Lars Hansen a Danish Ornithologist in Latium 23-26th April 2014

Segnalato da Nicola Baccetti l’arrivo di Lars in Italia per la fine di aprile Sergio Muratore ha coordinato una serrata 4 giorni di escursioni per il collega danese cui hanno preso parte come “guide” anche Marco Scutellà e Massimo Biondi. Giornate intense passate sul campo a discorrere di uccelli e natura ma anche di tante altre cose interessanti un saluto da tutti noi:  “farvel Lars!”

 

Lazio, Italy, 23-26/4-2014 – notes by Lars Hansen

Thanks to Sergio, Massimo and Marco for helping me to experience a lot of good nature habitats in Lazio. They are all dedicated people, who do a great work every day.

Parco Nazionale del Circeo, 23. April 2014 (alone)

 The Pondiac Swamps. Best place to watch birds is at Strada Sacramento (see map below) – I supplied with extensive observations from the surrounding areas, incl. the drive from Roma.

Circeo N.Park Caprolace Lake

                                                                                      

                                                         Figure 1: The low water along Strada Sacramento.                                                                 

Torre Flavia, 24. April 2014 (with Sergio Muratore /alone)A 40 ha(?) swamp area. To the south and east surrounded by a camping place and a traffic road.

Torre Flavia

 

                        Figure 2: Torre Flavia has several very good, swampy areas and a large number om migrating wetland birds.

Macchiatonda, 24. April 2014 (with Sergio Muratore/alone) Zona “A” is a 35 ha costal landscape with bushes/maki and several lakes. Zone “B” (inland) another 209 ha of (organic?) farmland, that is planned to be restored as an extension of the swamp area. It given very good opportunities, even it is a challenge to raise a project.

Macchiatonda

                                             Figure 3: One of the costal lagunes in Macchiatonda – seen from one of the blinds.

 

Tolfa Hills 25. April 2014 (with Massimo Biondi) 70.000 ha big pasture landscape with grassing horses and cattle. Extremely beautiful landscape with bushes and open rocky landscapes. Quite no houses at all in the 70 km² big area that belongs to the villages of Tolfa and Allumiere.

ZPS Monti della Tolfa

                                         Figure 4: Part of the Tolfa Hills area. In the background to the right is the Tolfa village.

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo (Ostia harbor), 26. April 2014 (with Marco Scutellá)  A small, only 20 ha big artificial swamp area inside the city/harbor of Ostia. A very good birding place, that might be extended into the surrounding open areas. If that happens, the area will be much bigger (100 ha?)

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo LIPU

                                       Figure 5: Part of Centro Habitat Mediterraneo. A very good habitat inside the city of Ostia.

Tarquinia saltpans, 26. April 2014 (with Marco Scutellá) 140 ha of former salt production area (1803-1997). Planned to be restored as a nature area, e.g. for breeding wetland birds.

Tarquinia Saltpans (VT)

                 Figure 6: Part of Tarquinia saltpans. By restoring it will turn to be an important breeding area for wetland birds.

 

Bird observed in Lazio 23.-26. April 2014.

 

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

Centro Habitat Miditerraneo – one pair seen

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 2-3 pairs

Torre Flavia – 3-4 breeding pairs

Macchiatonda – 3-5 pairs

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 3 resting

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 3 flying over

Bittern Botarus stellaris

Parco nazionale del Circeo – one seen

Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutes

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – one seen

Cattle Egret Bubulus ibis

Nearby La Garzaia di San Giorgio – 10+ seen (in the Tolfa Hills area)

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

Torre Flavia – one seen

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Tarquinia saltpans – 5

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 6 seen

Torre Flavia – common, up to 10 seen

Macchiatonda – common, more than 10

Great White Heron Casmerodius alba

Tarquinia saltpans – two in the northern part

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 1

La garzaia di San Giorgio – one seen

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Tarquinia saltpans – single birds

Parco nazionale del Circeo – one seen

Torre Flavia – 2-3 seen

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 6-8 seen

Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber

Tarquinia saltpans – only “Emillana” was at home. Flocks are seen every year, in 2013 one pair was nesting, but without success (Marco)

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Tarquinia saltpans– one pair (breeding birds)

Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

Tarquinia saltpans– 30+ seen (resting)

Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus

Torre Flavia – one seen (probably escaped from captivity)

