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Birding in Southern Tuscany and thereabouts (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter 3Italianbirders
- Start date
Thanks Mike! I know the Plover was stunning - and the videos don't do it justice as it was indeed golden!
Summer birding!
Since coming back from our holiday in the North-east we have rarely strayed from the relative coolness and peace of our mountain town, especially since in mid-July temperatures in the lowlands and in cities reached 40C and above.
However we monitored closely the pair of Lesser Kestrels that bred on our patch. They produced 4 young which fledged successfully. There were other adults nearby, so the 4 chicks may have been the product of two pairs. At another location roughly 1 km away we saw also another pair, but no chicks, so not sure what happened there.
Anyway early on Tuesday we drove down to the Val d’Orcia, to meet with a birder from Florence and spent a few pleasant hours before the heat of the day drove us up the mountain again.
The species were more or less the usual for this time of the year, although the absence of Corn Buntings and Crested Larks was a bit odd.
The Lesser Kestrels, all on wires in the same field, were 17, plus another two nearby, 4 Montagu’s Harriers, one Buzzard and one Kestrel, two Short-toed Eagles, several Roller, a few Bee-eaters, the usual Zitting Cisticolas, Serin, a single Turtle Dove, a distant Peregrine, a Little Owl, one Stone Curlew, Swallows, House Martins and a Purple Heron, the first one for our patch. On the way back home also Cirl Bunting and Stonechat.
Since coming back from our holiday in the North-east we have rarely strayed from the relative coolness and peace of our mountain town, especially since in mid-July temperatures in the lowlands and in cities reached 40C and above.
However we monitored closely the pair of Lesser Kestrels that bred on our patch. They produced 4 young which fledged successfully. There were other adults nearby, so the 4 chicks may have been the product of two pairs. At another location roughly 1 km away we saw also another pair, but no chicks, so not sure what happened there.
Anyway early on Tuesday we drove down to the Val d’Orcia, to meet with a birder from Florence and spent a few pleasant hours before the heat of the day drove us up the mountain again.
The species were more or less the usual for this time of the year, although the absence of Corn Buntings and Crested Larks was a bit odd.
The Lesser Kestrels, all on wires in the same field, were 17, plus another two nearby, 4 Montagu’s Harriers, one Buzzard and one Kestrel, two Short-toed Eagles, several Roller, a few Bee-eaters, the usual Zitting Cisticolas, Serin, a single Turtle Dove, a distant Peregrine, a Little Owl, one Stone Curlew, Swallows, House Martins and a Purple Heron, the first one for our patch. On the way back home also Cirl Bunting and Stonechat.
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Apologies if I’m resurrecting this thread AGAIN, but I do it mostly because it’s easier for me to keep everything in one place. I have been mostly absent from BF even I can’t explain why. Sorry about that.
Anyway I thought I’d write a brief post with the main birding events of the past few months, just to sum up on what we’ve been up to and try to be a better contributor in the future.
1 - November
One trip to Lake Bolsena, less than an hour’s drive south of us in the neighbouring region of Lazio with excellent views, among more ordinary stuff, of Red-crested Pochard, and BT Divers (both species winter on the lake).
One trip to the Orbetello Lagoon on the coast, where a Purple Sandpiper spent a couple of weeks at the end of the month.
G went back to Lake Bolsena with our friend Cosimo as he wanted to take more photos of the RC Pochards, but they ended up spotting a much nicer Red-flanked Bluetail (photo courtesy of Cosimo). Not only I wasn’t there, but we went back the following day (the place was already full of birders at that stage) and couldn’t find it.
Anyway I thought I’d write a brief post with the main birding events of the past few months, just to sum up on what we’ve been up to and try to be a better contributor in the future.
1 - November
One trip to Lake Bolsena, less than an hour’s drive south of us in the neighbouring region of Lazio with excellent views, among more ordinary stuff, of Red-crested Pochard, and BT Divers (both species winter on the lake).
One trip to the Orbetello Lagoon on the coast, where a Purple Sandpiper spent a couple of weeks at the end of the month.
G went back to Lake Bolsena with our friend Cosimo as he wanted to take more photos of the RC Pochards, but they ended up spotting a much nicer Red-flanked Bluetail (photo courtesy of Cosimo). Not only I wasn’t there, but we went back the following day (the place was already full of birders at that stage) and couldn’t find it.
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2 - December, January and February
The main event was an Imperial Eagle at the Diaccia Botrona wetland, one of our regular haunts, we had good scope views, but our friend Marina flushed it from a tree by the side of the road, so the photo is hers.
We also spent a morning on the beach near Grosseto to look for Kentish Plovers, but it was a nice day and very busy, so we only saw the footprints.
In early February we drove north, near Livorno, where a Pallid Harrier spent most of the winter. It was a good day with also Marsh and Hen Harriers, Buzzards, Kestrels, Meadow Pipits, Zitting Cisticolas etc.
The main event was an Imperial Eagle at the Diaccia Botrona wetland, one of our regular haunts, we had good scope views, but our friend Marina flushed it from a tree by the side of the road, so the photo is hers.
We also spent a morning on the beach near Grosseto to look for Kentish Plovers, but it was a nice day and very busy, so we only saw the footprints.
In early February we drove north, near Livorno, where a Pallid Harrier spent most of the winter. It was a good day with also Marsh and Hen Harriers, Buzzards, Kestrels, Meadow Pipits, Zitting Cisticolas etc.
