NOTES 1)You will find (in this order): DATE HOUR WEATHER CONDITIONS PLACE 2)Keys: m.= male f.= female H = heard V.M.S.= Via Monte Sabotino (the place where I live in Modena) +-= approximately += probably more than 3)The birds written in capital letters are considered important in the area/period where/when they have been watched. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 7/1/02 12.30 sun-clouds V.M.S. Grey heron 1, passes before my window. 10/1/02 twilight V.M.S. Sparrowhawk 1, passes before my window. 13/1/02 10.20-11.10 sun Valli Le Partite Stonechat 1, 1st winter. Buzzard 1 Hen harrier 1 f. MERLIN 1 Kestrel 2 f. Mallard +-100 Greylag goose 4 Grey heron Great egret 1+ Moorhen "thousands"; there was plenty of them "pasturing" on fields or beside the road. Found a dead one. Meadow pipit H Skylark 2+ Magpie Tree sparrow House sparrow Pigeon GREAT GREY SHRIKE 1, confident and really beautiful. Coypu 1 + 9 dead (most of them were probably killed by hunters). A canal was plenty of Anodonta cygnea, which has got a quite big (15 cm) shell. 14/1/02 9.55-10.20 sun V.M.S. Pigeon +-30 Collared dove 1 White wagtail 1 Robin H Blackbird 7 Blue tit H Great tit 2 Magpie 2 Jackdaw 4 Hooded crow 3 Starling +-40 House sparrow H Chaffinch 2 Greenfinch 4 31/1/02 10.25-10.45 sun V.M.S. Pigeon 11 Collared dove 3 Robin 2 Blackbird 4 Great spotted woodpecker H Blue tit 2 Great tit 3 Magpie 2 Starling 22 House sparrow 4 Chaffinch H Greenfinch 1 6/2/02 16.20 V.M.S. : sparrowhawk 1 8/2/02 8.00 V.M.S. : robin 3 H 14/2/02 16.50 V.M.S. : sparrowhawk 1 17/2/02 10.10-10.40 rain V.M.S. Sparrowhawk 1 Pigeon 2 Robin 2 H Blackbird 8 Great spotted woodpecker H Blue tit 1 Great tit 2 Magpie 2 House sparrow 2 Chaffinch H 18/2/02 9.00 sun Parco del Policlinico: green woodpecker H 11.30-12.40 sun-clouds Collegara Collared dove Pigeon 10+, eating (for the first time) in the garden Great tit 3 Blue tit 1 Robin 1 Chaffinch 10+, eating Greenfinch H Great spotted woodpecker H Green woodpecker 1 Blackbird 4+ Tree sparrow 2+ Magpie 2 Jackdaw H Skylark H Starling H 19/2/02 all day sun Dipartimento di biologia animale (D.B.A.) (Via Campi-MO) Long eared owl 1, roosting on a bare tree. 17.40 Parco del Policlinico: Magpie 22, eating on a field. 20/2/02 all day D.B.A. : long eared owl 1 21/02/02 11.45 Parco del Policlinico: green woodpecker, 1 eating on a field. 23/02/02 17.20-17.50 sun Manzolino Lapwing +-300 Mallard +-160 Great egret 7 Grey heron 4 Magpie 1 Hooded crow Coot 2+ Moorhen 1+ Green sandpiper 3 Pheasant Robin H Chiffchaff H Collared dove Pigeon White wagtail H Meadow pipit H Blackbird H Wren H Starling +-120 Coypu 2 3/03/02 10.10 sun V.M.S. Blackbird singing Robin H Afternoon-twilight Collegara Robin H Blackbird singing LONG EARED OWL 2, an individual alighted on a magpie nest (probable breeding). 4/03/02 morning sun Collegara Great tit Chaffinch, some continuously eating Robin 2 Long tailed tit 2 Casse d'espansione del Panaro Wren 1 Pheasant 2, 1m. 1f. Magpie Jay House sparrow Tree sparrow Blacbird Starling Pigeon Collared dove Chaffinch, lots especially in the trees just before the quarry. Buzzard 2 6/03/02 21.10-22.50 Nocturnal birds of prey census Via Cavo Argine: Little owl 2 answer to the call. 7/03/02 16.45-17.45 sun-clouds V.M.S. Magpie 3 Chaffinch +-20 Long tailed tit 4, territorial behavior. Greenfinch 6, singing. Robin 2H Great tit 2 Collared dove 10 Blackbird 4, some singing. Jackdaw 4 Hooded crow 1 8/03/02 9.15-9.30 sun V.M.S. Great tit 2 Chaffinch 2 Blackcap 1f.