Report from 20 to 22 November 2024

New arrivals in recent days include Fieldfare, Mistle Thrush, and Penduline Tit. About 20 Wigeon and a dozen each Gadwall and
Shoveler are adding variety to the waterfowl, while Mallard numbers remain drastically lower than they were in past years.
I have recently received the results of the census of nesting White Storks in Lombardy. A total of 165 nests were counted regionwide,
with 256 juveniles fledged, for a fledging rate of 1.5 juveniles per nest. At La Cassinazza and its immediate surroundings three pairs of
storks have regularly nested for many years now; this year, our three nests fledged seven juveniles, an average of 2.3 per nest,
significantly higher than the regional average. It is likely that this high rate of breeding success reflects the experience of our local pairs.
The temperatures have rapidly gotten colder, dropping to near freezing at night. Some creatures were caught unprepared.