Autumn 2012

Here are some images from Linosa - autumn 2012.

The first rarity was a first-winter Rosy Starling sitting on a wire out of the little village at sunset on 28.10.2012. It was for just a short while, when we tried to get closer it took flight all alone as the ~500 Common Starling surrounding it remained still.
 

Interestingly a leucistic Common Starling was present the same day too and allowed a nice comparison.

Two days after, again at dusk, we found a wonderful Trumpeter Finch in tha same place visited by a Moussier's Redstart last year and a Desert Wheatear two years ago...nice mix of african and asian birds!

Probably the rarest animal of the trip was this dragonfly found during strong southern winds: it's the first italian record for this tropical species and one of the very few for Europe. It's name is Pantala flavescens. During the next days we saw up to 13 indd on Linosa.

 

Migrating common and scarce birds are always fantastic, like this Ring Ouzel:

 

Stone Curlews:

Robin:

and Common Sandpiper:

On 2.11 Ottavio found this Daurian Shrike some 500m away from us as just a little point far far away perched on a bush that looked like something "shrikish"...great!!

After having watched and enjoyed the Shrike, we were happily and loudly walking back to home commenting about what we had just seen when a penetrating call took us back to concentration: an Olive-backed Pipit was flying over us!

I was able to get only bad pics, but I know Igor had some much better and will soon be available. This is the 7th OBP for Pelagie Islands and 15th for Italy.

UPDATE: here is one of the amazing pics taken by Igor!

Laughing Doves are resident with a couple of pairs breeding, but maybe some new birds arrive time to time like the one depicted here

On 3.11 another beauty was found on the island: an incredible Rustic Bunting in the field opposite to the one that hosted a Yellow-breasted last fall. Luckily the Rustic was more cooperative and was observed by all the birders present on Linosa that day!

As usual sunsets were wonderful and I'm already missing Linosa!

 

ciao by the MISC

April 2007

Linosa

In 2007 we decided to visit Linosa earlier than the previous year: we visited Linosa from April 5^th to 15^th, while Lampedusa received coverage from April 1^st to 12th.

Although numbers of passerine migrants are usually lower in early April that they are at the beginning of May, we did have one huge fall of passerines on Easter Sunday (April 8^th), especially Subalpine Warblers: it seemed that every bush held 5-10 Subalpines (and keep in mind that at least 60% of Linosa is covered by bushes!).

Most birds were cantillans, but about 10% were identified  as albistriata on call.

Moltoni's Warbler is recorded too with some birds migrating at the end of April and May.

Subalpine Warbler

Subalpine Warbler

Subalpine Warbler

Moltoni's Warbler photographed on
Ventotene Is. (Thanks to Andrea Ferri)

Many other species were quite common, including:

Lesser Kestrel

Common Redstart

Scops Owl

Scops Owl

Wryneck

Red-throated Pipit

The best rarities were:

·         A pair of Cretzschmar's Buntings on Lampedusa on the 7th

·         2 Olivaceous Warblers on 14^th on Linosa

·         About 20 Isabelline Weathears on Lampedusa and Linosa

·         About 25 Pallid Harriers

·         2-3 Siberian Peregrines (calidus-type)

·         1 Bonelli's Warbler sp.

·         3 Laughing Doves on Linosa

Isabelline Wheatear

Laughing Dove singing

Olivaceous Warbler

Pallid Harrier II cy

April-May 2006

In April and May 2006, several of us joined Andrea Corso who was on Linosa monitoring raptor and stork migration on behalf of LIPU (Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli).

Except for Andrea and Hans, it was the first time for us on Linosa. As soon as we saw the outline of the island appear on the horizon as the ferry approached, we fell in love with this tiny speck of land!

Linosa to the horizon

Late April and May is the best time of the year for seeing large numbers of passerine migrants: on some days, hundreds of Icterine Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers and Whinchats were literally falling from the sky.

Spotted Flycatcher

Icterine Warbler

Whinchat

Tawny Pipit

It is also the best time to enjoy the huge colony of Scopoli’s Shearwater: thousands of birds raft just offshore, but most impressive of all is the deafening chorus of eerie calls the birds make as they visit the colony at night - an amazing, haunting experience!

FILE AUDIO

The most interesting sightings from spring 2006 included:

3 Rufous Bush Robins of the African ssp. galactotes

1 Isabelline Wheatear on 06.05.2006 (although it is a regular migrant in eastern Sicily, it is very rare outside the late February – mid-April period)

The first documented breeding of Laughing Dove on Linosa (Laughing Dove is a common breeder on the island of Pantelleria 90 km to the northwest)

1 2cy male Atlas Flycatcher, if accepted it will be the first for Europe!

Laughing Dove

Isabelline Wheatear