30. heinäkuuta 2017

Last days with car in Sardinia. 25.7-28.7.2017

on 25th we had nice morning at the beach and later afternoon we drove to the beautiful city called Bosa. I knew that on our way we are going to see some Griffon Vultures, because this road and mountains near it are the only place where this majestic raptor breeds in Sardinia.
Also the road from Alghero to Bosa is one of the most breathtaking I have ever seen.
After all we aw only eight Griffons, but that is cool. Only one came little closer for photos.

Griffon Vulture.

We had nice dinner in Bosa and place is really worth to visit, if you are visiting this area.

Vilma walking in Bosa.

Lots of lookout stops during the drive from Alghero to Bosa.

On 26th we had same kind of morning and afternoon was time to move around. We checked some capes along the western shoreline of the island and lots of beautiful places was found.
We saw lots of Kestrels, Spotless Starlings, Buzzards, Sardinian Warblers, different looking Lizards etc during our trip. For Vilma maybe the best moment was to see four horses. She was talking about those horses all night after that.

Porticciolo.

27th we had family trip to Stintino, which is a small city in the North-western end of the island.
The place is famous for many beautiful beaches and we wanted to see the one which is named the most beautiful in Italy, biacci della Pelosa.
We arrived at half ten and place was totally full.. We had luck to find a parking spot and from there was about 800m walk to the beach where you had a small patch, size of a stamp. We did not like that at all... So much people, so much noise, lack of a space and privacy. Place is a real beauty, but maybe when it is empty :)
Pretty soon we left and continued to the place where was supposed to be some Flamingos. There was not. Too many people, not birds. Holiday season is possibly the worst time to look birds in this kind of places. Some Stonechats, Swallowtail butterflies, Kestrels etc.
During the drive to Stintino I had many raptors, including some Marsh Harriers and one Lesser Kestrel. Also big flocks of Yellow-legged Gulls, Spanish Sparrows, Cirl Buntings and Turtle Doves.

Roadside Common Buzzard.

Yellow-legged Gulls.

Swallotail in Stintino.

My last day with car was 28th and I started very early. First I went to Capo Caccia, place where we visited together few days earlier. Place looked good and I wanted to check it.
During my drive I had to stop three times because Deers where running around and cross the road.
First I had two big males with great horns and then few females. Closer to Caccia I had very close Peregrine Falcon and smaller falcon, which I think was male Peregrine. Awesome birds.
When I finally arrived to Capo Caccia, the area where I wanted to visit was closed.. I walked around, took some photo of the view and moved a bit to area where I could walk around.

Morning.

Nice sea view.

Later I found this Peregrine little bit further away.

I walked around the bushes and many Sardinian Warblers were flushes after I heard a call of Marmora´s Warbler! I was sure that there i some, but never saw it and call disappeared very soon...
A flock of Barbary Partridges were around and at least four juveniles this time.
Next place was Lago Baratz and this time I had my telescope with me.
I made some stops, but nothing interesting before the lake. I parked my car and noticed interesting looking butterfly near by.
Some kind of variation of Speckled Wood I guess.

Same species, different individual. 

I continued to the lake and checked it with my telescope. Not much new, but one White Wagtail, some Mallards, lots of Red-creasted Pochards, some Common Pochards, Little Grebes etc.

Phone scoped Pochards.

Shitty photo of Little Egret.

I watched the lake about 45 minutes, but nothing really interesting appeared.. Same Dragonflies around (Long Skimmer and Broad Scarlets) with one new species, Lesser Emperor! New species to my dragonfly list if I kept a record of them. 
I left and stopped near the visitor center of the lake and then I saw a little bird with orange-grey combination. I watched the bush/small tree and then I found it. Male Subalpine Warbler! Or should I say Motoni´s Warbler! Bird moved rapidly behind the leafs in small area. At this point I started to take my camera out of my backpack when bird moved in top of the bush and Tyrrhenian Spotted Flycatcher came and flushed the bird away. I got picture of smiling Flycatcher, but not this amazing new bird for me. I tried to relocate the bird, but I found only few Sardinian Warblers and more evil Flycatchers. :(

This bird did it..

Time was flying and I had about an hour time before I had to return my rental car. I choose to go near the airport, where I saw lots of birds last time. I still wanted to find something new. 
I arrived to the place I found last time and noticed big flock of Spanish Sparrows, few Serins, Greenfinches, Spotless Starlings, few Gold Finches and couple of Corn Buntings.

Spanish Sparrows.

Male Sardinian Warbler.

European Serins.

I drove a bit and soon I noticed small flock of European Stonechats and with them few Zitting Cisticolas! 

Zitting Cisticola.
Soon it was time to return the car. It is always sad, because car give you some many opportunities to do and go around. Now I have to watch some local birds and enjoy the time with my family. I will visit the Pinya Maria forest again some morning, so at least one more post coming from here. Now we have few days left before going back home. 
Almost all target species in my bag, I´m happy. 

-Tom

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