+another individual singing. Blackbird 5 House sparrow 5 Collared dove 3 Pigeon 6 Magpie 1 Greenfinch, an individual singing. 9/03/02 all day sun-clouds Lago di Garda (VR) & Sirmione sul Garda (BS) Mute swan Mallard Red crested pochard 10, 5m. and 5f. (Sirmione). Coot Great crested grebe, summer plumage. Black necked grebe 6+ Black headed gull Yellow legged gull, a few. Common gull 10+ (2nd winter, etc.) Cormorant 3+ Sardinian warbler H Blackcap, lots singing. Robin Blackbirds, lots singing. Collared dove Pigeon House sparrow Chaffinch Greenfinch Hooded crow Magpie FIRST BAT (watched in Malcesine, on Lago di Garda). 13/03/02 16.00-17.30 sun Valli le Partite Lapwing, lots and really noisy. Ruff, lots. Black winged stilt 6+ Snipe, some. Coot Moorhen Mallard Shoveler +-30, m. and f. Garganey 2m. Mute swan 1 Little grebe Grey heron 2+ Great egret 7 Bittern 1 Yellow legged gull 10 (adult) Buzzard 1 Skylark, some singing. Magpie Hooded crow Starling, a few. Collared dove Pigeon Tree sparrow Pheasant Reed bunting 2 Cetti's warbler H Coypu 2 Lots of mosquitoes. 14/03/02 13.35-13.55 sun-clouds V.M.S. Great spotted woodpecker H FIRST SERIN, 1 singing. Greenfinch, 13, some singing. House sparrow 5 Magpie 2, 1 coming from a nest. Collared dove 6 Blue tit H Great tit 3 Long tailed tit 2 Blackbird 5, 1 singing. Pigeon Blackcap 1m. Robin H Starling 3 Jackdaw 1 15/3/02 11.20 clouds V.M.S. Chiffchaff H 13.00 Serin H Great spotted woodpecker H 16/3/02 12.00 sun V.M.S. Chiffchaff H Serin H Great tit H 17/3/02 morning fog-sun Partecipanza agraria di Nonantola OPERATION OF RINGING BIRDS RINGED Robin 6 Chiffchaff 2 WILLOW WARBLER 1 Dunnock 2 Chaffinch 3 Penduline tit 1 Redwing 1 Green woodpecker 1 f. Wren 1 Blackcap 1m, 1 f. Cetti's warbler 1 RECAPTURED BIRDS Cetti's warbler 2 Blackbird 1 m. TOTAL: 23 Ruff 27 Black winged stilt 2 Green sandpiper 11 Yellow wagtail (f. flava or f. cinerocapilla female) Mallard Teal Reed bunting Starling Great spotted woodpecker Pigeon FIRST SWALLOW 9 FIRST HOUSE MARTIN 1 Marsh harrier 2 Grey heron Coot Moorhen Magpie Jay H Pheasant H Skylark H 18/3/02 14.30 sun-clouds V.M.S. : blue tit 19/3/02 sun-clouds V.M.S. : jay H 21/3/02 18.40 sun V.M.S. : BAT, probably 2 different species. 23/3/02 1.15 V.M.S. : rat, probably Rattus norvegicus. 11.00 sun V.M.S. : (sparrowhawk 1, frightening some pigeons). 12.00 Blackcap 1m., 1 f. Blue tit H Greenfinch H Chiffchaff H 25/4/02 17.20 sun V.M.S. Sparrowhawk 2, flying above the place where I live. 31/3/02 12.15 sun-clouds V.M.S. (White wagtail H) Greenfinch 3, singing. Great tit 3, singing. (Maybe the "huit-huit-huit" frequently heard before was made by great tit and not by chiffchaff). Blue tit H Collared dove 8 House sparrow Blackbird 4 Pigeon Hooded crow 2 pass above. Blackcap 2, singing. Magpie 1 Blizzard (Podarcis sicula) 7 females, 4 males. 1/4/02 10.15 sun V.M.S. MAGPIE ON NEST+other 4 magpies passing. 