Spring Birding in Sicily

Naturetrek Tour Report 25 April - 1 May 2019

Sicilian Jay Rock Rose

Ocellated Skink Zitting Cisticola

Report & images by Luca Boscain

Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk

Tour Report Spring Birding in Sicily

Tour participants: Luca Boscain and Andrew Bray (Leaders) with 13 Naturetrek clients

Day 1 Thursday 25th April

Fontanarossa Airport to Case del Feudo; then Capo Murro di Porco. Following our departure from Gatwick, the plane landed at 10.38 at Fontanarossa Airport in Catania. After collecting our baggage, Andrew, one of our two leaders, gathered most of the group. Then we met Luca, our local Italian guide and got on the road in our two minibuses. Drizzle in the morning had carried Saharan sand, but the weather improved giving way to hazy pale sunshine. Our journey south, took about 45 minutes arriving at the Case del Feudo, a former hunting lodge built in the Seventeenth century, surrounded by the peaceful Syracuse countryside, among citrus trees and vineyards. We were welcome by the baron Beneventano in person, the owner of the estate, and Yeasin, who would be taking care of us during all the week.

We checked into our rustic rooms with themed paintings in every room, then met in the dining room. This use to be a stable, now totally renewed and made particularly attractive through the use of soft illumination, and decorations that were formerly used to embellish the donkeys during festivals.

We enjoyed a buffet with a rich selection of salami, cheese and pasta. In Italy this is defined “primo” a warm appetizer preceding the “secondo”, the main course, usually based on spaghetti, rice, lasagne or gnocchi.

After a short break, we met by the minibuses at 2pm to visit the Capo Murro di Porco. The “nose of pig head” - the most prominent peninsula of south-eastern Sicily.

Once on site, we enjoyed the beauty of the Mediterranean maquis featuring Tree Spurges (Euphorbia dendroides), Mastic Trees (Pistacia lentiscus) and the rare Dwarf Fan Palms (Chamaerops humilis), the only native palm of Europe.

In the grassy corners the vegetation was in full bloom, with stunning blue carpets of Barbary Nuts (Moraea sisyrinchium), Three-horned Stocks (Matthiola tricuspidata) and Wavyleaf Sea Lavender (Limonium sinuatum), while here and there we noticed the interesting Ragusa’s Nine-spotted Moths (Amata kruegeri), with its showy night blue colour with white spots and the orange bands along the abdomen, and the ubiquitous Italian Wall Lizards (Podarcis sicula).

The migration, after days of Sirocco wind, was rather slow but we spotted some Marsh Harriers, Tree Pipits, Whinchats and Spotted Flycatchers.

The sea was pretty rough, with the strong wind, and some sea-watching gave provided two typical species of gulls typical of the Mediterranean: Yellow-legged and Audouin’s Gulls.

Particularly welcome was the first gastronomic break by a bar showing pictures of the Plemmirio Marine Reserve, that surrounds Capo Murro di Porco: a delicious Italian gelato was then enjoyed!

In the evening we tried some genuine Sicilian food based on a variety of extraordinary tasty vegetables like tomatoes, aubergines and zucchini.

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

Day 2 Friday 26th April

Mount Etna. Since the weather forecast looked good for today, Luca decided to visit Mount Etna - the highest active volcano in Europe at 3,326 metres. We took an early breakfast at 6.30am and were on the road at 7.30am. The first part of the journey was along the motorway, noting White Stork’s nests on the top of the pylons near the Simeto river. At Catania, we took minor roads climbing the slopes of the Etna, passing through densely populated villages, lava fields and vineyards.

After one and a half hours, we had a break to stretch our legs in the Parsifal Park of Nicolosi, where we quickly spotted a nice male Cirl Bunting singing on the top of a post. We then explored the fertile volcanic slopes near Monte Consilio, Here we noticed a couple of plants of the yellow morph Elder-flowered Orchid (Dactylorhiza sambucina) and the funny Tassel Hyacinths (Muscari comosum), and heard Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Wren and the drumming of a Great-spotted Woodpecker. At our second stop, we saw a very obliging Sicilian Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus subsp. siculus) characterized by the ashy grey mantle and by the whitish head with a chestnut cap. By this time, many other coaches were joining us, so we decided to spend some more time in the field, visiting the peaceful basin of Piano Vetore. From here you could enjoy the lovely view of Etna, still covered by some clouds, and the black lava flows that divide the alpine prairies and bush along the slopes of the volcano. We saw a good number of species among the Mount Etna Broom (Genista aetnensis): Black Redstart, Stonechat, Woodlark, Rock Bunting, Coal Tit and Northern Wheatear. We also saw a single Crossbill in the forest. Here we noted the gorgeous Etna Pansies (Viola aethnensis), Rock Pansies (Viola parvula) and the yellow wallflower Erysimum aetnense.