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3 - March
Our first spring trip saw us in neighbouring Lazio again, where we attended a conference on the (nearly extinct) European Lanner Falcon. On the way we logged the first Lesser Kestrels and the first House Martins of the year. The town where the conference was held used to host Egyptian Vultures, but they are long gone.
We also went back to Lake Bolsena to see the BT Divers in breeding plumage before they flew north, they weren’t very close, but still a fantastic sight. And a few Red-crested Pochards were still around, possibly looking to breed.
Our first spring trip saw us in neighbouring Lazio again, where we attended a conference on the (nearly extinct) European Lanner Falcon. On the way we logged the first Lesser Kestrels and the first House Martins of the year. The town where the conference was held used to host Egyptian Vultures, but they are long gone.
We also went back to Lake Bolsena to see the BT Divers in breeding plumage before they flew north, they weren’t very close, but still a fantastic sight. And a few Red-crested Pochards were still around, possibly looking to breed.
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4 - April
With Spring migration very slow in our area, on April 18 we drove down to the coast again, this time to a WWF-managed wetland near the busy port town of Piombino. The morning there was pretty good with a single Whiskered Tern and a Marsh Sandpiper, a small flock of Glossy Ibis, plus lots of Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Avocet, Flamingo and a single Yellow Wagtail, the only one of the season for us so far. In the afternoon another smaller wetland nearby produced two migrating Whinchats, again the first ones of the year for us.
Our local patch has been disappointing so far, although we do have two pairs of Montagu’s Harrier just outside town (a 5 minute drive). Some of the usual breeding species have arrived, Whitethroat, Subalpine Warbler, Short-toed Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Hoopoe etc. Also the first Bee-eaters and Roller.
A visit to Monte Labbro, on the other side of the mountain, afforded excellent views of Rock Thrush and Wheatear, plus more Montagu’s Harriers.
Hopefully more to come soon!
With Spring migration very slow in our area, on April 18 we drove down to the coast again, this time to a WWF-managed wetland near the busy port town of Piombino. The morning there was pretty good with a single Whiskered Tern and a Marsh Sandpiper, a small flock of Glossy Ibis, plus lots of Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Avocet, Flamingo and a single Yellow Wagtail, the only one of the season for us so far. In the afternoon another smaller wetland nearby produced two migrating Whinchats, again the first ones of the year for us.
Our local patch has been disappointing so far, although we do have two pairs of Montagu’s Harrier just outside town (a 5 minute drive). Some of the usual breeding species have arrived, Whitethroat, Subalpine Warbler, Short-toed Eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Hoopoe etc. Also the first Bee-eaters and Roller.
A visit to Monte Labbro, on the other side of the mountain, afforded excellent views of Rock Thrush and Wheatear, plus more Montagu’s Harriers.
Hopefully more to come soon!
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Thank you Dragnil!
Thanks Mike! And now a brief photographic account of what we've been seeing in the past few days in our local patch (the Val d'Orcia). The photos are not great as I have now got a new zoom lens for myself (so that I don't have to badger G for his pics every time)and am still trying to achieve decent results. So, first a mixed bag of Red-footed Falcons (they pass through at this time of the year), one Montagu's Harrier, Roller and Stone Curlew (all of them breeding species)
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with audio!
Pettirosso
Member
Bellissime foto, thank you for the report!
opisska
rabid twitcher
I seem to be coming to the wrong parts of Italy and at the wrong times - this is just soooo different to what I know from the country (mostly mid-summer visits around Naples, with another one coming this July). How do you, after all of the birds, get a Tarsiger in the area is beyond comprehension! (Well I have actually seen dozens of them in the last days, but it's not that surprising in the taiga 
)
)
Unfortunately it wasn't me, but G who saw it - I wasn't there that day. We went back the following day to try and find it but it was so windy we could barely stand... so no Tarsiger for me... 😞. July is a dead month for birds here, and especially further south, unless you are in high mountain areas.
More pics from last few days in the Val d'Orcia and the Monte Labbro (mentioned several times in this thread - a 30 minute drive on the other side of the mountain) areas. So far it seems like a good year for Rollers and Montys, but a poor one for migrating small falcons (Lesser Kestrels and Red-footed Falcons. I haven't yet seen a single Honey Buzzard (G saw just one last week) nor a Woodchat Shrike, although we had several Red-backed ones around Monte Labbro yesterday. The most common birds of prey: Buzzard, Kestrel and Short-toed Eagle have also been scarce. Altogether birdlife seems to be decreasing with each passing year, both in diversity and in numbers 😩.
1 - Little Owl, Val d'Orcia (the first one of two in the same afternoon)
2 - Melodious Warbler, a lucky shot in the Val d'Orcia
3 - Montagu's Harrier, Val d'Orcia
4 - Montagu's Harrier, Monte Labbro
5 - Red-backed Shrike, Monte Labbro
6 - Whinchat, a somewhat late migrant, Monte Labbro
1 - Little Owl, Val d'Orcia (the first one of two in the same afternoon)
2 - Melodious Warbler, a lucky shot in the Val d'Orcia
3 - Montagu's Harrier, Val d'Orcia
4 - Montagu's Harrier, Monte Labbro
5 - Red-backed Shrike, Monte Labbro
6 - Whinchat, a somewhat late migrant, Monte Labbro
