O RNI T H O L ID A YS T O UR T O I T A L Y A T L E ISUR E

Birds & Wine

11 18 June 2011

Leader : Mike Witherick

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O RNI T H O L ID A YS T O UR T O I T A L Y A T L E ISUR E Birds & Wine

11 18 June 2011

A Personal Diary Saturday, 11 June It was a very early start to the day, and the departure of our easyJet flight to Milan was slightly delayed by early morning fog. Nicola (Nico), Matteo (Matt) and Emanuele (Ema) were at the airport to meet us and

osta was remarkably quick along a splendid motorway system. Initially, we were driving across the Po Plain with its vast areas given over to the cultivation of rice. Many of the ricefields contained lone Little Egrets and the occasional Grey Heron. Soon we were beginning to see the emerging shape of the foothills of the Alps and eventually snow-capped peaks came into view. We made a stop at a motorway service station for roll or sandwich and a cold drink. As these were consumed, we spotted our first Italian Sparrows. Not much further on, we turned off the motorway and left the Aosta valley. Our road was now of a very different character - twisty and passing through many avalanche shelters. Gradually we made our way up the narrow valley leading to Valnontey where we were confronted by the wonderful backdrop provided by the snow peaks of the Gran Paradiso rising to just over 4,000 metres. Soon we had found our rooms and had something like 90 minutes to sort ourselves out (perhaps even unpack) before meeting up at 4 pm for a gentle stroll up the valley alongside the rock-strewn stream flushed with glacial meltwater. In the next two hours as we walked through pine trees and florally-rich meadows, we opened our Italian bird list with the likes of Common Redpoll, European Serin and Coal, Great and Long-tailed Tits, White and Grey Wagtails. Some were lucky enough to glimpse a White-throated Dipper and Rock Bunting. There was considerable interest in butterflies. Sightings included Little Blue, Wood White and Green Hairstreak. To round off this refreshing walk in such a lovely area, we saw two Chamois at extremely close range and seemingly oblivious to some nearby children who were flying kites. We met up at just after 7.15 pm and did the checklist before moving to the restaurant for a four-course dinner comprising local speciality dishes. The food was excellent but overwhelming in quantity; the roast pork with apple was truly delicious. During the meal, we were able to compare twwines a 2009 Pinot Noir and a 2009 Gamay. Well replete and in good spirits, we retired to our rooms in the hope of catching up on any sleep lost last night. Sunday, 12 June We awoke to a cloudless and intensely blue sky. Breakfast was taken at 7.30 am and an hour later we were

the motorway that eventually passes under Mont Blanc. Clearly, the construction of this motorway was quite a feat of engineering involving many tunnels, most over two km long. Soon we were leaving the motorway and climbing up a sinuous road leading to La Thuile and the Little St Bernard Pass. Just beyond La Thuile we left that road and climbed up a narrow and winding track that eventually levelled off. At this point, and on the advice of a local farmer, we dismounted from the vehicles and then spent the next two and a half hours walking further along the track, at first accompanied by a herd of bell-jangling cattle. As we rounded the corners of this track in the Valon des Chavannes, so were opened up a whole series of stunning mountain vistas, the last one giving us a view of Mont Blanc. We could not have wished for better weather sunny, warm and calm with excellent visibility. It would be churlish to complain that there was too much to see along this track. One did not know whether

plants or try to sort out the abundance of butterfly species. As regards the birds, perhaps the most memorable sights were of an adult Golden Eagle perched on a not-too-distant rock and a male Rock Bunting singing from a bush. Both birds stayed put for a long time so that they could be admired through the telescopes. During the course of our walk we reckoned that we had seen four different Golden Eagles two adults and two immatures of different ages. Other notable sightings included: a splendid Short-toed Eagle, some Red-

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billed Choughs (earlier we had seen a flock of some 30 Alpine Choughs just as we were leaving the hotel); Tree and Water Pipits; Whinchats and Black Redstarts; Ring Ouzel and Mistle Thrush. I have to say that I have never before encountered so many species of butterfly in such a small area. In fact, we identified no less than 19. It is invidious to single any out for special mention, but we were particularly impressed by those that had the adjective in Clouded Yellow, Alpine Argus and Alpine Heath. Also noteworthy were our sightings of Apollo, Piedmont Ringlet and Large Blue. Clearly, most of these butterflies had been attracted by the floral riches of the alpine meadows. The attractive flowers were too many to mention but we identified two species of gentian. There were primulas and violas, horse and cobweb leeks, saxifrages and sainfoin. It was after midday that we decided to retrace our steps to the vehicles and to consume our picnic lunches. It was to be said that our progress was delayed by the presence of a black bull between us and the vehicles. Having arrived at the conclusion that the bull had seen better days and was, in fact, rather lame, we all gingerly worked our way around the beast!

