Report 14-20 March 2022

With perfect timing, twenty or so Garganey – known as Marzaiola, the “March bird” in Italian – have dropped in at La Cassinazza. Almost all are drakes, the earliest to migrate. Equally on schedule are the Ruff, but in much more spectacular numbers that have grown with each passing day; there are now at least 250. The number of Black-winged Stilts is also steadily growing, and there are now about twenty. Barn Swallows have also arrived, as expected. The lengthy list of waders already present at La Cassinazza grew by one with the arrival of several Wood Sandpipers, somewhat ahead of schedule. The Black Stork, a one-year-old bird, stayed with us at least until mid-week, as did the Black-tailed Godwits. A Little Crake giving quick glimpses rounded out the list of new arrivals.

I’ve always thought of Robins as quintessential winter birds. As territorial and aggressive as they are towards other Robins, they are often quite friendly and approachable when it comes to humans. They are resilient, hardy birds that can withstand even the harshest winters, when many other passerines leave or, worse yet, succumb to the cold.

I can’t close out my winter reports without a photo of a Robin