Across the Gulf of Trieste

19^th September, Marano Lagunare, Italy

The Gulft of Trieste is rich in marshes and tidal shores. A number of them are protected within nature reserve boundaries. Today I visited Marano Lagunare, half way between Trieste and Venice, and laying next to a picturesque fishing village.

A Little Egret treads gingerly the shallow waters.

I came attracted by the recent sight of a rare Siberian wader, the Terek Sandpiper. This russian friend has been moving along the Gulf with abandond showing hither and thither, so I knew it was not going to be easy. Anyway, a splendid sunny morning seemed auspicious.
In my search I found a good number of Snipes, Curlews, Spotted Redshanks, Little Ringed Plovers, Lapwings and Greylag. One Grey Plover and a couple of Little Stints were also resting in a sand bar. I paid particular attention to the Snipes to see if any was the less common Jack Snipe or the even rarer Great Snipe, none of them were unfortunately.
I checked the main lagoon from the different hides and waited patiently as the sun raced accross the skies. From time to time small parties of geese would call noisily, take off and head west. No one else around me, it was time for capturing images and reflect on migrating birds. All the dangers ahead of them... long distances and unpredictable weather... human barriers and traps... uncertain fate...

Black-headed Gull resting on a submerge tree branch.

My Terek friend was nowhere to be seen. Is it still around? Perhaps on its way south to the Dalmatian coast or to Venice. Free to roam the world, but unlikely to ever meet another of its own species. 

Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) pocking the mud for worms.

On my way back home I found this interesting large caterpillar (10 cm) moving across the garden. Moth? Butterfly? Beautiful anyway.

Orange caterpillar.

Of Teals and Rain

11^th September, Škocjanski zatok

The end of the Eurobasket in Koper has come with T-storms and heavy showers.

Raining in my terrace.

This morning I spotted a gap in the sky and head to Škocjanski zatok to check for migrants. I found a large number of Teals resting in the reserve. I counted 280 before a Marsh Harrier flushed them into hiding. The lagoon was particularly calm and not much of notice. As summers ends breeding birds leave while the winter ones do not seem to have arrived.

Grey Heron stalking prey.

A mass of menacing dark clouds advancing from the Gulf of Trieste made me reconsider my birding plans. I return home just as the rain started to fall violently. Proper Autum indeed!

Autumn is coming

06^th September, Škocjanski zatok

This late morning a quick walk on the reserve revealed lots of Dragonflies and Butterflies but small numbers of birds. Often few birds does not equal to boring. In the lagoon I found a distant Red-breasted Merganser sitting on an isle. It sported a slightly upwards beak, white flanks and hardly any contrast between the red-tinge of the head and the breast. Either female or male coming out of eclipse into winter plumage!
Also in the lagoon I spotted a group of Sandwich Terns together with some Common ones. No sign of the juvenile Black Terns of previous weeks.
As a group of kids was noisily chasing me around the reserve I did not take pics of brids today but here you have some invertebrate:

Peacock (Inachis io) upon yellow flower.

Dragonfly posing for the split of a second.

Sun basking Dalmatian Wall Lizard scaping from the camera.