osta and then proceeded to explore another valley the Valcavarenche. By now the cloud was beginning to build a bit. We had hoped to find Lammergeier which had bred in this valley this year. We were out of luck, and it has to be said that things were rather quiet on the birding front. Perhaps we did rather better for mammals seeing a good number of Marmot, a few

ice cream coated with white chocolate.

was a three-course and more manageable affair. We tried another local red Torrente and a Muller-Thurgau white. Favourable comments were expressed about both wines! Monday 13 June Just over half the group met up at 7 am for a short spell of birdwatching before breakfast just outside the hotel. Our target species was Willow Tit which Matt had seen yesterday morning at this time. In the event, we failed, but we did see European Treecreeper and renewed acquaintance with the likes of Common Redpoll, European Serin and Coal Tit. After breakfast, we drove down to Aosta, took the motorway in the direction of Turin for some kilometres and then turned off to follow up another deep-cut valley into the east side of the Gran Paradiso massif. At the location where we spent most of the morning, we were in fact not far, as the crow flies, from Valnontey. A mountain ridge some 3,000 metres high was all that separated the two locations. On the way up to Mont Avic, we stopped to admire a floral meadow and this allowed Helen to photograph some of the butterflies seen yesterday. There were four additions to our growing list of butterflies Scarce Swallowtail, Almond-eyed Ringlet, Scarce Copper, Knapweed and Heath Fritillary. At the same spot we saw two Golden Eagles and Lesser Whitethroat, and heard (some glimpsed) a Western Eventually we reached the end of the unmade road and a somewhat deserted hamlet. But this location was certainly not deserted in terms of birds. Perhaps the most memorable sighting was of a pair of White-winged Snowfinches bringing food to their nest a hole in the stonework above the door of a partially renovated house. Water Pipits, Northern Wheatears and Ring Ouzels showed particularly well. A pair of Rufous-tailed Rock Thrushes was much less obliging. A White-throated Dipper was briefly seen. But rivalling the birds for interest were the plants. There were wonderful spreads of intensely blue Gentiana clusii and here and there two species of pulsatilla alpina and vernalis. Three species of orchid were closely photographed Gymnadenia conopsea, Dactylorhiza maculata and Nigritella commune. Particularly attractive were the blooms of Soldanella alpine and the low spreads of pink-headed Hairy Rhodedendron. It was after 1 pm when we returned to the vehicles for our picnic lunches. By now the cloud base had dropped. Some light precipitation persuaded us to consume our lunches in the vehicles. Afterwards we turned around and stopped when we had reached just below the tree line. Spotted Nutcrackers were uppermost in our thoughts, but they were -heard a Firecrest. We stopped briefly to admire a Lilium bulbiferum.

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We then drove to the Caves des Onze Communes winery on the outskirts of Aosta. After being shown around this very high-a spumante and finishing with an intriguing red dessert wine infused with local herbs. Indeed, some of us were so impressed that we bought a bottle each. Part of the interest of the tasting was sampling red wines made from grape varieties that are apparently only grown in this area, namely Mayolet, Fumin and Cornalin. We arrived back at the hotel just after 6.30 pm and met up an hour later for the checklist. We then retired to the restaurant for another very acceptable dinner the tagliatelli with wild mushrooms was particularly tasty! Tuesday, 14 June We awoke to another stunningly clear morning the pre-breakfast birding Spotted Nutcracker was high on the agenda. We failed, even with the use of a recorded message! However, the sights of colourful Common Redpoll, European Serin, Common and Black Redstarts, plus the beauty snow-capped peaks at the head of the valley, more than compensated. Today was our transfer to the Piedmont day, but before we left we decided to devote two hours in pursuit of the elusive Wallcreeper. Most of the group climb up to a rock face where a pair had bred earlier in the year. The nearest we came was a glimpse that Matt had of one much higher up the valley side, impossible to reach in the time and probably physically impossible too. However, we did see Golden Eagle, Red-billed and Alpine Choughs and Common Cuckoo; a Goldcrest was heard. Whilst most of us were on this abortive trek, Christina, Helen and Rosie visited the botanic gardens in the same general direction. They were full of praise, not only for its collection of alpine plants, but also the abundance of butterflies. Sightings included Geranium Argus and Common Swallowtail.