We continued our loop walk around among the lava rocks, noting characteristic shapes of this volcanic area: the tunnels of lava, the “pahohoe flows”, pyroclastic gravel. Above us, signs of migration with a couple of Pallid Swifts, Marsh Harriers and a single Montagu’s Harrier. In the adjacent pinewood, we enjoyed a brilliant view of Firecrest, Short-toed Treecreeper and Nuthatch.

Satisfied, almost at midday, we moved to the much busier touristic village of Rifugio Sapienza, around the cable- car station to the Etna: parking was tricky, but luckily the restaurant was still empty and we found an ideal table for buffet lunch with a wide variety of “primi”, main courses and side dishes. By the time we had finished, many more tourists were arriving from the summit so we decided it was a good time to buy our tickets and to start our own ascent. We climbed from 1,900 to 2,500 metres, before taking the huge 4x4 coaches to climb the pyroclastic ash fields to 2,900 metres. The climate was perfect with the sunshine, (despite the snow on the ground), so we hiked to the edge of one of the two Barbagallo craters. We could feel the heat by digging a little in the gravel with our hands. Here we noticed a single Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) one the black rocks – a bit of a surprise!

After walking around the whole crater, we started our descent catching the 4x4 coach and then the cable-car. There was time for a short break, sitting in the sunshine enjoying an ice-cream or a coffee before driving home.

In the evening the two guides set up the moth-trap in the garden of Case del Feudo, while for dinner, the baron came to invite us to have our last supper in Sicily at his palace in Ortigia: a privilege that only Naturetrek clients have!

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Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

Day 3 Saturday 27th April

Southern lakes This morning Luca and Andrew met two of the early risers for a pre-breakfast walk. We walked among the citrus orchards to the edge of a deep cultivated valley. We heard Dartford Warbler, eight Cattle Egrets in flight, Subalpine Warbler, Serin and tens of Sand Martins on migration.

At 7.30am more people gathered around the moth-trap to check the harvest: two Striped Hawk Moths (Hyles livornica), Giant Looper (Ascotis selenaria), Marbled Coronet (Hadena confusa), Ruby Tiger (Phragmatobia fuliginosa) and the erebid Zebeeba falsalis.

After breakfast, we drove south to Avola, which gives its name to the famous red grape of “Nero d’Avola”. Here we stopped to shop for picnic provisions and continued along the eastern coast of Sicily to Marzamemi.

Being Saturday, with good weather, it was already full in tourists and traffic, but we managed to find a car park and we went to look at the former saltpans. Here was plenty of Black-winged Stilts, Coots and Moorhens, but a little quiet, so we decided to visit the award-winning “gelateria Tasta”, where everyone chose either an ice-cream, a “granita” or a freshly filled Sicilian “cannolo” with ricotta cheese.

The next stop was by the shore of Pantano Morghella, a brackish water lake south of Marzamemi. It was a bit hazy but we spotted Greater Flamingos, Great Egret and Spoonbills. Walking a bit in the arid garigue scrubland, among Sky Stone-crops (Sedum caeruleum), Mallow Bindweeds (Convolvulus althaeoides) and Crown Daisies (Glebionis coronaria), we saw 12 Short-toed Larks, a passerine which is getting quite scarce here. We also noticed the first Sicilian Wall Lizards (Podarcis wagleriana), characterized by longitudinal paler stripes along the body and by the deep green throat, and the North African version of Common Blue (Polyommatus celina).

As we’d recently enjoyed the gelateria, we postponed lunch to 2.00pm, having another stop along the Pantano Longarini, one the south-western coast of Sicily. In the reedbed, we heard the calls of Reed Warbler and Water Rail, and both Lesser and Blue Emperor (Anax spp.) in the open water pools. We also saw the endemic Sicilian Pond Turtle (Emys trinacria). Of particular excitement was an immature Montagu’s Harrier that seemed to want to crash against Luca’s minibus, offering a magnificent view to the group!

We chose the gorgeous beach of Granelli for lunch, where a canal from Pantano Longarini connects the lake with the sea. While we were eating beautiful tomatoes and juicy melon, we enjoyed an elegant fly-past of Audouin’s Gulls over the turquoise sea, while at the mouth of the canal we saw a Little Ringed Plover. A number of raptors passed overhead among which was a Steppe Buzzard (Buteo buteo subsp. vulpinus) noting the white at the base of primaries, on the upperwing, the distinctive dark carpal patches and the reddish tail.

