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!
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| 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.
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| Spotted Flycatcher |
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| Icterine Warbler |
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| Whinchat |
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| 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!
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| Laughing Dove |
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| Isabelline Wheatear |
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