, we managed to store all our baggage aboard the two vehicles and left just enough space for ourselves. We said goodbye to members of the family who own and run the hotel that had made us so welcome these last few days. It was 10.45 am when we started our descent to the Dora Baltea. Soon the Alps were behind us and we were crossing the rice-growing Po lowlands. Eventually the northern edge of the Piedmont came in to view. It was interesting to note that the present course of the Po flows very closely to this edge. Soon we were appreciating the essential nature of Piedmont an undulating agrarian landscape with hilltop villages and small towns. Shortly after passing beneath the old hill town of Camino, we came to a small village. Here we alighted at our base for the next four nights the no Wine Resort and Spa. We decided to eat straight away and then to sort out the rooms. We sat at three circular tables out in the garden and in the shade of a Judas tree. What was promised to be a light lunch turned out to be a delicious four-course affair! The crepe filled with asparagus was excellent, followed by home-made pasta, then veal in a mustard sauce and rounded off with home-made ice cream. The Cortese, a local white wine, ideally complimented the meal. Getting people to their spacious rooms (strictly speaking, one should say apartments), took a little while, principally because of their scattered nature. All, particularly Terry, were impressed by the generosity of the accommodation. Once sorted, there followed an hour of R and R. We gathered together again at 4.30 pm and drove to the village of Vignale, beyond which we took a rough track and eventually parked up. We then spent the next hour or so walking through an essentially agricultural landscape. Birds of note seen on the way were Melodious Warbler, Eurasian Turtle Dove, Red-backed Shrike and Golden Oriole. Afterwards we drove into the village and entered a splendid 18th century mansion. We sampled two white wines (a Cortese 2010 and a Chardonnay 2009) on the terrace with a magnificent view out over the Piedmont. A Cirl Bunting was seen from this vantage point. A call to dinner took us into a splendid dining room complete with a painted ceiling dedicated to the arts. The meal proved to be another marathon, this followed by roast guinea-fowl and potatoes, followed by a dessert. During the meal we drank two different reds a Monferrato Rosso 2008 and a Barbera del Monferrato Superiore 2007.

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We left the restaurant at 9.30 pm and reached our hotel 30 minutes later. On the way, some glimpsed a Little

tomorrow. W ednesday, 15 June Breakfast was at 7.30 am and the plan was to leave for the field at 8.15. In the event, our departure was slightly delayed by the late delivery of fresh picnic rolls from the local bakery. The morning was spent birdwatching a short stretch of the flood pdriving, mainly along motorways. Having parked up, the air was filled with typical Mediterranean bird sounds of Eurasian Turtle Dove, Common Nightingale, Golden Oriole and European Bee-eater. The last species was dominant. Indeed, here was a large breeding colony, but rather interestingly nesting in holes excavated into the horizontal ground rather than into a vertical face. At the river bank itself, we came across a colony of Black-winged Stilts, a few Little Ringed Plover, Northern Lapwing and Stone-Curlew. A Black-crowned Night-Heron was seen in flight. During the morning we did quite well for raptors with sightings of Western Marsh Harrier, Black Kite, Common Kestrel, Peregrine and Hobby. Great Banded Grayling, Marbled White, Brimstone and Pearl-bordered Fritillary were additions to our growing butterfly list. The vegetation was very different from what we had become to get used to in the last few days. We had parked the vehicles near a large picnic table and before long we were all sitting round a well provisioned table two different types of savoury bake, three types of cheese, salami, a sort of jam tart and some apples. To add to the attraction, there were two bottles of nicely chilled Cortese and one of Monferrato red. All were emptied during the course of the meal! The meal was in fact interrupted by two birds first by the appearance nearby of a Melodious Warbler and then by a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Much of the afternoon was spent birding in the foothills of the Apennines. In landscape terms, this was not very different from that of the Piedmont, except that there was more relief and a less intensive farming. As we were leaving the lunchtime location, we had the wonderful sight of a European Honey Buzzard feeding in a tree but a few metres off the track. A few minutes later a female Northern Goshawk powered its way across the track just in front of the first vehicle. Probably the highlights of the afternoon were our sightings of European Roller. But our tally of birds included several Eurasian Hoopoe, a Short-toed Eagle (well spotted, Rosie) and Ortolan Bunting; Common Quail and Woodlark were heard. The final stop of the day was back on the banks of the Scrivia River. The bank on the other side of the river was riddled with several hundred holes here was a sizeable Sand Martin colony. At one point, the colony suddenly went quiet and most of the birds rose up high. The cause of the panic was a low-flying Hobby which gave us some excellent views. We also saw Common Tern and heard a Moorhen. This evening we ate in, having first completed a two-day log call out in the garden. With mossies giving us increasing attention, we were happy to retire indoors for a four-course meal. Tonight it was not overwhelming in quantity, but definitely high in quality. Tonight we drank Grignolino, a light red, and then a more substantial Barbera Monferrato. Afterwards we went outside with ears trained for any possible owl calls and eyes open for an eclipse of the Moon. We all decided to retire before achieving anything on both counts! Thursday, 16 June Today involved at trip down to the Mediterranean coast at Portofino. We left our base around 8.30 am and, as predicted by Nico, we arrived at San Rocco di Camogli two hours later. Again we were impressed by the Italian autostrada system, particularly around the back of Genoa with its many tunnels and viaducts. The remainder of the morning was spent walking along and back a footpath that more or less contoured the wooded slopes of the Portofino peninsula with its tough conglomerate rocks. The walk was definitely more