2/4/02 20.00 sunset V.M.S. (Swift H) Jackdaw 8 4/2/02 9.45 clouds V.M.S. COLLARED DOVE ON NEST. The nest was placed on a wardrobe in my balcony. 5/2/02 12.40-15.00 sun Valli Le Partite Little grebe, lots. Great crested grebe Grey heron Little egret Great egret 1+ Moorhen Coot Cormorant 1 Greylag goose 3+ Mute swan 2 SHELDUCK 2 Mallard Shoveler Garganey Marsh harrier 2 Buzzard 2 Little owl 1 Black winged stilt Lapwing Ruff, lots Curlew 1 Greenshank 3 Black tailed godwit 2 Black headed gull Skylark Yellow wagtail Stonechat Pheasant Pigeon Tree sparrow House sparrow Serin Starling Blackbird Magpie Hooded crow FIRST SWIFT, lots Swallow House martin H Coypu 15.30-16.20 sun Le Meleghine (Massa Finalese) Zitting cisticola 1 Kestrel 1 Marsh harrier 1m., 1f. Pheasant Black winged stilt 74 Ruff Spotted greenshank 1 Lapwing Black headed gull +-8 FIRST WHISKERED TERN, 11 Mallard Shoveler 2+ Teal +-10 Garganey +-70 Moorhen Coot Cormorant 7 Grey heron Great egret 1 Cattle egret 1 Stonechat Skylark H Hare 2 18.0 V.M.S.: collared dove on nest. 6/4/02 17.30-18.00 sun Valli Le Partite REDWING 1 Tree sparrow Starling Swift Swallow Black winged stilt Wood sandpiper Ruff Black headed gull Mallard Shoveler Garganey Moorhen Coot 18.15-21.00 sun Place near Valli Le Partite Snipe 1-2 JACK SNIPE 4 Yellow wagtail Water pipit Swallow Swift FIRST PURPLE HERON FIRST NIGHT HERON Mallard Black winged stilt 6+ Wood sandpiper Yellow legged gull 7 Coypu 1+. We also find the skull of a coypu. OPERATION OF RINGING: capturing yellow wagtails at roosting. CAPTURED BIRDS Yellow wagtail: Motacilla flava cinereocapilla 30 males (2 1st year) Motacilla flava flava 4 males Motacilla flava thunbergi 1 male Motacilla flava probably hybrids between flava and cinereocapilla 2 Motacilla flava sp. female 2 TOTAL: 39 Three of them were recaptured; one had been ringed in 1998. Reed bunting 1m., with a thick bill. Tree sparrow 1 21.30-1.00 night (without moon) Valli Le Partite We ringed and studied here the wagtails and they were set free some hours later at sunrise. We also tried to capture some garganeys but we didn't manage to do it, even if two of them passed above us. On the way to home we heard and saw: BARN OWL 1-maybe 2 flying. Black winged stilt Garganey Pheasant Curlew Wood sandpiper Grey heron Coot Hare 5 7-8/4/02 V.M.S. : found two eggs in the dove's nest. 13/4/02 10.00 sun-clouds V.M.S. Great tit 1 Greenfinch 4 Serin 5 Blackcap 2 Jay H Starling 2 Swift 21 Swallow H Blackbird H Collared dove 11 House sparrow +-10 Pigeon 6, one on nest. Magpie on nest Hooded crow 2 CHAFFINCH H 12.00 Giardini pubblici: CHAFFINCH 1 adult 16/4/02 18.00 sun-clouds V.M.S. : swallow 1 25/4/02 16.45 sun Vaciglio (MO) : FIRST NIGHTINGALE H 18.15 Via Morane (MO) : FIRST WRYNECK H 26/4/02 15.45 sun Casa del Pozzo (not far from Collegara): Golden oriole H 27/4/02 11.25-11.55 sun-clouds V.M.S. Blackcap 2 males Wryneck H Collared dove 14 Starling H Pigeon 7, one on nest. Swift +-70 Swallow 1 Long tailed tit 1-2 Blackbird 4, some singing. House sparrow +-10 Serin H Greenfinch 1, singing. Magpie 1 Great tit H WILLOW WARBLER 1 1/5/02 all day sun Collegara FIRST TURTLE DOVE H Skylark H Great tit 2+, NESTING IN AN ARTIFICIAL NEST. Blackbird, probably nesting. Starling (maybe found a broken egg). Long tailed tit H Green woodpecker H Swallow Tree sparrow Mouse (Mus musculus) 7/5/02 sun Collegara Starling, NESTING. The couple fed the chicks 6 times from 10.50 to 11.02. Great spotted woodpecker Skylark H 10/5/02 20.10 clouds V.M.S. Collared dove, nesting in our neighbours' balcony. 