Report from 16 to 18 May

The weather was adverse the whole week, with rain and, more significantly, low temperatures. We had a nice local rarity early in the week when two Avocets showed up, only the fifth record here at La Cassinazza in over twenty years. The Goshawk is extremely cautious near the nest. I approach it no more than once a week, and only for a quick check. I thus consider myself lucky to have observed it fly into the nest, where it now has chicks. The Common Tern colony was cause for great disappointment; in the space of a few days, all the eggs that were laid disappeared. They were predated. But the culprit remains elusive. I would rule out the Hooded Crows, which in recent years have proved unable to get past the wire mesh that was placed specifically to prevent them from getting at the eggs. There are other suspects, and if – or better yet, when – the terns will lay a second clutch, we’ll find a way to identify them.

There are three white herons: the Cattle Egret, Little Egret, and Great White Egret. Starting with the last-named, I will feature them in turn in the photo that accompanies this report. If you’ll notice, the Great White Egret is standing on the same log that could be seen in last week’s photos. For all the herons, it is a great spot from which to hunt, and this allowed me to take many photos.