which reluctantly gave brief views. As for butterflies, the highlights were the Cleopatras, the Two-tailed Pashas and the Silver-washed Fritillaries. Ema caught and showed us three interesting reptiles: a Southern Smooth Snake, Wall Lizards (a local variant with striking green and black markings) and Moorish Geckos. On returning to San Rocco, we retired to a restaurant and sat down to a most acceptable three-course lunch. The main course was ravioli filled with sea bass. It was preceded by three interesting starters, the most

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impressive of which were the giant pastry puffs filled with delicious local cheese. The chilled Gavi Cortese simply hit the spot! After lunch we descended into Camogli, a popular and attractive seaside resort. After some further quayside refreshment, be it cappuccino or ice cream, we boarded a boat which took us to point of the peninsula known as Punta Chiappa. We landed here and spent our hour ashore walking to the very tip of the point and back. At the landing, we saw some Shags; at the tip, Gail spotted some Bottle-nosed Dolphins. More Two-tailed Pashas were seen, plus a Ilex Hairstreak. We arrived back in the harbour at 5.30 pm and 15 minutes later, after a handout of peaches, we started our return drive, reaching base in the predicted two hours. As we neared it, a thunderstorm broke. By 8 pm we were sitting down to another tasty four-course meal. In addition to the Grignolino and the Cortese drank last night, one of the tables, led by Stephen, opted for a Dolcetta. By 10 pm we were all done and ready for bed. F riday 17 June We left our base at 8.30 am and drove the relatively short distance to the San Genuario Reserve made up largely of old fishponds that have been allowed to fill up with reeds and other aquatic vegetation. This reserve now holds remarkable breeding populations of Purple, Grey and Squacco Herons, Great and Little Bitterns, as well as Western Marsh Harriers. We had many sightings of all these species. In addition, we managed to spot at least one of the many very vocal Great Reed Warblers, together with Common

observ.

We had lunch in a famous restaurant located in the small town of Fontanetto Po. Our table was set in a courtyard to the rear of the premises, and here we were delighted to watch the comings and goings of a pair of Spotted Flycatchers that had decided to build a nest on a strip light! Highlight of the lunch was a special risotto, containing beans and chopped sausage. This was preceded, as usual, by a succession of starter dishes.

finding three White Storks a rare breeding bird in these parts. A Little Owl was seen by some of the party; some Tree Sparrows were also spotted. Throughout the afternoon the skies were constantly crossed by Black-crowned Night-Herons, Cattle and Little Egrets, Purple and Grey Herons. At one time, two European Honey-Buzzards were seen wing clapping. At 6 pm we drove the short distance to the Vellano Pierino winery where there was plenty of talk and perhaps a slight shortage of wines to sample. Indeed, we tasted but two a Grignolino and a Barbera del Monferrato (2003). We then returned to the hotel, where we did a two-day log call in the garden. Arrangements for tomorrow were run through and our three Italian guides were thanked for all that they had done to open our eyes to the fauna and flora of Piedmont Italy. Our farewell dinner took place in the upstairs banqueting hall. It was another delicious four-course meal. We were all presented with a large photograph of a Stone-Curlew and a commemorative T-shirt to remind us of the tour. Ema gave us a demonstration of the effects of ultra-violet light on a scorpion that he had caught yesterday - an unusual way to end a pleasant and sociable evening! Saturday, 18 June

this time the disappeamystery was eventually solved and the missing item returned to its rightful ownership. Our departure from Camino was a somewhat delayed one, we met up with Umberto who showed us around his patch on the Po plains in the vicinity of Casei Gerola. Our first two stops were at ponds. At the first, most of the ducks took flight before we had a chance to disembark from the minibuses. However, there were still two new birds for us to see, namely Little Grebe seen busily building up a nest, and a number of Ferruginous Ducks. The next pond was altogether more rewarding. Here we encountered four more species of duck Common and Red-crested Pochards, Shoveler and Garganey. Yellow Wagtail was also seen for the first time.