We visited Pantano Cuba this afternoon. Together with Pantano Longarini, the area was bought by a German Foundation, the “Stiftung Pro Artenvielfalt”, with the aim to protect it from hunting and development. One of the staff, Nino, showed us around: thousands of trees had been planted to create a buffer zone of Mediterranean maquis dividing the lakes from the road, while nest boxes, drinking pools, stacks of wood or rocks had been constructed to offer shelters for birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The meadows had been cleared of rubbish and now, finally, after many years, orchids had reappeared, flowering with thousands of plants! The

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

reserve uses five donkeys to keep the grass short, encouraging Field Gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus), Common Bee- orchid (Ophrys apifera), Small-flowered (Serapias parviflora) and Long-lipped Serapias (Serapias vomeracea) and a single Naked Man Orchid (Orchis italica). As for birds, we saw Glossy Ibis, Little Egrets, Squacco Herons and Spoonbills, Slender-billed Gulls, Ferruginous Ducks, Black-necked Grebes and Shelducks. An amazing place and one Naturetrek is happy to support.

As we arrived back at the Case del Feudo, we saw at least 50 Bee-eaters overhead: a wonderful view!

Day 4 Sunday 28th April

Penisola Magnisi and Saline di Priolo. The pre-breakfast walk was less productive than yesterday, but we saw our first Zitting Cisticola of the trip and a Turtle Dove.

Another cool night meant a few species in the moth trap including: two individual of the endemic Sicilian Cream-spot Tiger (Arctia konewkaii), Brassy Waved Umber (Menophra japygiaria), the green geometrid Phaiogramma etruscaria and Mediterranean Pug (Eupithecia breviculata).

We decided to stay more locally today, visiting the Penisola Magnisi, a promontory just north of Syracuse – inhabited since Neolithic times but today, quite industrialised. It does however host some great wildlife in the rich prairies covered in multi-coloured flowers and a breath-taking deep blue sea. We parked along the isthmus that connects the peninsula with mainland and here we met Fabio, the manager of the neighbouring LIPU Reserve of Saline di Priolo who would show us around. We walked along a track among yellow, orange, purple and bluish thistles, with many Small Whites, Ragusa’s Nine Spotted and the pyralid Synaphe moldavica. We saw Goldfinches, Tree Sparrows, Whinchats, Crested Larks and Corn Buntings. Taking a track to the left into more a more rocky area, we saw around ten Stone Curlews. Here too we saw two reptiles living in close proximity. The Italian and Sicilian Wall Lizards: the first was abundant along the dry stone walls and the walls of the Second World War bunkers, while the second was seen on the flat rocks in the middle of the flowering meadows. After a couple of hours in the sunshine, we retreated to the shelter of the “pasticceria” of Priolo: an almost obligatory stop during the Naturetrek tours in Sicily because the “cannoli” and “cassatelle” pastries must be sampled! After our snack, we felt we could again opt for a later lunch and so began our visit to the LIPU Reserve of Saline di Priolo. From the hides we saw hundreds of breeding Greater Flamingos, Black-winged Stilts, Pied Avocets, Greenshanks, Common Sandpipers… but also, scanning carefully by the telescope, a Ruff, some Little Stints, a Curlew Sandpiper, a single Gull-billed Tern and a small colony of Little Terns!

The LIPU volunteer Giancarlo allowed the leaders to prepare the picnic on a table by the entrance, in the shade of the tamarisks: there was no better place were to be hosted and to taste the selection of Italian cheese and salami!

After lunch, we went along the trail that runs on the western edge of the reserve, going through a lovely tunnel of tamarisks where we saw plenty of the continental subspecies of Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria subsp. Aegeria). The next hide provided good views of nesting Kentish Plovers, Avocets and Black-winged Stilts, and also Pied Avocets with chicks. We also saw a wonderful Collared Pratincole, and two very close Little Stints, in breeding and winter plumage.

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Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

We came back to the Case del Feudo earlier today to take a post-dinner walk inside the estate to look for some nocturnal inhabitants. We managed to see Moorish Geckoo (Tarentola mauritanica) under the roofs, a couple of Turkish Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus), at the base of the walls. We also heard a couple of distant Scops Owls, together with the calls of Italian Tree Frogs (Hyla intermedia).

Day 5 Monday 29th April

Cava Grande del Cassibile and Syracuse archaeological park. This morning the pre-breakfst walk among the citrus orchards offered a good telescope view of a singing Sardinian Warbler and a Turtle Dove, very well photographed by Paul. At the moth-trap, the highlights were Sicilian Cream-spot Tiger, Clancy's Rustic (Caradrina kadenii), White-speck (Mythimna unipuncta) and Four-spotted Moth (Tyta luctuosa).

After breakfast, we moved inland, starting to climb the steep slopes of Hyblean mountains along a road with spectacular hairpin bends with breath-taking views. The first break was by a view point that faces the Avola plain: an incredible panorama from the terraced slopes of the hills down to the Ionian sea. Against the deep blue sky, we saw Common Kestrel, a couple of Common Buzzards and a gorgeous female Honey Buzzard.

