Even though we live halfway up a mountain (around 900 m. - 2.800 ft.), snow is becoming scarcer, when just 8-10 years ago it was a regular feature of our winters. Not for a long time, as this is still central Italy and the warm waters of the Med are only about 70 kms away, but still you could count on it for some time in the coldest winter months. In 2012 we had nearly one metre in town, and three up the mountain, then things petered out.
It’s a shame because snow on the ground meant more birds at our feeding station and in the past we spent many memorable hours hiding out in the garage (we live in a block of flats, and unfortunately we can’t see the feeders from our windows), looking at all the comings and goings.
In the past few years it has been mostly Tits (Blue, Great, Coal and Marsh), the odd Nuthatch, and masses of Siskins, whereas in the good years we had up to 20 species, with highlights being Crossbill, Hawfinch, Brambling, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Long-tailed tit and even a Sparrowhawk a couple of times (not there for the feeders themselves obviously, but for the other guests..). These are record numbers for Italy, where birds are wary and not used to people feeding them.
Anyway this winter snow has come and gone a few times and in the past few days it has come together with extremely cold temperatures (down to -15 C at night and never above -5 during the day), so we have been able to have some fun at the feeders again. Some species, such as Goldcrest, haven’t come back, also because most of the pine trees behind our garage have been chopped down in the past few years (not by us), but still it was much better than the whirlwind of Siskins (up to 60-70 at a time - you can imagine what this does to our stock of feed!). No Dunnocks either, although they are usually around.
The highlights were a splendid male Black Redstart, stunning agains the snow, a few Hawfinches, 2-3 Bramblings (a very unusual bird in these parts) and a Green Woodpecker digging in the ground not far from the feeders. The full list (in no particular order):
1) Blue tit
2) Great tit
3) Coal tit
4) Marsh tit
5) Nuthatch
6) Siskin
7) Blackbird
8) Robin
9) Chaffinch
10) Brambling
11) Greenfinch
12) Hawfinch
13) Black redstart
14) Goldfinch
15) Collared dove
16) Green woodpecker
Not far from the original 20 species!
It’s a shame because snow on the ground meant more birds at our feeding station and in the past we spent many memorable hours hiding out in the garage (we live in a block of flats, and unfortunately we can’t see the feeders from our windows), looking at all the comings and goings.
In the past few years it has been mostly Tits (Blue, Great, Coal and Marsh), the odd Nuthatch, and masses of Siskins, whereas in the good years we had up to 20 species, with highlights being Crossbill, Hawfinch, Brambling, Dunnock, Goldcrest, Long-tailed tit and even a Sparrowhawk a couple of times (not there for the feeders themselves obviously, but for the other guests..). These are record numbers for Italy, where birds are wary and not used to people feeding them.
Anyway this winter snow has come and gone a few times and in the past few days it has come together with extremely cold temperatures (down to -15 C at night and never above -5 during the day), so we have been able to have some fun at the feeders again. Some species, such as Goldcrest, haven’t come back, also because most of the pine trees behind our garage have been chopped down in the past few years (not by us), but still it was much better than the whirlwind of Siskins (up to 60-70 at a time - you can imagine what this does to our stock of feed!). No Dunnocks either, although they are usually around.
The highlights were a splendid male Black Redstart, stunning agains the snow, a few Hawfinches, 2-3 Bramblings (a very unusual bird in these parts) and a Green Woodpecker digging in the ground not far from the feeders. The full list (in no particular order):
1) Blue tit
2) Great tit
3) Coal tit
4) Marsh tit
5) Nuthatch
6) Siskin
7) Blackbird
8) Robin
9) Chaffinch
10) Brambling
11) Greenfinch
12) Hawfinch
13) Black redstart
14) Goldfinch
15) Collared dove
16) Green woodpecker
Not far from the original 20 species!