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The third stop was out in some fields. First, the front vehicle flushed a Common Quail from the grassy track. But best of all were our excellent views of two male Lesser Grey Shrikes. Two European Hares vied for the attention of the photographers. From there, we made our way to the small town of Casei Gerola where some of us went in pursuit of an ice cream whilst we waited for the whole party to regroup. Our final stop before lunch was on the banks of the River Po where we found both Little and Common Terns. We consumed our last picnic lunch together at a picnic site with views over a sizeable pond. We were all packed up by 2 pm and started the drive to Milan. This took around two hours mainly along autostrada . As we arrived at Malpensa Airport, the heavens opened for a short while. Because of our time of arrival Rosie was able to grab the last seat on the Gatwick flight before the one we were booked on. This gave the rest of us a comfortable amount of time to do the checklist and some shopping, as well as have something to eat and drink. To add to our pleasure, our easyJet flight left on time and arrived into Gatwick ahead of schedule (albeit at the North rather than the South Terminal). Soon we were saying our farewells in the Baggage Reclaim. Acknowledgements Thanks to Nico, Matt and Ema for all their efforts on our behalf. Not just for their driving, good company and efficient running of the tour, but also for their enthusiastic opening of our eyes to the wildlife and

the enjoyment of the tour was the warm welcome we received at both of our comfortable hotels. Finally, and by no means least, thanks to you all for coming on Ornitholiday perhaps

Many thanks to Sue from providing the flower list at the end of this report and to Sue and Pam for the photographs used in this report. Mike Witherick Ornitholidays 29 Straight Mile Romsey Hampshire SO51 9BB 01794 519445 Email: info@ornitholidays.co.uk July 2011

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Itinerary and Weather Saturday, 11 June London (Gatwick) > Milan (Malpensa) > Aosta > Valnontey

Short walk up the valley Mainly sunny 20°C

Sunday, 12 June am Valon des Chavannes pm - Valcavarenche Sunny early, becoming cloudy 23 °C

Monday, 13 June Mont Avic Wine tasting at Caves des Onze Communes Some low cloud and light drizzle 16°C

Tuesday, 14 June am - Valnontey > Camino pm - Vignale Warm and sunny 26°C

Wednesday, 15 June Flood plain of River Scrivia and foothills of Apennines Hot and sunny 33°C

Thursday, 16 June Portofino (San Rocco) > Gamogli > Punta Chiappa Mainly sunny; thundery late afternoon 31°C

Friday, 17 June San Genuario Reserve > Fontanetto Po > Trino area Vellano winery Mainly overcast; some light drizzle 23°C

Saturday, 18 June am - Casei Gerola area pm > Milan (Malpaensa) > London (Gatwick) Sunny periods, becoming thundery 28°C

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C H E C K L IST O F B IRDS SE E N DURIN G T O UR

No of days recorded Locations Abundance Scale (max. seen on 1 day)

1 2h means seen on 1 A = Alps 1 = 1 4 individuals day and heard on 2 other days

P = Po plain, Piedmont & Apennine foothills

2 = 3 =

5 9 10 - 99

4 = 100 - 999 5= >1000

The sequence and nomenclature of this list follow Collins Bird Guide 2nd Edition 2010. SPE C I ES No of days

