This cruise was a last minute affair we fixed up when our original cruise was cancelled by the cruise line a month or so before it was due to start. Not at all designed for birding, this was a traditional cruise in the Celebrity Infinity from Barcelona to Rome. Though there were far less opportunities for birding than on our cancelled cruise, there were compensations - great food and interesting ports of call. Nor did it help that I caught a nasty bug in the middle of the cruise which put me out action for 3 days. So I missed our best birding opportunity in Corsica.
All that said, we had set up a 3 night extension in Rome before we flew home- to be sure of at least one full day birding with a very experienced local guide, Roberto Gildi. This report discusses mainly what we saw on that trip.
Our total sightings for the whole holiday were 44, mainly on that excursion.
As regards photos, unfortunately the nature of the two areas we visited with Roberto meant that I had few opportunities for decent photos. So, to supplement the few decent photos I took and for illustration, our editor, Robert D., has kindly lent me again three further excellent images from his extensive archive. To these I have also added a couple of photos of mine from previous birding and one image from my membership of Pinterest.
Rome
We stayed in a hotel near the Vatican. Outside the Vatican walls, the queues seemed a mile long. And the streets are full of litter everywhere. The Authorities seem never to do any street cleaning! And Rome was hot. All rather off-putting! Fortunately, we had “done” the main sights many years ago – so we were able to avoid those!
To avoid the heat, we did a few touristy things indoors - a concert of opera arias at the Chiesi Santa Chiara and a pre-booked guided tour of the Borghese mansion (wonderful Bernini statuary and Caravaggios) in its vast park in the centre of Rome. But by our third day we were glad to get away from the rubbish, the traffic and the tourists, out of the city and back to nature on our birding trip.
Natural Monument of Flavia Tower Marshland
Our first of two birding venues was the small nature reserve called Natural Monument of Flavia Tower Marshland, on the coast an hour or so away from Rome and not far from Civitavecchia. Roberto explained that it is one of the rare wetlands on the Lazio coastline that remain after intensive draining for agriculture. So it is an important natural habitat for migratory birds. The beach and its dunes are also a breeding site for Kentish Plovers. Unfortunately, it lies just back of a lovely beach used by the locals. So there are no paths through the reserve for birdwatchers and no hides (e.g. an attempt to create one had been vandalised).
Here is an image of Roberto and the site, taken from the path at the side of the site down to the beach [click on a photo for a larger view].
Here we watched breeding Purple Herons in flight, like this great image from Robert’s archive, as they dove down into the reeds.
There we saw also Mallards, a Moorhen and Little Egrets paddling about in the water. A dark juvenile Night Heron and a Cattle Egret flew past. Greenfinches calling incessantly and Goldfinches perched on distant telephone wires. A Fan-tailed Warbler did the usual display flight across the marsh. Common Starlings pottered around a grazing horse. Hooded Crows flew about.
But our best sighting was of a very vocal and resident Cetti’s Warbler. So difficult normally to see these birds, as they call from dense shrubbery, this one afforded a perfect view. It perched on a tree by the path. But I wasn’t quick enough to focus my camera before it flew off. So I have to borrow this illustration from Pinterest. It may be a “little brown job” but my, does it make up for that by the volume of its calls!
No Kentish Plovers on the beach – Roberto said that they had finished breeding. But we did see a Little Ringed Plover that announced its presence by a piping call as it circled the back of the beach.
Apart from the usual Yellow-legged Gulls, Roberto also pointed out a Black-headed Gull that flew past. Those are unusual at this time of year he explained. They overwinter but normally all disappear back to their breeding grounds by now.
On the other side of the path down to the beach there was a small stream, with trees growing over it. Suddenly I saw this furry rodent swimming purposefully towards me down the stream. It stopped, clambered up the far bank, and started eating the lush grass there.
This was of course a Coypu, known also as a Nutria. Coypus originated in South America and were brought over to Europe and the rest of the world for fur farming. Escapes and/or releases into the wild have made them somewhat of an invasive species (in the UK too). In particular their burrowing damages river banks and their feeding habits can be destructive to vegetation. Roberto mentioned that he is not aware of any concerted effort to control the rodents locally. He explained that there is some opposition from those who are against killing any form of wildlife.
In the same stream we also saw a large turtle poking its head above the floating vegetation. This was almost certainly a Red-eared Slider, a common alien turtle very numerous in the pet trade.
Tolfa Hills
Our other venue on this excursion was the area around the town of Tolfa – known as "Monti della Tolfa". It is recognised by Birdlife as an important IBA (International Bird & Biodiversity Area).
The town itself is positioned on the Roman hills at about 500 metres, boasts a prominent ruined castle, and is surrounded by unspoiled nature, pasture and woodland. It is only a few kilometres from Civitavecchia and about 70 kilometres from Rome. Reportedly it used to be the main source of alum in Europe for centuries but the mine closed in 1941. This extensive area is reported to be largely unknown to tourists – very evident from our own observations!
Here is a view of the area taken from the main square over the surrounding countryside.
And here is my best shot of the crowd of screaming Swifts circling above the town. Roberto reckons that they were all Common Swifts – which are one of the first species to depart for Africa in early August.
Roberto had reported that the area hosts 11 species of breeding raptors because of the extensive forests and absence of people. In addition he lists another 12 species that visit the area regularly at different times of the year. We were not to be disappointed.
