All August 2024

I spent much of August on holiday, only making a few sporadic visits to La Cassinazza, all of which were cut short by the brutal heat. This report summarizes the entire month.

As early as the first of the month, Sedge Warblers were already here, followed a week later by Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Reed Warbler, Hoopoe, and large flocks of Bee-eaters. At the same time, the Cuckoos, Barn Swallows and Nightingales all left.

The Common Terns disappeared right at mid-month, after successfully fledging all the juveniles from their second brood.

By the second half of the month, Pied Flycatchers had become the most conspicuous migrants, Garden Warbler numbers increased, and I saw one each of Lesser Whitethroat, Common Snipe, Greenshank and Wryneck. A Peregrine was probably also just passing through. The Golden Oriole and Turtle Dove, on the other hand, rounded out the list of species that left this month.

Teal numbers gradually increased throughout the period, from a handful to about a hundred, with ten or so Garganey mixed in.

Fly-over flocks of Bee-eaters were a constant companion. I’ve never liked photos taken from the ground up, and I usually bin them, but I toon an immediate shine to this particular image of a Bee-eater.