We continued our ascent reaching the upland area with dry stones walls, arid meadows, deep valleys eroded by the rain water and stopped by the edge of the main gorge: Cava Grande del Cassibile. It is a 500 metre deep valley created by the river Cassibile where the lateral limestone cliffs with caves and tunnels were once inhabited by humans in an effort to hide from the raids of Saracen corsairs. Today the almost vertical cliffs are the habitat for Blue Rock-thrush, Cirl Bunting, Peregrine Falcon and Raven, all observed during our visit. Even if the peak of bloom was over, we noticed an amazing number of orchids like Butterfly (Anacamptis papilionacea var. grandiflora), Yellow Bee (Ophrys lutea), Naked Man Orchid and Long-lipped Serapias.

After the first half of the walk, we saw a male Subalpine Warbler on a little Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). Later we went through a more open area of garigue scrub, with short prickly shrubs: here we saw Rock Sparrow and a Blue Rock-thrush on the wire, and finally a male Spectacled Warbler, and then a second one, offering a magnificent view to all! We explored the maquis until reaching a small hill, from which, among the extraordinary orange Marigolds (Calendula officinalis) and Pink Rock-Roses (Cistus creticus), we admired the panorama to the pools of the river Cassibile.

The picnic buffet was prepared comfortably on the restaurant tables, in the shade, where we could buy some beers and coffees to accompany the lunch.

In the afternoon, we descended the bendy road, back to the motorway and then towards Syracuse to visit the archaeological park, called Neapolis where we could see the well preserved Greek Theatre and a small Roman Amphitheatre.

These beautiful sites built two thousand years ago, are surrounded by luxuriant gardens that offer shelter from the bright sunshine. Here we saw another Blue Rock-thrush, Greenfinch, Linnet and a nice mix of Common and Spotless Starlings that here breed side by side, probably interbreeding occasionally.

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

By the amphitheatre, we noticed a couple Moorish Geckos and Red Admirals among the rocks and the crevices, while the many Sicilian Jays (Garrulus glandarius subsp. jordansi) were enjoyed by the photographers.

Day 6 Tuesday 30th April

Vendicari and Ortigia, the old city centre of Syracuse. Today the pre-breakfast walk along the estate had some great sightings: a male Lesser Kestrel, with the unspotted mantle and the plain slate grey head, while in a neighbouring orchard, after we followed the flight of a Tree Pipit and discovered a male Subalpine Warbler and a gorgeous male Woodchat Shrike.

The moth trap, with rising temperatures, had about twenty species of moths, among which some nice micros, such as the beautiful pink spotted pyralid Pseudococcyx tessulatana. Among the new macros, we had Spurge Hawk- moth (Hyles euphorbiae) and Knot-grass (Acronicta rumicis).

At 9.00am, we drove south to the Vendicari Nature Reserve. The dry stone walls on the road side hosted the ubiquitous Italian Wall Lizards and a selection of interesting plants that included Bear's Breeches (Acanthus mollis), Evergreen Birthwort (Aristolochia sempervirens) and Navelwort (Umbilicus rupestris). From the first two hides, we watched a small colony of Greater Flamingos starting to nest, a Glossy Ibis, some Spoonbills and Shelducks. Through the telescope we saw Spotted Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Slender-billed Gull, Sandwich Tern and a female Pintail. Outside the hide, on a patch of eucalyptus, we heard Penduline Tit and Great Reed Warbler, but we couldn’t locate them, despite our efforts. We did however get good views of Turtle Dove, Reed Warbler and a singing Hoopoe.

Walking towards the sea, we passed through the wetland behind the sand dunes, then into maquis made up of Prickly Juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) and Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus), with some stunning Common Bee Orchids. The commonest species here were Sardinian Warbler, Serin and Goldfinch. On the way back, we passed nearby the old Swabian tower and to the former "tonnara", the tuna factory of Vendicari, now restored and hosting a small museum.

For lunch we stopped at a bar where we had a surprising dish composed by nine types of bruschetta bread filled with local products, such as olive paté, “capponata”, dried tomatoes, tuna, artichokes, almonds and marmalade.

After lunch, we came back to the Case del Feudo in order to give enough time for everyone to prepare for the journey home tomorrow. At 5.00pm we met for the last checklist and then headed towards Syracuse city centre. As usual, the traffic was rather busy, but we made it thanks to the skill of our prudent drivers!

The island of Ortigia, now connected to the mainland by a couple of bridges, is still a “ZTL”, a limited traffic area. So we parked on the edge and walked to the centre, passing the temple of Apollo and the fountain of Diana, arriving at the square of Duomo at 6.30pm. We had some free time so the majority of the group decided to visit the Duomo. Some even managed to see the famous Caravaggio painting hosted inside the Palazzo Beni.