13/5/02 morning sun Collegara Tree sparrow, probably nesting. Starling, 2 couples nesting in tree holes. Magpie, nesting on an old horse chestnut. Great tit, nesting. Blackbird, probably nesting. Turtle dove H Pheasant H Green woodpecker H Great spotted woodpecker H Greenfinch h House martin Swift 1st BEE EATER (H) Blackcap, singing 26/5/02 morning sun Partecipanza agraria di Nonantola OPERATION OF RINGING Red footed falcon 13 (males, females) Kestrel/(Lesser kestrel) 1 Marsh harrier 1 f. Little owl 1 Reed warbler (Marsh warbler H) Black winged stilt 5+ (2 nests with 4 eggs). They mobbed the marsh harrier. Jay Magpie Hooded crow Parakeet (?) 1 Moorhen Mallard Golden oriole H Pheasant Tree sparrow Starling Blackbird Blackcap Pigeon Collared dove Turtle dove 2/6/02 13.00 sun Vieste-Pizzomunno (Foggia-Puglia) Lesser grey shrike 1, (before reaching Vieste) Raven 2-3 Jackdaw Kestrel 1 Pigeon - Rock dove Swift Pallid swift Alpine swift House martin Yellow legged gull House sparrow 3/6/02 morning sun Marina di Lesina and whereabouts Bee eater 2-3 Sardinian warbler Yellow legged gull Kentish plover 2 on the coast. (Yellow hammer H) 4/6/02 all day sun Isole Tremiti (San Domino-San Nicola) Yellow legged gull, some colonies on San Domino and Capraia. Cory's shearwater, some watched from the ship while sailing towards San Nicola from Peschici. Swift Pallid swift Sardinian warbler Peregrine falcon 1, flying near a cliff. Honey buzzard 19, certainly migrating. Pigeon 5/6/02 all day clouds Foresta Umbra Ortolan bunting 1 (juvenile or female) (it wasn't in Foresta Umbra). Great tit Nuthatch, a lot and very confident. Great spotted woodpecker H (Lesser spotted woodpecker H) Barn swallow 14/6/02 23.40 V.M.S. 1st SCOPS OWL H (heard for a few minutes). 18/6/02 12.30 sun V.M.S. House martin 1 (THE FIRST HERE IN MODENA). Swift 2+ Hooded crow 2 Magpie 1 House sparrow H Collared dove H Pigeon 1 Blackbird, singing Greenfinch, singing 1/7/02 13.50 sun V.M.S. Sparrowhawk 1, hunting (a sharp "heek-heek"). 4/7/02 9.30 sun V.M.S. Sparrowhawk 1. Some jackdaws were frightened. 3 hooded crows "colonized" this area. I can see them every day. Notice that this bird was rarely seen just one year ago, and more or less never seen two years ago. 25/7/02 14.30 rain-hail upper part of Val Lasties (TRENTO) Herd of 35 ibex (rock goats) (males, females, 12 juveniles). The herd moves keeping the juveniles in the middle of the queue, followed by some males. At the same time a male is a forerunner. 27/7/02 sun Pera di Fassa (TN) Crag martin 6+, nesting. 