North Italy in December (1 Viewer)

[dannyheptinstall]

Hi All

I'm attending a conference with work and will be tacking on a couple of days for some birding. It'll be the first weekend of December.

The conference is in Milan and I'll be renting a car.

If anyone could give me tips on where to see the following that would be appreciated. Within about 3 hours drive time of Milan would be best.

alpine chough
snowfinch
wallcreeper
rock partridge
alpine accentor
citril finch

Thanks

Danny

 

[wintibird]

Hi Danny,

Not the best time for most of the species, I'm afraid. Alpine Chough and Snowfinch are regularly seen in the skiing resorts around St. Moritz, Switzerland (3 hrs by car). You could take the cable car up to Corviglia and spend some time around the restaurants there. Alpine Chough is guaranteed, Snowfinch and Alpine Accentor likely. Rock Partridge is usually not accessible at this time of year (at least in Switzerland), Citril Finch very difficult (most are gone to their wintering sites).

Best regards from Switzerland
André

 

[Surrey_Ed]

I went in February this year, staying just outside Milan - shamefully/shamelessly I was after category C birds but I did enjoy fantastic views of a Wallcreeper at Centrale Semenza dam, near the town of Robbiate.

My trip report, with details of the Wallcreeper site, is here - https://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport/repository/STUBBS_Italy_0203_2017.pdf

 

[3Italianbirders]

Hello. Sorry I have just read this. I am sure you don't have to go all the way to Switzerland for alpine species. In fact I am sure that you can find them in ski resorts much closer to Milan. I have seen all three (Alpine Chough, Snowfinch and Alpine Accentor) in Breuil-Cervinia, across the border from Zermatt. You won't see them in town but have to go further up on the slopes, usually near restaurants. I don't know any resorts in the area but maybe these guys will be able to help http://www.birdinlombardia.it - email is [email protected]. If you don't get a reply (I am not sure how active their site is), let me know and I can put you in touch with some locals. We have a few birder friends in the Milan area and I am sure that they'll be able to help.

 

[maudoc]

I could help you if you want to drive to Verona and the for 50 Kms more north.
(But I don't know if I will be free in that weekend now :smoke

alpine chough 100%
snowfinch 10%
wallcreeper 50%
rock partridge 1%
alpine accentor 20%
citril finch 1%

If you are interested send an email to maudoc[AT]maudoc.com

 

[3Italianbirders]

ciao Maurizio!

 

[sscheema]

Good morning everyone. I was searching net for birding in Italy and was lucky to reach this forum and this entry, though it did take quite some time to stumble here. I am likely to be in Italy for my work-related visit in Dec or in Jan for two weeks. I understand these are not the best months for birding but my weekend within these days likely to be free. I am likely to be based in or around Sesto Calende. I will be grateful if I can accompany someone birding around there. I am apprehensive of hiring a car as India drives on the wrong side of the road for Italy. Will post the firm dates as soon as possible. please do mail reply on cheema(dot)ss(at the rate)gmail(dot)com . I am a fairly dedicated birder and you please visit my blog - http://cheemablog.blogspot.com

 

[Helsinki Birder]

Could anyone advise on seeing Pine Bunting in Northern Italy?

Regards

Owen

 

[Richard Prior]

Could anyone advise on seeing Pine Bunting in Northern Italy?

Regards

Owen

Hi Owen, I've looked on Ornitho.it (can only go back 15 days unfortunately) and found one sighting, 25 Feb at:

Locate Varesino [32N 493 / 5059] / Locate Varesino (CO)
( CO is Como county/region )

1 Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos)
Detail from Luca Giussani : 1x male adult

Pine Bunting - Giussani Luca

with the sighting there was a crappy photo grab from a video he took, but looking through the photo gallery on the site he took a cracker earlier last month (no exact date or location, but presumably at the same spot):

http://www.ornitho.it/index.php?m_id=54&mid=234046

hope this helps a little, hopefully one of our Italian contributors can help (perhaps you should start a separate thread for your request though)

Richard

 

[Helsinki Birder]

Hi Owen, I've looked on Ornitho.it (can only go back 15 days unfortunately) and found one sighting, 25 Feb at:

Locate Varesino [32N 493 / 5059] / Locate Varesino (CO)
( CO is Como county/region )

1 Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos)
Detail from Luca Giussani : 1x male adult

Pine Bunting - Giussani Luca

with the sighting there was a crappy photo grab from a video he took, but looking through the photo gallery on the site he took a cracker earlier last month (no exact date or location, but presumably at the same spot):

http://www.ornitho.it/index.php?m_id=54&mid=234046

hope this helps a little, hopefully one of our Italian contributors can help (perhaps you should start a separate thread for your request though)

Richard

Thanks Richard,

I also found this sighting,
https://observation.org/soort/photos/1537?from=2018-02-04&to=2018-02-04

Could anyone provide a dropped pin on Google maps for either of these/ general gen on finding (what I presume are Yellowhammer flocks containing) these birds?

Edit: found the Google ref for the observation.org birds

Regards

Owen

 

[Ornitomania]

This video could honor your post. December, it seems the desert, only in the uncultivated corners there is a little animation with the groundbaits for the Finches and not only for them. Difficult to film in that forest of twigs and dry herbs, almost always in manual focus and at each change of focal length you have to refocus and then it's cold. The following species are visible in the video: Reed bunting, Chaffinch, Linnet, Serin, Wren, Dunnock and Siskin.

 

[Ornitomania]

Wild Birds under the snow

 

[2520years]

Hi all

I know this is slightly off topic, but I'm staying in Montichiari (about 8 miles SW of Lake Garda) in May with family. I won't get much time to myself, so would anyone be able to recommend somewhere I could go for half a day? I haven't got any specific species to hunt for, but would like to see birds that I wouldn't normally see in the UK.

Thanks

 

[Richard Prior]

Hi all

I know this is slightly off topic, but I'm staying in Montichiari (about 8 miles SW of Lake Garda) in May with family. I won't get much time to myself, so would anyone be able to recommend somewhere I could go for half a day? I haven't got any specific species to hunt for, but would like to see birds that I wouldn't normally see in the UK.

Thanks

Try posting the same request on the ‘Birding Tuscany and thereabouts’ thread, I’m sure the 3 Italian Birders will have some ideas.

 

[2520years]

Will do, thanks!