Oasi WWF Padule Orti-Bottagone

  

Black-winged Stilt

 Our fabulous Tuscan host, Fabio, organised an excursion for us to the Oasi WWF Padule Orti-Bottagone only some 30 minutes from our villa.  The reserve is a  hot spot for Black-winged Stilts and Greater Flamingos. Our arrival we met local birder and reserve volunteer Stefano who was unlocking the gates - it was now obvious that we were going to get a private tour of the reserve! The location, I have to say, was not picturesque! The reserve was bisected by a motorway and a large factory belching out something horrible from a high chimney was on the boundary. I had read a review before we visited which said that the surround location was hardly pretty but the reserve itself was top notch for birds.

 

Stefano explained that on one side of the motorway was a freshwater marsh with a saline one on the other side. We made our way to the fresh marsh via walking under the motorway. We could immediately see Black-winged Stilts feeding and snoozing in their characteristic manner on one extraordinary long pink leg. Stephano explained that the Stilts nested here and that it was one of the best places to see them in in the whole of Italy. 

 

The Black-winged Stilt is one of a small minority of birds that seem to be benefiting, at least in the UK, from climate change. The migrant summer population is slowly spreading north resulting in UK records increasing noticeably over the past few years. They have also successfully raised young in the UK. It is a very cosmopolitan species which is now normally split into four distinct species. The Europe, Asia and Africa species is the nominate Himantopus Himantopus. The Black-necked Stilt H. mexicanus, and White-backed Stilt  H. melanurus, both inhabit the Americas. Finally the Pied Stilt, H. leucocephalus which I have seen,  hails from southeast Asia to Australia and New Zealand.

 

For someone who is used to seeing one or two of these elegant warders a year this was truly Black-winged Stilt city with a guesstimate headcount in the region of at least one hundred. Stefano took us to a hide from which we had truly superb views of the Stilts feeding and sleeping just a few meters from us. They aways strike me as fragile looking with their extraordinary long thin pink legs looking so flimsy that they would snap in the wind, appearances are obviously very deceptive!

 

The Flamingo  flock was a little distant feeding at the far end of the marsh from our position. I believe this is the only reliable site to see them in Italy. I asked whether they bred here and Stefano said no and that they were probably all young pre-breeding age birds. I guess they must migrate south to breed. The Greater Flamingo is the largest species of Flamingo. Most of their plumage  is pinkish white, but the wing coverts are red and the primary and secondary flight feathers  are black. The bill  is pink with a restricted black tip, and the legs are entirely pink. The call is a goose-like honking. With their strange hooked necks they always remind me of the flamingos in Alice in Wonderland which were used by the queen of hearts to play croquet! I have seen enormous flocks in Africa where they often do a strange circular dance with the whole flock rotating rapidly like a whirlpool. This flock, however, was quite dispersed and seemed too intent on feeding for a strictly come dancing session.

 

Greater Flamingo

Stephano pointed out an Ospreys nest on a purpose built platform on the opposite side of the marsh to us. He explained that the closest hide was shut to avoid disturbance. Three eggs had recently hatched and with bins we could just about see the head of one adult sitting on the nest. While we watched the other adult flew in with a fish for the chicks and sitting adult – a real privilege for us to see!

 

Distant record shot of Ospreys

I also saw what I thought was a Wood Sandpiper. If it was the Uk I would have definitely called it as a Wood Sandpiper but in foreign parts I’ve learned to be a bit more circumspect with my identifications. Stefano told us that these were called Piro Piro in Italian and this indeed translated as Wood Sandpiper.  I would expect to see one or two of these birds on passage in the UK every year but  we saw at least ten individual birds during our visit. There is  a small but well established breeding population in Scotland.

 

Wood Sandpipe

It resembles a longer legged and more delicate Green Sandpiper  with a short fine bill, brown back, and longer yellowish legs. It differs from the first of those species in a smaller and less contrasting white rump patch. Like our Common Sandpiper it often bobs its tail up and down while feeding.

 

Spoonbills and Little Egrets were also well represented with both species feeding in front of our hide.

 

Little Egret

Spoonbill

Scanning the marsh with my bins I spotted a distant Tern on the ground which I was pretty sure was a Caspian Tern, the largest species of Tern world-wide. I took a record shot and enlarged it on the back of my camera and sure enough there was a Caspian Tern very obvious with its huge  red bill with a black tip. This caused some excitement from Stephano and I later learned for the reserve manager that this was an uncommon bird on the reserve with just one or two sightings per year.

 

Distant record shot of Caspian Tern

Stephano said we could stay as long as we wanted to, up to dark if we liked. But Carolyn was getting cold and we decided to head for a local café for a heart-warming Italian coffee.

 

We were much indebted to Stefano for taking time to give us a personal tour of this wonderful reserve.

 

Footnote – my blogs are posted with sometimes rather imaginative spelling and grammar due to my extreme dyslexia!