recorded Locations Abundance

Scale SC I E N T I F I C N A M E

Mallard 5 P 4 Anas platyrhynchos Gadwall 1 P 1 Anas strepera Northern Shoveler 1 P 1 Anas clypeata Eurasian Teal 1 P 1 Anas crecca Garganey 1 P 1 Anas querquedula Common Pochard 1 P 1 Aythya farina Tufted Duck 1 P 1 Aythya fuligula Ferruginous Duck 1 P 1 Aythya nyroca Red-crested Pochard 1 P 1 Netta rufina Common Quail 1 1h P 1 Coturnix coturnix Common Pheasant 1 2h P 1 Phasianus colchicus Little Grebe 1 P 1 Tachybaptus ruficollis Great Crested Grebe 2 P 1 Podiceps cristatus Great Cormorant 4 P 1 Phalacrocorax carbo Shag 1 P 1 Phalacrocorax aristotelis Great Bittern 1 P 2 Botaurus stellaris Little Bittern 1 P 3 Ixobrychus minutus Black-crowned Night Heron 3 P 4 Nycticorax nycticorax Cattle Egret 3 P 3 Bubulcus ibis Little Egret 6 P 3 Egretta garzetta Great Egret 3 P 2 Casmerodius alba Squacco Heron 2 P 2 Ardeola ralloides Grey Heron 6 P 2 Ardea cinerea Purple Heron 2 P 3 Ardea purpurea White Stork 1 P 1 Ciconia ciconia Golden Eagle 3 A 1 Aquila chrysaetos Short-toed Eagle 2 A 1 Circaetus gallicus Black Kite 2 P 2 Milvus migrans Western Marsh Harrier 2 P 2 Circus aeruginosus Common Buzzard 5 A P 1 Buteo buteo European Honey Buzzard 2 P 1 Pernis apivorus Eurasian Sparrowhawk 3 P 1 Accipiter nisus Common Kestrel 8 A P 1 Falco tinnunculus Eurasian Hobby 3 P 1 Falco subbuteo Peregrine Falcon 1 P 1 Falco peregrinus Water Rail - 1h P 1 Rallus aquaticus Common Moorhen - 1h P 1 Gallinula chloropus Eurasian Coot 3 P 3 Fulica atra Black-winged Stilt 4 P 3 Himantopus himantopus Stone Curlew 1 P 1 Burhinus oedicnemus Little Ringed Plover 1 P 1 Charadrius dubius Northern Lapwing 4 P 2 Vanellus vanellus Black-headed Gull 2 P 2 Chroicocephalus ridibundus Yellow-legged Gull 3 P 3 Larus michahellis Little Tern 1 P 1 Sternula albifrons Common Tern 3 P 2 Sterna hirundo Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) 5 P 3 Columba livia Stock Dove 1 P 1 Columba oenas

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Common Wood Pigeon 7 A P 1 Columba palumbus European Turtle Dove 5 P 1 Streptopelia turtur Eurasian Collared Dove 5 P 2 Streptopelia decaocto Common Cuckoo 4 3h A P 1 Cuculus canorus Little Owl 2 A P 1 Athene noctua Tawny Owl - 2h P 1 Strix aluco European Nightjar - 1h P 1 Caprimulgus europaeus Common Swift 8 A P 4 Apus apus Alpine Swift 1 A 1 Apus melba Eurasian Hoopoe 2 P 1 Upupa epops Common Kingfisher 2 P 1 Alcedo atthis European Bee-eater 2 1h P 1 Merops apiaster European Roller 1 P 1 Coracias garrulus European Green Woodpecker - 3h P 1 Picus viridis Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 1 P 1 Dendrocopos minor Common Skylark 3 P 1 Alauda arvensis Woodlark - 1h P 1 Lullula arborea Common Sand Martin 2 P 3 Riparia riparia Eurasian Crag Martin 4 A 2 Ptyonoprogne rupestris Barn Swallow 8 A P 3 Hirundo rustica Common House Martin 5 A P 2 Delichon urbicum Water Pipit 2 A 1 Anthus spinoletta Tree Pipit 2 A 1 Anthus trivialis White Wagtail 6 A P 1 Motacilla alba Western Yellow Wagtail 1 P 1 Motacilla flava cinereocapilla Grey Wagtail 2 A 1 Motacilla cinerea White-throated Dipper 3 A 1 Cinclus cinclus European Robin 1 6h A P 1 Erithacus rubecula Common Nightingale 1 4h A P 1 Luscinia megarhynchos Common Redstart 3 2h A 1 Phoenicurus phoenicurus Black Redstart 5 A P 2 Phoenicurus ochruros Northern Wheatear 1 A 1 Oenanthe oenanthe Whinchat 4 A 2 Saxicola rubetra Common Stonechat 2 P 1 Saxicola rubicola Song Thrush - 1h A 1 Turdus philomelos Mistle Thrush 2 A 1 Turdus viscivorus Common Blackbird 5 2h A P 1 Turdus merula Ring Ouzel 2 A 1 Turdus torquatus Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush 1 A 1 Monticola saxatilis Garden Warbler 1 1h A 1 Sylvia borin Eurasian Blackcap 1 5h A P 1 Sylvia atricapilla Common Whitethroat - 1h P 1 Sylvia communis Lesser Whitethroat 2 A 1 Sylvia curruca Moltoni's Warbler 2 P 1 Sylvia moltonii Great Reed Warbler 1 P 1 Acrocephalus arundinaceus European Reed Warbler - 1h P 1 Acrocephalus scirpaceus Marsh Warbler 1 P 1 Acrocephalus palustris Cetti's Warbler 1 P 1 Cettia cetti Melodious Warbler 3 P 1 Hippolais polyglotta Western Bonelli's Warbler 1 A 1 Phylloscopus bonelli Common Chiffchaff - 3h A 1 Phylloscopus collybita Goldcrest 1 A 1 Regulus regulus Firecrest - 2h A 1 Regulus ignicapilla Winter Wren - 2h A P 1 Troglodytes troglodytes Spotted Flycatcher 3 A P 1 Muscicapa striata Great Tit 7 A P 1 Parus major Coal Tit 4 A 1 Periparus ater European Blue Tit 1 P 1 Cyanistes caeruleus Willow Tit 1 1h A 1 Poecile montanus Long-tailed Tit 1 1h A P 1 Aegithalos caudatus Eurasian Treecreeper 3 A 1 Certhia familiaris Short-toed Treecreeper - 1h P 1 Certhia brachydactyla Lesser Grey Shrike 1 P 1 Lanius minor