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – several

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Torre Flavia – common

Gadwall A. strepera

Parco nazionale del Circeo – one pair

Shoveler A. clypeata

Torre Flavia – one pair

Ferruginous Duck Anthya nyroca

Tarquinia saltpans – one seen

Red Kite Milvus milvus

Torre Flavia – 1-2 seen

Tolfa Hills – 2

Black Kite Milvus migrans

Tolfa Hills – 1

Cerveteri – 1

Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 2

Torre Flavia – 2-3 seen

Macchiatonda – 2 seen

Buzzard Buteo buteo

Tolfa Hills – 3-4 seen

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus

Tarquinia Monte Riccio (VT)– one seen

Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Torre Flavia – 2 seen

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 2 seen

La Farnesiana-Allumiere – 3-4 seen

Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni

B&B Naumanni near Monte Riccio Tarquinia (VT)– two seen

Hobby F. subbuteo

Torre Flavia – one migrating north

Pheasant Phacianus colchirus

Macchiatonda – 2 males

 

Little Crake Porzana parva

 

Macchiatonda – one was seen shortly

Water Rail Rallus aquaticus

Torre Flavia – 1 seen, 1 heard

Morhen Gallinula chloropus

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 1 seen

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 2 seen

Torre Flavia – few seen

Macchiatonda – common

Coot Fulica atra

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – common, several pairs with youngs

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Torre Flavia – common

Stone-curlew Burhinus oedicnemus

From the road we checked a former breeding site in Le Vignole-Fiumicino (industrial area), but didn´t find any. (Nearby a wet area on a field with one Great Heron, but nothing else. In previous years small flocks of Black-winged Pratincole has been seen here (Marco) and it looks like a good breeding place for Little ringed Plover).

Tolfa Hills – nest seen. There are several pairs in Tolfa Hills, probably more than 20, maybe up to more than 50 pairs (Massimo)

Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Tarquinia saltpans– 10+ seen

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 10+

Macchiatonda – common

Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

Parco nazionale del Circeo – one seen

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Tarquinia saltpans– 2 seen

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 4 seen

Little Ringed Plover C. dubius

Tarquinia saltpan– 2 resting in the northern lake

Parco nazionale del Circeo – one pair

Kentish Plover C. alexandrinus

Not seen, but estimated to breed with 0-20 pairs in Lazio (Massimo)

Curlew sandpiper C. ferruginea

Tarquinia saltpans – 8

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 10+

Dunlin C. alpina

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 10 resting

Little Stint C. minuta

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 25+ resting

Temminck Stint C. temminckii

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 10 seen

 

Ruff Philomachus pugnax

Tarquinia saltpans – 30 resting

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 75 seen

Torre Flavia – common, more than 30 seen

Macchiatonda – common

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 2 seen

Torre Flavia – 3 seen

Greenshank Tringa nebularia

Tarquinia saltpans – 25+ resting

Torre Flavia – 3 resting

Macchiatonda – common

Wood Sandpiper T. glareola

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 1 seen

Green Sandpiper T. ochropus

Torre Flavia – 2, maybe more seen

Yellow-legged Gull Larus cachinnans

Tarquinia saltpans – 20

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – common

Torre Flavia – fairly common

Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis

Torre Flavia – flock 12 migrating

Black Tern Chlidonias niger

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 2 seen

White-winged Tern C. leucopterus

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 1 came shortly by

Rock Dove Columba livia (domestic form)

Common in cities and villages

Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Macchiatonda – common

Turtle Dove S. turtur

Macchiatonda – one pair(?), male singing

Collared Parakeet Psittacula krameri

Nearby my hotel in the southern Roma a roosting place. After sunset the birds flew through Via Corinto in many flocks of 10-50 birds. The total number of birds were more than 500 (maybe much more).

Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Tolfa Hills- 1 singing

Swift Apus apus

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Centro Habitat Miditerraneo – common

Torre Flava – common

Macchiatonda – common

Tolfa Hills – common

Hoopoe Upupa epops

Tolfa Hills – one seen

Bee-eater Merops apiaster

7 seen at Tarquinia saltpans- 7 seen (migrating birds)

Parco nazionale del Circeo – flock 8

Skylark Alauda arvensis

Tolfa Hills – few seen

Tarquinia saltpans – two flew over

Woodlark Lullula arborea

Tolfa Hills – common

Crested Lark Galerida cristata

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Tolfa Hills – common

Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla

Tarquinia Ara della Regina (Viterbo)  – 2 seen

Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra

Tarquinia Ara della Regina (Viterbo) – 3-4 on a hill in the area, singing males seen well

Sand martin Riparia riparia

Torre Flavia – common, more than 30 passing (migrate?)

