Report from 09 to 13 August 2022

The ducks are once again flocking back to La Cassinazza, as they do every year at the end of the breeding season. There are currently hundreds of Mallards, dozens of Teal, a handful of Garganey and a single Shoveler. Other waterbirds migrating through right now include Common Snipe, Wood Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, and single-digit numbers of Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, and Green Sandpipers.
Back on dry land, the commonest migrants have been Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Hoopoes, and flocks of Bee-eaters overhead. The reedbed sounds like it is full of Reed Warblers, but managing to glimpse even one is a real challenge.

For at least two weeks now, I have noticed a complete absence of Starlings. This had never happened before in previous years; in fact, we usually saw major post-breeding Starling flocks at La Cassinazza. My best guess is that this is due to the extreme heat we have had this summer.For Cattle Egrets, feeding chicks can be a hazardous activity: one wrong move and they’ll poke your eyes out!