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Red-backed Shrike 4 A P 1 Lanius collurio Common Magpie 5 P 2 Pica pica Eurasian Jay 6 A P 1 Garrulus glandarius Western Jackdaw 3 P 2 Coloeus monedula Red-billed Chough 2 A 1 Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax Alpine Chough 3 A 3 Pyrrhocorax graculus Hooded Crow 6 P 4 Corvus cornix Carrion Crow 4 A 2 Corvus corone Common Raven 2 A 1 Corvus corax Common Starling 7 A P 3 Sturnus vulgaris Eurasian Golden Oriole 3 P 1 Oriolus oriolus Italian Sparrow 8 A P 2 Passer domesticus italiae Eurasian Tree Sparrow 1 P 1 Passer montanus White-winged Snowfinch 1 A 1 Montifringilla nivalis Common Chaffinch 6 A P 2 Fringilla coelebs Common Linnet 3 A 1 Carduelis cannabina Common Redpoll 4 A 2 Carduelis flammea European Goldfinch 6 1h A P 2 Carduelis carduelis Citril Finch 1 A 1 Carduelis citrinella European Greenfinch 1 1h P 1 Chloris chloris European Serin 5 A P 1 Serinus serinus Eurasian Bullfinch 1 A 1 Pyrrhula pyrrhula Hawfinch 1 P 1 Coccothraustes coccothraustes Common Crossbill 1 A 1 Loxia curvirostra Ortolan Bunting 2 P 1 Emberiza hortulana Yellowhammer 1 A 1 Emberiza citrinella Cirl Bunting 1 P 1 Emberiza cirlus Corn Bunting 2 P 1 Emberiza calandra Rock Bunting 3 A 1 Emberiza cia BU T T E R F L I ES Osiris Blue Black-veined White Knapweed Fritillary Meadow Brown Little Blue Large White Glanville Fritillary Grizzled Skipper Large Blue Mountain Clouded Yellow Heath Fritillary Dingy Skipper Alpine Argus Small Tortoiseshell Rock Grayling Holly Blue Scarce Swallowtail Comma Geranium Argus Green Hairstreak Swallowtail Two-tailed Pasha Ilex Hairstreak Wood White Brimstone Painted Lady Almond-eyed Ringlet Orange Tip Cleopatra Southern Gatekeeper Piedmont Ringlet Small White Scarce Copper Small Heath Speckled Wood Green-veined White Sooty Cooper Alpine Heath Marbled White Bath White Pearl-bordered Fritillary Northern Wall Brown Great Banded Grayling Apollo M A M M A LS Chamois European Hare Marmot Roe Deer Cottontail Ibex Red Fox Bottle-nosed Dolphin R EPT I L ES Green Lizard Edible Frog Moorish Gecko Southern Smooth Snake Wall Lizard

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F L O W E RS A OST A A R E A

Globe Flower Trolius europeaus Alpine Bistort Polygonaceae vivparum Sainfoin Onobrychis viciifola Harebell Campanula rotundifolia Wild Thyme Thymus praecox Alpine Bartsia Bartsia alpine Common Field Speedwell Veronica persica Self-heal Prunella vulgaris