First we saw, circling in the sky, a Black Kite, like this one in Robert’s photo from India (where they are apparently very common). Overall the plumage is actually brown, rather than black.
Then it was one of several Red Kites (now a UK bird of course too) we saw in the area. One quartered the forest over a low mountain and finally came to rest on a tree, where it proceeded to preen itself. Too far away for decent photo, for comparison purposes with the Black Kite, I am including this shot I took a few years ago at a feeding station in Wales. They are great to watch as they tend to hunt quite low, and use their forked tails to manoeuvre acrobatically for such a large bird in the air.
Then, we watched a Short-toed Snake Eagle soaring high above that same hill and pestered by a Common Buzzard. This time I managed to get this half decent photo of the Eagle.
With a 6 foot wingspan this is also an impressive bird and becoming quite rare reportedly. Its food source is reptiles – and particularly snakes. Perhaps the short toes (for which it is named) are adapted to grip snakes more easily? Rather like Kestrels (which we also saw) it will apparently hover patiently over a prospective victim once it spots it from high up (up to 500 metres).
Finally, we saw from Tolfa town centre a Honey Buzzard, wings flattened and flying leisurely past the hill on which the ruined castle stands. These are very specialist feeders, the main food source being the larva and nests of wasps and hornets. Long toes help excavating, and specialist head feathers and possibly chemicals in the feathers apparently help protect the bird against victims’ attack.
Apart from these raptors (plus Jays and more Hooded Crows), the most spectacular sighting was butterflies. I have never seen in one place so many and of such variety. Here are a few.
The so called Scarce Swallowtail (not in fact scarce at all!).
The Brimstone (like our version in the UK)
The Silver-washed Fritillary – a particularly active butterfly- so difficult to photograph because always on the move. We have these in the south of the UK.
Finally, the Marbled White – with its delicate black and white patterning.
Later in the day, we descended from the hills down to the agricultural areas. Here, for instance, is a huge field of Sunflowers – the seeds perhaps destined eventually for our bird feeders.
Here were Crested Larks, a perched Turtle Dove and Corn Buntings (becoming so rare in the UK) like this one I took in Greece not long ago.
But our best sighting there was undoubtedly Rollers. We saw several both in flight and perched on bare branches. In fact some perched quite close. It was frustrating that I could not focus my bridge camera in time before they flew off. The tall wisps of grass on the edge of fields were fooling the autofocus. So once again I am grateful to Robert D. for an illustration. This one was taken in South Africa he tells me- one of their destinations for the winter.
The colours are really exotic – mainly blue with an orangey brown back and black wing tips that show well in flight. Quite a stocky bird, the size of a jackdaw – with a hooked beak. It appears like an oversized shrike – and perches in the open like a Shrike watching for prey. In this case I read that the menu is large insects and small reptiles.
Birding from the coast of the South of France and Northern Italy
Of course we did see a few birds on our ship excursions. In particular at our first port of call, Sete, we chose, partly for that purpose, a trip by boat along the famous 150 mile Canal du Midi, now a Unesco World Heritage site. That links the Atlantic coast via the river Garonne to the Mediterranean at Sete and later via a branch to Narbonne. Started in 1667 under the Sun king, Louis X1V, it finally opened to navigation in 1682.
At the time great potential was seen to improve the economy generally, together with reducing the income of the Spanish king. That monarch then controlled the only entrance to the Mediterranean via the Straits of Gibraltar. Commercial traffic ceased not long ago in the 1970s. It is now used, as in the UK, mainly for leisure traffic and housing.
Here is an image (in the rain) of part of the fantastic staircase of 8 locks at Beziers that link the canal with the much lower river Orb (a lift of 21 metres over 300 metres). One on top of the other, I read that they were built almost entirely by women!
There were lots of Barn Swallows and House Martins hunting insects along the canal, a few Mallard here and there, plus the occasional White Wagtail. But the best photo I took there must be this familiar Grey Heron.
We also passed this pair of Muscovy Ducks (together with a pair of Mallard) at a loading station – probably domestic ones in this case. One can just about make out the claws on their feet.
I had greater hopes for our next trip to Cassis from Toulon. Here is an image of the spectacular view of Cassis from the cliffs nearby - reputedly the highest in Europe.
Great pity we could not have stayed longer there. The scrubby terrain was ideal for small birds. Sure enough a pair of Warblers appeared but before I could confirm they were Sardinians, a pair of mountain bikers appeared out of nowhere and off they went.
So my camera had to settle for this image of the so-called Dusky Heath butterfly – about the size of our Gatekeeper.
And this tiny False Ilex Hairstreak butterfly.
After Cassis, the only notable birding opportunity on our cruise was another inland trip by boat. From our dock at Livorno on the Italian coast, we motored up the Arno river to Pisa from the large Migliarino & San Russori natural park.
More Swallows and Martins skimming the water close to the boat, and more Swifts, but at least we did spot this Common Buzzard perched in a tree as we passed by.
The park itself is apparently known for the amount of wildlife - including free roaming deer. This juvenile male Fallow Deer is obviously quite used to people.
The trip to Pisa ended in the spectacular Square of Miracles. Whilst the volume of tourists is amazing and the military now guard the square with fingers on the trigger, the beauty of the architecture of the four principal buildings is still stunning. Here, for instance, is the famous tower – as ever seemingly defying gravity.
Peter Morgan
July 2019