Report from 7 to 11 march 2023

Birdwatchers listen to birds just as much as they watch them. Today, we immediately realized what was missing: the chattering of the Siskins, which was almost constant until last week, is now rare. Most have left, and only a few small flocks remain. The Robins have picked up the slack and are singing with gusto, a sign that they too will soon migrate towards their breeding grounds. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the sedentary Nuthatch is singing because it wants to stay and establish a breeding territory. Another loud call has been attracting our attention over the last ten days, from deep within a wooded area. We had our suspicions, but they were confirmed today when we saw a shape moving through the trees, calling all the way: a Goshawk. This is usually a silent species, and this behaviour is only exhibited near the nest on its territory at the beginning of the breeding season. A nesting pair of Goshawks would be truly exceptional, but at this point we can deem it likely.

New arrivals this week included several Pintail and the season’s first Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, and Dunlin. I also checked the White Stork nests in our area: only two of the historic four are occupied, the one at Cascina Cadenazza and the one on the church steeple at Baselica, where the pair seems to be incubating. Sadly, the nest at La Cassinazza, which had drawn some early interest from the storks, appears to be empty.

Pollen and nectar are very nutritious food sources. The pollen of the Pussy Willow(Salix capraea) is concentrated in large grains on their catkins. It is very easy to reach, and as such is a veritable manna for many of our early spring songbird. For this Blue Tit, it was an irresistible attraction.