Saxifraga burseriana Italian Catchfly Silene Italica Fodder Vetch Vica villosa Common Butterwort Pinguicula vulgaris Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris Common Dandelion Taraxacum officinale Mountain Houseleek Sempervivum montanm Trumpet Gentian Gentiana clusii Cobweb Houseleek Sempervivum arachnoideum Umbrella Milkwort Tolpis barbata Spiked Rampion Phyteuma spicatum Alpine Rock-cress Arabis alpine Naked-Stalked Globe-daisy Globularia nudicaulis Mountain Avens Geum montanum Alpine Forget-me-not Myosotis alpestris Great Yellow Gentian Gentiana lutea Stemless Gentian Gentiana acaulis Spring Gentian Gentiana verna H Primula halleri Spurred Violet Viola calcerata Round-headed Rampion Phyteuma orbiculare Alpine Rock-cress Arabis alpine Alpine Kidney Vetch Antyllis vulneraria Alpine Toadflax Linaria alpina Mountain Thrift, Alpine Thrift Armeria alpine Alpine Milk-vetch Astragalus alpinus Alpine Sun-rose Helianthemum alpestre Alpine Mouse-car Cerastium alpinum Alpine Spicknel Ligusticum mutellina Austrian Milfoil Achillea clavenae Alpine Lady's-mantle Alchemilla alpine Pyramidal Bugle Ajuga pyramidalis Viper's Bugloss Echium plantagineum Biscutella Biscutella laevigata Scorpion Senna Hippocrepis emerus Golden Hawk's-beard Crepis aurea Horseshoe Vetch Hippocretis comosa Orange Lily Lilium bulbiferum Imperforate St.John's-wort Hypericum maculatum Rough Hawkbit Leontodon hispidus Common Restharrow Ononis repens Purple Oxytropis Oxytropis helleri Whorled Lousewort Pedicularis verticillata Mountain Valerian Valeriana montana Alpine Plantain Plantago alpine ( A plantain with yellow flowers) Plantago serpentine Alpine Milkwort Polygala alpine Common Bistort Polygonum bistorta Alpine Cinquefoil Potentilla crantzi Alpine Pasqueflower Pulsatilla alpine Carline Thistle Carlina acaulis

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Mountain Buttercup Ranunculus montanus Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus glacialis Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor Rock Soapwort Saponaria ocymoide White Stonecrop Sedum album Rock Speedwell Veronica fruticans Alsike Clover Trifolium hybridum Mountain Clover Trifolium montanum Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara Ragged Pink Dianthus seguieri Wild Strawberry F ragaria vesca Common Centuary Centaurium erythraea Eyebright Eurasia nemorosa Rhododendron Rhododendron hirsutum Alpine Poppy Papaver alpinum ssp. ernesti-mayeri Moss Campion Silene acaulis Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys Common Globularia Globularia punctata Dark Mullein Verbascum nigrum Alpine Snow Bell Soldanella alpine

-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus Wild Thyme Thymus praecox Alpine Bellflower Campanula alpine Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia conopsea Globe Orchid Traunsteinera globosa Almond Spurge Euphorbia amygdaloides Alpine Calamint Acinos alpinus Alpine Flax Linum julicum Bird's Eye Primrose Primula farinosa Common Daisy Bellis perennis Perennial Cornflower or Mountain Bluets Centaurae Montana Heath or Moorland Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza maculata (A red-black orchid) Nigritella comune C A M IN O A R E A Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris Teasel Dipsacus fullonum Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca Bush Vetch Vicia sepium Meadow or Yellow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis White Melilot Melilotus alba Sorrel Rumex acetosa

Rumex acetosella Fat Hen Chenopodium album Common Orache Atriplex patula Ragged Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi Red Campion Silene dioica Bladder Campion Silene vulgaris Corn Poppy Papaver rhoeas Shepherds Purse Capsella bursa-pastoris Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor Water Avens Geum rivale Broom Cytisus scoparius Common Restharrow Ononis repens Black Medick Medicago lupulina

-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria Sainfoin Onobrychis viciifola Meadow Cranesbill Geranium pratense

-foot Cranesbill Geranium molle Herb Robert Geranium robertianum

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Common Storksbill Erodium cicutarium Common Mallow Malva sylvestris

Hypericum perforatum Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium Rose-bay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium Great Hairy Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis Blue Pimpernel Anagallis foemina Common Centuary Centaurium erythraea

Echium vulgare Bugle Ajuga reptans Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea Self-heal Prunella vulgaris Wild Thyme Thymus praecox Great Mullien Verbascum Thapsus Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis Common Field-speedwell Veronica persica Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor Eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa Golden-rod Solidago virgaurea Daisy Bellis perennis Bristly Ox-tongue Picris echioides

-beard Tragopogon pratensis Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis Ox-eye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare Vervain Verbena officinalis Broomrape Orobanche sp

Mercurialis perennis Navelwort or Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris Dog Rose Rosa canina Fodder Vetch Vica villosa These lists represent those birds, other animals and plants seen by party members of this tour. © Ornitholidays

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Wallcreeper habitat Mountain view

Our hotel in the mountains Ca'San Sebastiano

Our hotel

Birding in the mountains Mountain view

Mountain view F lower meadow

Cover photograph: V iew above Valnontey A ll photographs: © Sue H ealey & Pam Reynolds