Report from 11 to 13 January 2023

Our unseasonable spell of warm weather is over, and fortunately the temperatures have dropped, although they are not particularly cold. The effects of the mild temperatures include hazels flowering two weeks ahead of schedule, and much more surprisingly, a few blackthorns in bloom, which must have been tricked by our unusually warm December.

This week finally saw the arrival of Fieldfares, together with sizeable flocks of Siskins. The Chaffinches and Bramblings have now moved to the farm fields, perhaps because they have picked the sunflower crop dry and are now searching for new food sources. These minor developments aside, we are now at that time of year – the middle of January – when bird movements come to a virtual standstill. This is why the International Waterbird Census is held in this period: at La Cassinazza, the count is scheduled for next week.

Roe Deer are an everyday sighting at La Cassinazza, and this photo, which I took two days ago, seems unremarkable at first glance. I chose it because it shows just how green the meadows still are, which is most unusual for the dead of winter.