Michael´s Fifth Year

[Galana]

Good one @michael-ibk. No doubts here.

[TonyQ]

Well done. I think the head shape is different as well.

[michael-ibk]

Yes, indeed, a longer neck, a bit Cuckoo-like.

[michael-ibk]

Last (extended) weekened we went to Italy - even though it´s only 30 km to the border we rarely venture South and have not spent a holiday there for ages. But with limited options this year we decided to try out new places and visited the Po Delta. Italy does not really have much of a reputation as a birding destination - with good reason, ducks and songbirds especially are hunted heavily and are almost bizarrely shy. But the lagoons South of the Delta especially are still a great, underrated place - we did see more than 80 species, a few new ones among them. And it´s Italy after all - the Sea, great weather, and delicious Italian food of course. We really enjoyed this little getaway and will definitely return. Actually Commachio (where we stayed in a lovely B&B out of the city) is closer to us than Seewinkel (our favourite birding destination in Austria), a bit more than four hours by car (without traffic jams of course). A few general photos and duplicates to set the scene.

 

 

 

Little Egret

 

 

 

Bee-Eater

 

 

 

Nutria

 

 

 

Punk Squacco Heron

 

 

 

Night Heron

 

 

 

Pygmy Cormorant

 

 

 

Common Tern in the early morning light

 

 

 

Montagu´s Harrier

 

 

 

Cormorant

 

 

 

Purple Heron killing a Snake

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

417/E169.) Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensi) / Brandseeschwalbe

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8/20. Seen a couple of times - unfortunately always flying much higher than their common cousins.

 

Edited August 29, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

-/E170.) Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) / Bruchwasserläufer

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8/20. Very common in the lagoon, many of them passing through right now. Already seen in Tanzania.

 

[michael-ibk]

418/E171.) Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) / Zistensänger

 

Valle di Commachio, 21/8/20. The most widespread Cisticola and the only one occurring in (Southern) Europe. As I mentioned before most passerines are ridiculously difficult in the area, as if they barely exist there.  Almost no Tits, Finches or Warbers to be seen. I did not even manage to take a picture of an Italian Sparrow, a species I had fully expected to get with ease. Cetti´s Warbler was also quite common but (as is the norm for that bird) only ever heard, never seen.

 

[michael-ibk]

419/E172.) Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) / Dunkler Wasserläufer

 

Valle di Commachio, 21/8 and Codigoro, 23/8. Only a few individuals present. The individual in the third picture was apparently in the process of moulting out of its dark breeding plumage.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

420/E173.) Slender-Billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei) / Dünnschnabelmöwe

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8. Only one distant sighting - that we realized at least. Surprisingly difficult to tell apart from the ubiquitous Black-Headed Gulls from a distance.

 

[michael-ibk]

421/E174.) Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) / Eisvogel

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8. Common in the area (we saw more than 10 individuals) but very shy. Even on a boat their flight distance is huge. We inquired about a Kingfisher hide in the area but were told it rarely showed up there this time of the year. Still hoping to get a better picture later this year.

 

[michael-ibk]

422/E175.) African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) / Heiliger Ibis

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8. A self-sustaining population has been around for quite a while now. It´s not entirely clear where there are from. The Italian population may have been introduced from the zoo Le Cornelle which has kept a free-flying group since the early 1980s, or possibly from Brittany in France, but nobody knows for sure.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

423/E176.) Red Knot (Calidris canutus) / Knutt

 

Goro, 23/8. Seen further North in the actual Delta where the Goro arm of the Po river meets the Sea. Not too exciting an area birding-wise, but a nice beach. And finding this rare migrant was definitely a highlight.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

-/E177.) Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) / Kuhreiher

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8. Common in the agricultural areas a bit away from the wetlands. More and more of them pop up every year in Austria but still extraordinarily rare there. Already seen in Tanzania.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

424/E178.) Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) / Ringeltaube

 

Valle di Commachio, 20/8. Hundreds and hundreds of them moving through right now.

 

[michael-ibk]

425/E179.) Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) / Rosaflamingo

 

Valle di Commachio, 21-23/8. The highlight of the area. Thousands of Flamingos have found their new home. When the salt production stopped a few stragglers from the Camargue population in France started to show up at the beginning of the century. The population began to breed and grew quickly, thousands of Flamingos inhabit the Greater Delta  now.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 30, 2020 by michael-ibk

[michael-ibk]

426/E180.) Short-Toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) / Schlangenadler

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8. An unexpected highlight. We drove through an agricultural area because the host of our B&B had told us Cranes could be found there. I was very sceptical, and of course none were around (although I fully expect they could like it there in Winter). But this raptor was a wonderful compensation - it´s not a regular bird there at all.

 

 

 

[michael-ibk]

-/E181.) Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) / Sichelstrandläufer

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8. The Dunlin twin. One bird still retained some of its red summer look. Already seen in Tanzania.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

427/E182.) Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) / Sichler

 

Borgo Manara, 22/8. A special bird to see here. Not that easy to get, we searched quite long for this one.

 

[michael-ibk]

428/E183.) Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) / Steinwälzer

 

Valle di Commachio, 21/8. A young, wonderfully accommodating bird. These juveniles sometimes have zero fear of humans - it let me approach very closely.

 

[michael-ibk]

429/E184.) Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) / Teichwasserläufer

 

Valle di Commachio, 22/8. One of the rare waders in Middle Europe, their migration routes are farther East. Delighted to find one, I had been disappointed missing this elegant bird with its needle-like bill in Tanzania.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

430/E185.) Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) / Zwergseeschwalbe

 

Last Po Delta bird. Valle di Commachio, 23/8. The diminutive cousin of the Common Tern.

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

What a productive trip, great birds and the weather looks beautiful!

[shazdwn]

Sounds (and looks) like a great trip 

[Galana]

A very worthwhile trip. And excellent food and wine as a bonus too.

I hope you don't mind but I am uncomfortable with your Knot. Leg colour and it does not look dumpy enough. I don't know the latest distribution and they change but Po delta is not given on my two books. Did you consider Ruff?

[Soukous]

Wow! It seems you had a very rewarding trip Michael. Lovely photos and great light.