At 7.00pm, perfectly on time, we arrived at the entrance of the baron’s palace which we had the privilege to visit. First of all we went into the cellar where, under the modern city level, we reached the Greek town level. We then visited rooms that first hosted the Saint John’s Knights in Sicily after their escape from Rhodes. Among

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Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

thousands of bottles of wine, we went up to visit another room where we saw a collection of pottery that was used to measure the wine. From here we climbed the grand staircase to the first floor. We had supper in a room painted with frescos and were delighted by a lovely risotto with gorgonzola cheese and walnuts, followed by a prawn salad and a lemon sorbet.

When we left, Luca led some of on a slightly longer walk back to the car park, walking by the Aretusa spring and following the eastern side of Ortigia island, hearing the relaxing sound of the waves.

Day 7 Wednesday 1st May

From Case del Feudo to Fontanarossa airport We had breakfast at 7.00am and were ready with our luggage before 8.00am: On the way to Catania, we passed the four White Stork’s nests by the river Simeto, then, at the airport, using the “kiss and go” parking space, we said goodbye to Luca and Andrew and… goodbye to Sicily: the plane departed on time at 11.40am directed to Gatwick.

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Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

Species Lists

Birds (✓=recorded but not counted; H = heard only) April/May Common name Scientific name 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 1 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 20 3 10 2 Mallard Anus platyrhynchos 20 2 5 3 Pintail Anas acuta 1 4 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca 12 5 Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus H H H H 6 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis 14 1 7 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 1 1 8 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 5 5 9 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 9 10 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides 2 3 11 West. Reef Egret x Little Egret Egretta gularis x Egr. garzetta 1 12 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 15 5 13 Great Egret Ardea alba 7 14 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2 15 White Stork Ciconia ciconia 1 4 4 16 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 15 5 17 Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 7 5 18 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus 200 600 180 19 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus 5 2 7 2 3 2 1 20 Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni 1 21 Peregrine Falco peregrinus 1 22 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus 5 3 5 1 1 23 Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus 1 1 24 Common Buzzard Buteo buteo 3 1 2 3 3 3 25 Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus 1 26 European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus 1 27 Water Rail Rallus aquaticus 4H 28 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus 10 H 29 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 100 3 3 30 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 15 31 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus 20 15 10 32 Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus H 15 33 Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola 1 34 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius 1 35 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 3 36 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 1 12 37 Little Stint Calidris minuta 5 38 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 2 4 2 39 Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus 1 40 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 2 3 6 41 Ruff Calidris pugnax 1 1 42 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus 10 43 Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei 12 15 44 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis 10 ✓ 3 1 10 45 Audouin's Gull Ichthyaetus audouinii 5 3 1 46 Little Tern Sternula albifrons 12 47 Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis 1

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

April/May Common name Scientific name 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 48 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica 1 49 Rock Dove / Feral Pigeon Columba livia ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 50 Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus 10 15 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ 51 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto 10 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 52 European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur 1 1 2 3 53 Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops 2H H 54 Common Swift Apus apus ✓✓ H ✓ ✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ 55 Pallid Swift Apus pallidus 4 5 20 ✓ 56 Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops 2 H 1 57 European Bee-eater Merops apiaster 50 100 50 10 20 40 58 Great-spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major H 59 Crested Lark Galerida cristata 10 5 15 5 3 60 Woodlark Lullula arborea 4 1 61 Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla 13 7 62 Common Sand Martin Riparia riparia 60 1 63 Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 64 Common House Martin Delichon urbicum ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ 65 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis 3 1 66 White Wagtail Motacilla alba 1 1 67 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 1 68 European Robin Erithacus rubecula H H 69 Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos H 70 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros 4 71 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe 5 72 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra 2 1 1 3 2 2 73 Common Stonechat Saxicola rubicola 1 1 1 2 74 Common Blackbird Turdus merula 1 2 2 2 3 2 75 Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius 4 76 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla 2H 2H 77 Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata 3 78 Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala 3H 1 5 5H 5 10 79 Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans 1 1 4 1 80 Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata H 81 Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis 3 H 10 5 3 5 82 Cetti’s Warbler Cettia cetti H 5H 3H 2 5H 5 83 European Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus 5 2H 2 84 Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus H 2H 85 Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita 3H 86 Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla 3 87 Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes 2H 4 88 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata 1 89 Great Tit Parus major 2 2 2 3 5 90 Coal Tit Periparus ater 10 91 European Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus 3 2 92 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus siculus 1 93 Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus H 94 Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea 2 95 Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla 5 96 Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator 1 97 Common Magpie Pica pica ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 98 Sicilian Jay Garrulus glandarius jordansi 5 2 1 5 3

