Pallid Harriers

Here following some amazing pictures taken by Yeray Seminario at our watchpoint at the Strait of Messina during last spring migration. Raptors in the pictures are Pallid Harriers. This species has been observed in good numbers last spring with 75 individuals counted. Moreover also 74 individuals were observed belonging to the unidentified group of Montagu's/Pallid Harrier. The peak day was the 12 April with 28 identified Pallid harriers.

An interesting behaviour

An interesting behaviour shown by Kestrels breeding in the central Apennines (Gran Sasso). Our friend Eliseo Strinella took these pictures of Common Kestrels flying with cow's droppings. What do Kestrels do with those excrements?

Our World Migratory Bird Day

Over the last two days at the Strait of Messina raptor count in Southern Italy, around 4000 raptors were observed. Twelve species were recorded in total; honey buzzards were the most frequent, passing in large flocks. Other highlights included small flocks of red-footed falcons, montagu's and marsh harries and a juvenile pallid harrier. As well as black kites, booted eagles and black storks. The count was supplemented with the use of radar to detect bird passage. 

Short-toed Snake Eagles

Here following an amazing sequence of a "discussion" between an adult and an immature short-toed snake eagles. The pictures were taken by Ugo Ferrero in April close to Taranto in south-eastern Italy.

News of the Strait of Messina

The last two days we have counted about 3000 raptors at our watchpoint at the Strait of Messina. They were mostly Honey Buzzards but we observed also dozens of Black Kites and harriers. A flock of seven Black Storks was observed on Ciccia Mountain, on the Sicilian side of the Strait, and after 38 minutes they passed over our station at 23 km of linear distance.

This morning the migration has started early, with 100 hundred Honey Buzzards between 8:00 and 8:30. In the picture our watchpoint and, on the left, the radar station.

An unusual Marsh Harrier

Yeray Seminario in this moment is our main raptor counter at the Strait of Messina and here following his interesting note and picture concerning the plumage of an unusual Marsh harrier:

Some Marsh Harriers approached the observation point and one dark individual, with some peculiar small white carpal patches and white lower belly, caught our eye. When it came out of a cloud I could take a few distant pictures and when examined, I realized I never had seen a Marsh Harrier with this unusual plumage

New M.Sc. thesis!

Few days ago Giacomo Biasi graduated at the University of Siena. In his M.Sc. thesis (title: "How weather conditions influence the flight strategies of migrating raptors: a case study from a migration bottleneck") he analyzed the flight behaviour of raptors in relation to weather conditions at Batumi bottleneck (Georgia). In particular the flight altitudes of raptors were analyzed showing species-specific behaviours. The data were collected in 2011 thanks to a collaboration between MEDRAPTORS and Batumi Raptor Count.