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 5+

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Tarquinia saltpans – common (migrating birds + breeding birds)

Centro Habitat Miditerraneo – common

Tolfa Hills – common

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Macchiatonda – common

House Martin Delichon urbica

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – common

Torre Flavia – common, more than 25 seen

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

Tolfa Hills – few near Monte dell’Acqua Tosta

Tawny Pipit A. campetris

Tolfa Hills – pairs seen on few sites.

Wren Trogledytes troglodytes

Parco nazionale del Circeo – several in the forest

Canale Monterano – 1 seen

Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba

Tarquinia saltpans – few seen

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – few seen

Torre Flavia – few seen

Macchiatonda – few seen

Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos

Tarquinia saltpans – several singing males

Parco nazionale del Circeo – 2 singing males

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra

Tarquinia saltpans – common (the migration goes on these days)

Tolfa Hills – common

Tarquinia Ara della Regina (Viterbo) – almost 10

Stonechat Saxicola toquata

Tolfa Hills – fairly common

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Torre Flavia – one seen on the beach/harbor nearby

Blackbird Turdus merula

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Torre Flavia – common

Tolfa Hills – common

Macchiatonda – common

 

Savi´s Warbler Locustella luscinioides

Parco nazionale del Circeo – one male singing

Fan-tailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis

Tarquinia saltpans – common, several males singing

Tolfa Hills – common in wet as well as dry areas

Torre Flavia – common

Macchiatonda – common

Tarquinia Ara della Regina (Viterbo) – common

Cetti Warbler Cettia cetti

Parco nazionale del Circeo – fairly common

Macchiatonda – common

Fiumicino near Airport – 1 singing

Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Tarquinia saltpans – 1 singing

Tolfa Hills – 2 singing males

Torre Flavia – one male singing

Reed Warbler A. scirpaceus

Torre Flavia – few males singing

Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans

Tolfa Hills – one singing male. Some few birds are probably wintering in Lazio (1 in Ostia Antica 2013-14: Massimo)

Whitethroat S. communis

Tolfa Hills – few singing males

Macchiatonda – 2 singing males + 1 female seen

Blackcap S. atricapilla

Tarquinia saltpans – common, many singing males

Tolfa Hills – common. Many singing males

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Macchiatonda – common

Sardinian Warbler S. melanocephala

Tolfa Hills

Common everywhere…

Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca

Tolfa Hills – one female seen

Blue Tit Parus caeruleus

Fairly common in forest areas

Great Tit P. major

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Macchiatonda – common

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio

Tarquinia saltpans – one female seen

One male seen in Le Vignole-Fiumicino

Lesser Grey Shrike L. minor

Macchiatonda – one seen

Woodchat Shrike L. senator

Macchiatonda – one male seen

Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – common

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Torre Flavia – common

Jay Garrulus glandarius

Tolfa Hills – common

Magpie Pica pica

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – common

Tolfa Hills – common

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Torre Flavia – common

Macchiatonda – common

Jackdaw Corvus monedula

Ostia – 10+ seen

Carrion Crow Corvus corone

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – common

Tolfa Hills – common

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Macchiatonda – common

Ostia –  two seen

Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

Tarquinia saltpans – common

Torre Flavia – several seen

Italian Sparrow P. italiae

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – common

Torre Flavia – common

Tarquinia saltpans – common near the houses

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Macchiatonda – common

Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Serin Serinus serinus

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common in the area

Torre Flavia – several seen and heard

Macchiatonda – 2 seen

Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

Tarquinia saltpans – few seen

Tolfa Hills – common – here and there

Parco nazionale del Circeo – common

Torre Flavia – common

Macchiatonda – 5+ seen

Linnet C. cannabina

Tolfa Hills – few seen along the road

Tarquinia Ara della Regina (Viterbo)- 2 seen

Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra

Macchiatonda – common

Tolfa Hills – common

Tarquinia Ara della Regina (Viterbo)-common

Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus

Tolfa Hills – few

Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

Centro Habitat Mediterraneo – 2 seen

 

Plants

Orchis major Tolfa Hills – common

Bøgeskov – beautiful older forest nearby Allumiere Tolfa Hills  Bøgeskov= Faggeta (BEECHWOOD)

Amphibians and reptiles

I did not search for the species

Green Frog sp., Rana

Torre Flavia – common

Grønbroget Tudse Bufo viridis

Tolfa Hills – not seen, but fairly common and widespread (Massimo)

Great crested newts Tristatus cristatus

Tolfa Hills – not seen, but should be widespread (Massimo)

Lizard sp. – Podarcis sicula?

Common on nearly all dry places

Butterflies

Several species seen, e.g. many Swallowtail Papilio machaon