Report from 10 to 15 May 2022

In the space of a few days, spring has turned to summer, both climate-wise, with a spike in temperatures, and in terms of our birdlife, with migration essentially over and the breeding season well underway. All migrant waterbirds are gone, and the Honey Buzzard was the sole species that was still passing through. Regardless of what the calendar might say, spring is well and truly over.
Marsh and Reed Warblers have finally arrived, a good two weeks behind schedule, while Great Reed Warblers also haunt the reedbed. Alas, their songs are timid and sporadic, suggesting there are only a handful of individuals of each. The Common Tern colony is off to a roaring start, with already ten couples incubating eggs. Several Black Terns kept them company throughout the week.
For once, our most significant sighting of the week was not a rare bird, but a reptile: the Aesculapian Snake. After our first-ever sighting last year, we can now be confident that this elegant, arboreal snake is residing at La Cassinazza.

A few weeks ago, one to three Spoonbills returned to La Cassinazza, after an absence of several months. They are only present intermittently, and are quite wary, making photography a challenge.