Day 17 April 30th

Po River Delta

We have just had a fantastic day bird watching. For those not into birding then this will all seem rather tedious and boring but we had a great day!

The Po delta area is large and has many lagoons and reed beds spread over many miles. Fortunately, the Italians have recognised this and in a limited way set up sites and positions so that we who want can get to see some of the sites. Signposting is quite poor so sometimes places/viewpoints are hard to find. Coupled to that, parking is not easy, especially when you are driving large vehicle. However, we managed and saw many birds. We saw very few Italians who had any appropriate equipment for bird watching so I am not sure what they thought. At one place our telescope was used by a family who were very impressed. As the birds were at least 500 meters away they saw something other than a blur!

So what did we see? The photographs unfortunately are not that good but give a vague idea. We visited three sites altogether, the first by climbing banks, or levees where shrimp fishermen had huts and nets. Secondly, we found a sight where we had to cross a river on a ferry. Finally, we went up a watching tower for a great view over the lagoons.

Primarily I guess seeing the Flamingos was a highlight. There were hundreds of them scattered over the lagoons. When they took a break from feeding and flew the shock of pink was amazing. Their size makes them visible from several hundred yards but if only we could have got closer. Too many areas are closed off and 'private'.

We also saw a large bird called a Glossy Ibis, which is very rare in the UK. It's large and dark with a long curved beak that digs into the mud. Having seen one suddenly a group of about six flew over.

All day we heard the cuckoo but never saw one. The first of the year but I gather they have arrived in England, no doubt impressed by the rain the storms and the wind!

Soon after beginning to walk along the banks of the lagoon, we spotted several Bee-eaters. What a sight! The reminded me of seeing Kingfishers flashing along rivers when all you see is the brilliancy of the blue of their feathers. The also reminded me of Hummingbirds that we saw in Ontario whilst canoeing and these birds scythed through the air over the water, again it's their colour that stood out. Anyway, the Bee-eaters were a remarkable sight.

We also saw lots of Little Egrets, as well as Pygmy Cormorants, again a bird one does not see in the UK.

Last week we spent an afternoon watching two Green Woodpeckers building their home. Well actually digging it out of a tree. They seemed to work for about 60 to 90 minutes before being replaced by the other. The one working gave loud shouts for his mate who would eventually appear.