Report from 30 May to 3 June 2022

Early summer is typically a quiet and uneventful period: migration is but a memory and breeding birds have largely stopped singing. Still, La Cassinazza always has a suprise in store, and our blind stupid persistance is often rewarded. This week we added yet another new species to La Cassinazza’s lengthy bird list: a White-winged Tern spent an entire day exploring the lake. I must admit that one of us had long predicted this species as the most likely new addition to the site list. We also found a new butterfly, the Wood White (Leptidea sinapis), a small white butterfly with small black spots on the wings. Not exactly a spectacular species, and for this reason, it may well have been present for some time and simply overlooked. It is typical of woodlands and forest margins, and its presence is evidence that La Cassinazza’s wooded habitats have reached maturity.My main concern at this time of year is the welfare of our small colony of Common Terns, which now counts at least 15 active nests, all protected from the predatory Hooded Crows. Every once in a while, it’s time for me to take a break, and I will skip the next couple of reports.
Until I’m back, I’ll leave you with this photo of a mother and her fawn.