22/8/02 late in the morning sun Vallaccia-Cima Undicici (TN) GOLDEN EAGLE 1 3/9/02 12.45-13.10 sun Casse di espansione del Panaro Grey heron 2-3 Little egret 1 Coot Moorhen Mallard 4+ Mute swan 1 Hooded crow (flock watched by the dam on Panaro river). Magpie Jay Green woodpecker H (Swallow) House martin Collared dove Pigeon 7/9/02 morning sun-clouds Collegara Jay 4+ Magpie 1 Greenfinch, a small flock. Green woodpecker Great tit Collared dove Blackbird (some juveniles). Starling Swallow House sparrow 17.00-20.40 sun-wind Valli Le Partite OPERATION OF RINGING BLUETHROAT (Luscinia s. cyanecula) 7 (6 males, 1 female). Savi's warbler 1 Sedge warbler 1 Stonechat 1 Reed bunting (thick billed) 3+ Cetti's warbler 1 Nightingale 1 Tree sparrow 1 Great reed warbler 5 Reed warbler Yellow wagtail (Motacilla f. cinereocapilla and f. flava) almost 40 TOTAL: 70 Marsh warbler (H) Bluethroat 1-2 Marsh harrier 3+ Kestrel 2 Barn owl 1 (20.40) Grey heron Little egret Great egret 1+ Cattle egret 1 Black headed gull Starling +-1000 (a flock) Moorhen Coot Dabbling ducks (Mallard, teal, etc.) +-1200 Greylag goose 29 (31) (a flock) Lapwing +-300 Snipe Wood sandpiper Spotted redshank Greenshank 9/9/02 12.50 sun Collegara Long tailed tit, a small flock. 10/9/02 20.00 twilight Collegara Pied flycatcher 2 H 11/9/02 9.20-10.00 sun-clouds Collegara Pied flycatcher 1 H TREE PIPIT 6+, on the fields surrounding the garden. Swallow House martin Jay 3 Magpie 1 Great spotted woodpecker 1 Greenfinch Great tit Blackcap 1 f. Blackbird Collared dove Pigeon Starling Tree sparrow 11.00-13.00 sun-clouds Casse di espansione del Panaro Mallard 16+ Coot Moorhen Little grebe 1-2 Great crested grebe 1 (winter plumage). Mute swan 1 (by the dam). Grey heron 2 Little egret 1 Cetti's warbler H Hooded crow (a small flock by the dam). Jay Magpie Swallow House martin Sparrowhawk 1 Unidentified bird: I don't know whether it was a sparrowhawk or an owl (Tawny owl). 12/9/02 19.50 sunset V.M.S. Starling, small flocks maybe preparing for migration. Sparrowhawk, frightening the starlings. 14/9/02 16.00-22.00 sun Valli Le Partite OPERATION OF RINGING Reed warbler, some 20+ Great reed warbler, a few. Yellow wagtail, +-60 (cinereocapilla & flava) Reed bunting BLUETHROAT 5 (3 m., 2 f.) TOTAL: +-80 Lapwing, a few Greenshank H Snipe Dabbling ducks (Mallard, teal, etc.) +-3000. (Tomorrow starts the hunting season). Greylag goose, a few. Mute swan 5 WHITE PELICAN 1 (I couldn't see it). Grey heron Little egret Night heron, a flock of 52 probably migrating. Marsh harrier 2+ Starling Zitting cisticola Pigeon Tree sparrow Frog: Rana lessonae Toad: Bufo viridis Snake: Natrix natrix 15/9/02 14.00 sun Collegara Long tailed tit, a flock of +-10. Great tit H Collared dove Green woodpecker H Blackbird 16/9/02 V.M.S. : jay 1 17/9/02 V.M.S. : green woodpecker H 19/9/02 22.30 V.M.S. : long eared owl 1 20/9/02 V.M.S. : green woodpecker H 28/9/02 Collegara: FIRST ROBIN H 2/10/02 V.M.S. : sparrowhawk hunting. Frightened pigeons. 5/10/02 Collegara: robin 3 H 6/10/02 V.M.S. : robin H 11/10/02 V.M.S. : white wagtail 1 17/10/02 19.00 V.M.S. : sparrowhawk 1 9/11/02 11.00 V.M.S. Wren H Robin 2 Chiffchaff 2 Great tit (Long tailed tit) Magpie Collared dove Pigeon 24/11/02 13.10 V.M.S. : jay 3 25/11/02 12.45 V.M.S. : sparrowhawk 1 29/11/02 16.30 V.M.S. : sparrowhawk 1 2/12/02 V.M.S. : pigeons mating. 6/12/02 16.00 V.M.S. : great spotted woodpecker perching on a TV aerial. 7/12/02 12.45 V.M.S. : female sparrowhawk 14/12/02 11.50 V.M.S. : sparrowhawk 1 27/12/02 11.45 V.M.S. : sparrowhawk 1