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

April/May Common name Scientific name 25 26 27 28 29 30 1 99 Western Jackdaw Coloeus monedula 2 100 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix 2 2 3 5 5 101 Common Raven Corvus corax 1 4 102 Eurasian Starling Sturnus vulgaris 2 103 Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor 10 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 104 Italian Sparrow Passer italiae 10 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 105 Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 2 ✓ 5 5 10 106 Common Rock Sparrow Petronia petronia 2 107 Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs H 108 Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina 2 5 1 10 1 109 European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis 5 5 10 2 5 10 110 European Greenfinch Chloris chloris 2 H 1 4 3 111 European Serin Serinus serinus 2 2 2 3 5 112 Common Crossbill Loxia curvirostra 1 113 Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus 2 2 114 Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra 2 3 1 115 Rock Bunting Emberiza cia 2

Mammals 1 European Free-tailed Bat Tadarida teniotis H H H

Amphibians & Reptiles 1 Painted Frog Discoglossus pictus 3 tadp. 2 Italian Tree Frog Hyla intermedia H 3 Sicilian Pond Turtle Emys trinacria 3 4 Italian Wall Lizard Podarcis sicula 10 5 10 20 10 20 5 Sicilian Wall Lizard Podarcis wagleriana 1 5 2 6 Western Whip Snake Hierophis viridiflavus carbonarius 1 1 7 Moorish Gecko Tarentola mauritanica 3 3 1 1 2 8 Turkish Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus 2 9 Ocellated Skink Chalcides ocellatus tiligugu 1 1

Fish 1 Eastern Mosquito Fish Gambusia holbrooki ✓ ✓

Butterflies 1 Swallowtail Papilio machaon 3 2 2 Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius 2 3 Small White Artogeia rapae 1 2 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ 4 Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines 2 5 Clouded Yellow Colias crocea 2 5 3 2 6 Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas 1 7 Southern Blue Polyommatus celina 5 1 5 8 Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus 2 9 Painted lady Vanessa cardui 1 1 3 1 10 Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta 3 11 Wall Brown Lasiommata megera 1 2 1 12 Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus 2 5 13 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria aegeria 1 10 1 1

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

April/May Common name Scientific name 25 26 27 28 29 30 1

Macro Moths (T = trap; F = field record) 1 Knot-grass Acronicta rumicis 1T 2 Heart and Club Agrotis clavis 1T 3 Black Cutworm Agrotis ipsilon 1T 4 Shuttle-shaped Dart Agrotis puta 1T 5 Ragusa's Nine-spotted Amata kruegeri 10F 5F 6 Sicilian Cream-spot Tiger Arctia konewkaii 2T 2T 1T 7 Giant Looper Ascotis selenaria 1T 1T 1T 2T 8 Flame Axylia putris 2T 2T 1T 2T 9 Clancy's Rustic Caradrina kadenii 2T 10 Hoary Footman Eilema caniola 1T 11 Mediterranean Pug Eupithecia breviculata 1T 12 Lime-speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata 1T 13 A noctuid Euxoa decora 1T 14 Marbled Coronet Hadena confusa 1T 1T 15 Bordered Straw Heliothis peltigera 1F 16 Uncertain/Rustic Hoplodrina sp. 1T 2T 1T 17 Spurge Hawk Moth Hyles euphorbiae 1T 18 Striped Hawk Moth Hyles livornica 2T 19 Portland Ribbon Wave Idaea degeneraria 3T 2T 2T 20 Cream-fringed Wave Idaea distinctaria 1T 21 Lustrous Least Carpet Idaea filicata 1T 1T 1T 1T 22 A forester Jordanita sp. 1F 1?F 23 Brassy Waved Umber Menophra japygiaria 2T 24 White-speck Mythimna unipuncta 1T 25 Gem Orthonama obstipata 1T 26 A geometrid Phaiogramma etruscaria 1T 27 Ruby Tiger Phragmatobia fuliginosa 1F 1T 1T 28 Porter's Rustic Proxenus hospes ✓T ✓T ✓T ✓T 29 Cypress Carpet Thera cupressata 1T 30 Four-spotted Tyta luctuosa 1T 3T 31 An erebid Zebeeba falsalis 1T 32 Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae 5F

Micro Moths 33 A crambid Achyra nudalis 1T 34 Privet Tortrix Clepsis consimilana 1T 1T 35 Cotton Tipworm Moth Crocidosema plebejana 2T 36 T-moth Emmelina monodactyla 1T 1T 37 A pyralid Ephestia woodiella 2T 38 A crambid Euchromius bellus 1T 1T 1T 39 Hoary Bell Eucosma cana 1T 1T 40 Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella 2T 2T 41 A tortricid Pseudococcyx tessulatana 1T 42 Plume Moth sp. Pterophorinae sp. 1F 43 A pyralid Synaphe moldavica ✓F 44 Rusty-dot Pearl Udea ferrugalis 1T 1T

