens and Crag Martins, Blue Rock Thrush, Buzzard and excellent views on the surrounding countryside and the Tagliamento river.

The following day our car decided to play up and we had to have it checked and scrap our coastal plans and the meeting with our friend, thus managing to dip on all our other targets!

 

[3Italianbirders]

Dip-fest thus concluded, the next day we set off for the neighbouring region, but since this required crossing a couple of mountain ranges, it took us over 5 hours - although it was a very pleasant and scenic drive through narrow valleys and mountain passes. We arrived at the Lago della Muta, at the northwestern tip of the Val Venosta: our targets here included Common Rosefinch and Barred Warbler, plus other alpine species like Yellowhammer, Lesser Redpoll, various woodpeckers etc.

The lake itself afforded excellent views of Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Coot, Mallard and Mute Swan, while in the surrounding vegetation we connected with Lesser Redpoll, Chiffchaff, White Wagtail, Fieldfare, Song Thrush. Crag and House Martin, Swallows and Swifts above, but no Rosefinch.

In a nearby area of fields interspersed with Wild Rose bushes we found our second target: Barred Warbler, but it was very windy and the views were not too exciting. Lots of other nice birds around though: Yellowhammer, at least 3 males of Red-backed Shrike, Whinchat, Skylark and Quail.

 

[3Italianbirders]

The next morning we had more luck: at 6.40 we got a text from our friend Luciano, who had arrived in his camper van the previous night, saying that he had a Rosefinch singing just outside! We joined him and there it was: an immature male Common Rosefinch singing on top of a tree just next to the campsite. We had excellent scope views and managed a few a record shots too. Shame that it wasn’t an adult, which was seen a few days later when we were already back home, but we’ll go back. In the same area we also had Tree Pipit, Honey Buzzard and Grey Wagtail, beside all the species of the previous day.

Luciano and his wife joined us and we went to have another look at the Barred Warbler, which afforded better views and also sung in flight several times. A great bird.

A forest trail near a ski resort was very nice with Coal, Great and Crested Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Firecrest, Crossbill, Mistle Thrush, Chaffinch, Nutcracker and Bullfinch, but “not the species we were looking for” and that everyone we know had seen several times in the same place: Three-toed Woodpecker - another dip.

The last stop of the day was in a beautiful Larch forest (plantation?) with views over the lake and several good birds: Song and Mistle Thrush, a family of Crossbills, Treecreeper, Greenfinch, and a very unexpected Spotted Flycatcher.

 

[3Italianbirders]

We started the climb towards the Stelvio pass, the highest in Europe at roughly 2800 m (and thus plagued by a continuous stream of motorcycles and sports cars) where we would be based for the next three days for the annual EBN Italy meeting. There are 48 hairpin bends on the way and we stopped at a cafe halfway up with a fantastic panoramic terrace and squirrels coming to the feeders there.

The pass itself is no big deal, actually pretty ugly with decrepit concrete buildings and discarded bits and pieces from the ski-lifts, but it’s probably one of the few places in the world where you can look down at Lammergeiers. And we did! Three different individuals, two adults and an immature, sometimes so close that I was able to take decent pictures with my 70mm lens. Other species were: Snowfinch, Black Redstart, House Martin, Alpine Accentor and Alpine Chough.

 

[3Italianbirders]

Lammergerier-fest!

 

[3Italianbirders]

Choughs!

 

[3Italianbirders]

With the whole EBN group we headed to the Gavia Pass, on the other side of Bormio, slightly lower than Stelvio but with less traffic and fantastic views. The target here is Ptarmigan, which we had already tried for at dawn outside the hotel, failing miserably, We (and everybody else in the group) dipped again, but had good views of the usual mountain species: Alpine Accentor, Wheatear, Snowfinch and Water Pipit plus several Alpine Ibex and a single Chamois.

Driving down from the pass we stopped in a couple of places where we added Ring Ouzel, Grey Wagtail, Nutcracker, Coal and Great Tit, Chiffchaff, Lesser Whitethroat, Lesser Redpoll, Dunnock and Bullfinch (some people also saw Dipper) and also lots of Marmots. We also stopped a few hairpins down from Stelvio, where we had fantastic views of a splendid Citril Finch, a bird we had only seen in the Pyrenees before, plus Snowfinch, House Martin and Lammergeier.

 

[3Italianbirders]

the local fauna

 

[3Italianbirders]

Tiime to head back - a 7-hour drive for us southerners (although there were people at the meeting from Naples and Sicily), but first we stopped with some people from the group at a place another few hairpins down from Stelvio, but this time on the Trentino side, and walked along a trail that, across alpine meadows full of wildflowers, heads towards what was once the glacier, but is now scree and boulders (the glacier is much higher up). From the car park we had excellent views of Ring Ouzel, Wheatear and Water Pipit, then along the path Black Redstart, Nutcracker, Chaffinch, Alpine Accentor and Crested Tit. On the way back to the car a Marmot stole the show right next to the trail.

We had a final coffee with our friends and headed home, clocking along the way Pygmy Cormorant, Sacred Ibis, Bee-eater and various herons.

A fun few days, despite the car problems and the various dips (the amazing thing is that we didn’t see a single Golden Eagle, which we had always seen in good numbers during previous trips in the area), which means that we’ll just have to go back!

 

[3Italianbirders]

and the wildflowers...

 

[Jos Stratford]

and the wildflowers...

And the butterflies?

Stelvio is one of the top butterfly areas in Italy, look small

 

[ClarkWGriswold]

Looks absolutely beautiful there 👍

 

[Farnboro John]

Wow, those Lammergeiers!

John

 

[3Italianbirders]

And the butterflies?

Stelvio is one of the top butterfly areas in Italy, look small

Well, the first day it was snowing... then there were some, but they were never still! 🙄🙄

 

[3Italianbirders]

Wow, those Lammergeiers!

I know! 🤯

 

[3Italianbirders]

Looks absolutely beautiful there 👍

Thank you, it was!

 

[foresttwitcher]

Love the Lammergeiers & the landscape photos.

 

[Richard G]

Those Lammergeier photos are something else!!!!

 

[3Italianbirders]

Those Lammergeier photos are something else!!!!

Thank you!

 

[wolfbirder]

WoW!

Put this area on my list to visit! To see the Lammers like that would be epic! Also still need Snowfinch (well, at least better views).

Great report!