HOLIDAY DATE
3rd May 2010 to the 9th May 2010
ARRANGEMENTS
We stopped at the Grand Italia Hotel in Padova, Padova being west of Venice at a total cost of £382 for 6 nights Bed and Breakfast
FLIGHT
Jet2.com from Leeds/Bradford at a cost of £215.56
CAR ARRANGEMENTS
Parked at Setinel.co.uk cost for 6 days £32.40
GUIDE
I did make arrangements for a guide, a Menotti Passarella , via email etc from England, to take us out for one day around the Po Delta region but due to the cost 130 euros for guide plus 35 euros for the use of his car plus whatever petrol we would have used, so at £150 – £200 pounds approx. he had actually made a decision for us (in hindsight this might have been a better option) I thought this was expensive for a DAYS birding in Italy or come to think of it anywhere in the world so the decision was DIY so armed with map (£6), book on where to watch birds in Italy (borrowed) and hire car (92 euros for one day) we were off
Another guide alternative?? Anna Brini
NOTES
Travel Cheques was a nightmare to try and get cashed I was playing ping pong between Hotel, Post Office and Banks and I never got them cashed. Will not be taking any next time load up a bank account of some sort.
Due to the nightmare of driving I think I will have to swallow my pride next time and go for a guide, Why? trying to find a reserve location was time wasting along with the road choas ended up in very little Birding time I think in this alone it will be worth it. Getting around the train,tram and bus system is fantastic and cheap, for 6 Euros each, return, you can have a day in Venice this was for over an hours travel in each direction. In Venice for a 12 hour ticket for the boat taxi was 16 euros and for this you can hop on and off were ever you want. 1 Euro for 75 minutes travel to anywhere within Padova can’t beat it cheap as chips.
BIRDING
Things didn’t go as planned due to family circumstances in Italy when we arrived so the planned birding days out had to take a back seat so the new plan was a David Lindo style Urban Birding sortie of Padova with a day out at “The Caves of Gaggio”
Thursday 6th May (Birds in BOLD CAPITALS lifers)
This was the Urban Birding day around Padova has we made our way to the hospital, the most commonest bird about was the Blackbird with Serin a close second these could easily be seen on buildings and the parks. The birds of the air were Common Swits and Yellow Legged Herring Gulls with the hoped for sparrow in the form of ITALIAN SPARROW being the commonest sparrow with House Sparrow being a bit harder to find. Has we made our way thru the park along the canal side a Kingfisher gave us some great views has it flew to and fro from its nest site taking that moment out in the bird we were able to find Blackcap ♂♀, Spotted Flycatcher, Swallow, Hooded Crow, Long Tailed Tit and Great Tit. We also found Mallard and Grey Wagtail along the river and a Sparrowhawk from the hospital window
Friday 7th May
The planned day out was at “The Caves of Gaggio” a nightmare to find but find we did way off time so we were limited in where we could go. After the few days of rain we had had at the begining of the week we decided on a walk along the river bank rather than into the reserve were it was very wet under foot, anyway the birds were good with a new lifer being present in the form of PYGMY CORMORANT these were easy to see has they flew around, other birds of note was a ♂ Golden Oriole, Cettis Warblers a plenty, Reed Warbler, Green Woodpecker and Little Egret
A Few Photos
Yellow Legged Herring Gull
Male Blackbird
Male Italian Sparrow
Fritillary?
Huddsbirder 