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

April/May Common name Scientific name 25 26 27 28 29 30 1

Dragonflies 1 Island Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura genei 2 1 2 Blue Emperor Anax imperator 1 1 3 Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope 1 4 Red-veined Darter Sympetrum fonscolombii 20

Other Invertebrates 1 Nosed Grasshopper Acrida ungarica 2 2 Gorse Orbweaver Agalenatea redii 1 3 Honey Bee Apis mellifera ✓ ✓ 4 Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus cf. terrestris 1 5 Seven Spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata 1 6 Millipede Diplopoda sp. ✓ ✓ 7 A glow-worm Lampyris ambigena 1 8 A leafcutter bee Megachile sicula sicula ✓ ✓ 9 Mammoth Wasp Megascolia maculata 3 10 A velvet ant Mutillidae sp. 2 11 A rhinoceros beetle Pentodon bidens punctaus 1 12 A leafcutter bee Rhodanthidium sticticum 2 3 13 Carpenter Bee Xylocopa cf. violacea 1 1 1

Plants Common Name Scientific Name Location

Ferns Leptosporangiate ferns Mediterranean Maidenhair Fern Adiantum capillus-veneris Syracuse

Conifers Gymnosperms Location (first or best) Common Juniper Juniperus communis Mount Etna Cade Juniper Juniperus oxycedrus Vendicari Black Pine Pinus nigra Mount Etna Umbrella Pine Pinus pinea Capo Murro di Porco

Dicotyledon Flowering Plants Dicot Angiosperms Bear's Breeches Acanthus mollis Case del Feudo Mastic Pistacia lentiscus Pantano Cuba Wild Carrot Daucus carota Case del Feudo Giant Fennel Ferula communis Capo Murro di Porco Perfoliate Alexanders Smyrnium perfoliatum Mount Etna Mediterranean Hartwort Tordylium apulum Cava Grande del Cassibile Oleander Nerium oleander Mount Etna Evergreen Birthwort Aristolochia sempervirens Vendicari A chamomile Anthemis cf. secundiramea Capo Murro di Porco Common Daisy Bellis perennis Mount Etna Scotch Marigold Calendula cf. officinalis Cava Grande del Cassibile A plumeless thistle Carduus cf. argyroa Penisola Magnisi Mediterranean Star Thistle Centaurea cf. sicula Pantano Morghella A knapweed Centaurea cf. sphaerocephala Vendicari Common Chicory Cichorium intybus Penisola Magnisi Purple Milk Thistle Galactites tomentosa Capo Murro di Porco

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

Common Name Scientific Name Location

Crown Daisy Glebionis coronaria Pantano Morghella Shrubby Everlasting Helichrysum stoechas Cava Grande del Cassibile Spiny Starwort Pallenis spinosa Capo Murro di Porco An oyster thistle Scolymus grandiflorus Capo Murro di Porco Purple Salsify Tragopogon porrifolius Cava Grande del Cassibile Pale Yellow Dandelion Urospermum dalechampii Capo Murro di Porco Dyer's Alkanet Alkanna tinctoria Cava Grande del Cassibile Italian Bugloss Anchusa azurea Cava Grande del Cassibile Borage Borago officinalis Case del Feudo Honeywort Cerinthe major Saline di Priolo Blue Hound's Tongue Cynoglossum creticum Capo Murro di Porco Purple Viper's-bugloss Echium plantagineum Capo Murro di Porco Italian Viper's Bugloss Echium italicum Capo Murro di Porco A forget-me-not Myosotis sp. Mount Etna Lyrate Biscutella Biscutella maritima Cava Grande del Cassibile European Searocket Cakile maritima Granelli beach White Rocket Diplotaxis erucoides Pantano Cuba A wallflower Erysimum aetnense Mount Etna Woad Isatis tinctoria Mount Etna Sweet Alyssum Lobularia maritima Capo Murro di Porco Three-horned Stock Matthiola tricuspidata Capo Murro di Porco Wild Radish Raphanus raphanistrum Penisola Magnisi Prickly Pear Opuntia ficus-indica Capo Murro di Porco Caper Bush Capparis spinosa Syracuse Red Valerian Centranthus ruber Avola A scabious Sixalis atropurpurea Capo Murro di Porco A catchfly Silene colorata Mount Etna Bladder Campion Silene vulgaris Capo Murro di Porco Pink Rock-Rose Cistus creticus Cava grande del Cassibile Hedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium Case del Feudo Mallow Bindweed Convolvulus althaeoides Pantano Morghella Cantabrican Morning Glory Convolvulus cantabrica Pantano Morghella A bindweed Convolvulus elegantissimus Capo Murro di Porco Small Blue Convolvulus Convolvulus siculus Pantano Morghella Sky Stone-crop Sedum caeruleum Pantano Morghella Navelwort Umbilicus rupestris Vendicari Large Mediterranean Spurge Euphorbia characias Cava Grande del Cassibile Sun Spurge Euphorbia helioscopia Capo Murro di Porco Tree Spurge Euphorbia dendroides Capo Murro di Porco Castor Oil Plant Ricinus communis Mount Etna Coojong Acacia saligna Catania Arabian Pea Bituminaria bituminosa Noto Hairy Thorny Broom Calicotome infesta Capo Murro di Porco Mount Etna Broom Genista aetnensis Mount Etna Italian Sainfoin Hedysarum coronarium Case del Feudo Spiny Sulla Hedysarum cf. spinosissimum Pantano Morghella Red Pea Lathyrus cicera Capo Murro di Porco A medick Medicago sp. Granelli beach Yellow Restharrow Ononis natrix Pantano Morghella Black Locust Robinia pseudoacacia Mount Etna Spanish Broom Spartium junceum Mount Etna Field Clover Trifolium campestre Cava Grande del Cassibile Reversed Clover Trifolium resupinatum Case del Feudo

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

Common Name Scientific Name Location

Star Clover Trifolium stellatum Capo Murro di Porco Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa Mount Etna Downy Oak Quercus pubescens Mount Etna Hairy Sea Heath Frankenia hirsuta Capo Murro di Porco A centaury Centaurium sp. Vendicari A stork's bill Erodium sp. Case del Feudo White Hedge-netle Prasium majus Cava Grande del Cassibile Conehead Thyme Thymus capitatus Pantano Morghella Mediterranean Mallow Malva cretica Capo Murro di Porco Common Mallow Malva sylvestris Mount Etna Common Fig Ficus carica Capo Murro di Porco Bemuda Buttercup Oxalis pes-caprae Case del Feudo Common Poppy Papaver rhoeas Case del Feudo Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata Case del Feudo Wavyleaf Sea Lavender Limonium sinuatum Capo Murro di Porco Scarlet Pimpinel Anagallis arvensis Pantano Morghella Love-in-a-mist Nigella damascena Capo Murro di Porco White Mignonette Reseda alba Cava Grande del Cassibile Italian Buckthorn Rhamnus alaternus Vendicari Evergreen Rose Rosa sempervirens Case del Feudo Elmleaf Blackberry Rubus ulmifolius Case del Feudo Thorny Burnet Sarcopoterium spinosum Capo Murro di Porco Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara Vendicari French Tamarisk Tamarix cf. gallica Saline di Priolo Basil-leaved Pellitory Parietaria judaica Case del Feudo Lantana Lantana camara Catania Etna Pansy Viola aethnensis Mount Etna Rock Pansy Viola parvula Mount Etna

Monocotyledon Flowering Plants Monocot Angiosperms Wild Leek Allium ampeloprasum Case del Feudo Rosy Garlic Allium roseum Capo Murro di Porco Italian Arum Arum italicum Saline di Priolo Mediterranean Dwarf Palm Chamaerops humilis Capo Murro di Porco Wild Asparagus Asparagus acutifolius Capo Murro di Porco Narbonne Star-of-Bethlehem Loncomelos narbonense Capo Murro di Porco Tassel Hyacinth Muscari comosum Mount Etna Branched Asphodel Asphodelus ramosus Cava Grande del Cassibile Small Asphodel Asphodelus fistulosus Penisola Magnisi Yellow Asphodel Asphodeline lutea Mount Etna Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus Pantano Longarini Italian Gladiolus Gladiolus italicus Capo Murro di Porco Barbary Nut Moraea sisyrinchium Capo Murro di Porco Bug Orchid Anac. (coriophora) fragrans Pantano Cuba Butterfly Orchid Anac. papilionacea grandiflora Cava Grande del Cassibile Elder-flowered Orchid Dactylorhiza sambucina Mount Etna Common Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera Pantano Cuba Yellow Bee Orchid Ophrys lutea Cava Grande del Cassibile Naked Man Orchid Orchis italica Pantano Cuba Small-flowered Serapias Serapias parviflora Pantano Cuba Long-lipped Serapias Serapias vomeracea Pantano Cuba Ovate Goatgrass Aegilops cf. geniculata Case del Feudo Giant Reed Arundo donax Case del Feudo

Spring Birding in Sicily Tour Report

Common Name Scientific Name Location

Greater Quacking Grass Briza maxima Saline di Priolo A barley Hordeum sp. Pantano Morghella Hare's Tail Lagurus ovatus Capo Murro di Porco Common Reed Phragmites australis Vendicari Neptune Grass Posidonia oceanica Vendicari

Audouin’s Gull Sicilian Wall Lizard

Vendicari Sicilian Long-tailed Tit