The Dragonflies

Dragonflies

Torbiere del Sebino was excellent for Dragonflies and 24 species were seen, many of them new for me **. It wasn't just the number of species but the numbers of individuals that were around, swarms of some of them. One incredible phenomenon was the dozens of Dusk Hawkers that used to leave the reserve at dusk and hunt over the rooftops of the hotel until dark.

Dragonflies
Migrant Hawker
Dusk Hawker **
Emperor
Lesser Emperor

Lesser Emperors

Downy Emerald **
Yellow-spotted Emerald **
Brilliant Emerald **
Scarce Chaser **
Four-spotted Chaser
Keeled Skimmer **

Keeled Skimmer

White-tailed Skimmer **

White-tailed Skimmer

Black-tailed Skimmer

 

Male & Female Black-tailed Skimmers

Scarlet Darter

Male & Female Scarlet Darter

Ruddy Darter
Red-veined Darter
Common Darter



Damselflies
Banded Demoiselle
Emerald Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly

Common Blue Damselfly

Blue-tailed Damselfly
Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly **
Red-eyed Damselfly **
Small Red-eyed Damselfly **

Small Red-eyed Damselfly

The Butterflies

Butterflies

19 species were noted, mostly around the lake and reserve but with Woodland & Lesser Mountain Ringlets at 1600m at Passo del Tontale ski resort just to the north.

Species noted
Swallowtail

Swallowtail

Small Tortoiseshell
Comma
Clouded Yellow

Clouded Yellow

Small White
Large White
Wood White
Dark Green Fritillary
Woodland Ringlet

Woodland Ringlet

Lesser Mountain Ringlet

Lesser Mountain Ringlet

Small Heath
Small Copper
Lesser Fiery Copper
Sooty Copper

Sooty Copper

Common Blue

Common Blue - female

Short-tailed Blue

Short-tailed Blue

Holly Blue

Holly Blue

Brown Argus
Speckled Wood


As can be seen, mainly 'British' species  but a few 'foreigners' amongst them. The couple of Brown Argus took some finding as the female Common Blues had all to be checked and unusually outnumbered the males by a good 3 or 4 to 1.
The Short-tailed Blue in the photo was seen perched on my camera bag after I returned from a fruitless attempt of chasing a few around to get a decent photograph. .. typical

The Birds

Birds

I saw 73 species, all either on the reserve, around the lake or a few when we went to 1600m to the north up the chairlifts to Passo del Tontale.

Part of the Torbiere del Sebino Reserve

Amongst the birds seen on the reserve were
Night Heron
Little Bittern
Purple Heron
Water Rail
Spotted Crake
Little Crake
Garganey
Hobby
Kingfisher
Turtle Dove
Cuckoo
Cetti's Warbler
Savi's Warbler
Marsh Warbler
Great Reed Warbler
Sardinian Warbler
Nightingale
Penduline tit
Bearded Tit

Purple Heron

The water levels seemed high but some of the areas in the north-west corner were both drier and muddier, and were ideal for crakes etc. early morning.

Lake Iseo area
Great-crested Grebe (Well over 100 with many chicks throughout the lake)
Night Heron (every evening at dusk flying over from reserve to feed)
Marsh Harrier
Black Kite
Common Redstart

Black Kite

Great crested Grebe family

Western Yellow-legged Gull

Hills above the lake
Alpine Accentor
Rock Bunting

Hooded Crow

Passo del Tontale
Crag Martin
Nutcracker

Young Crag Martins

A blurred photo of an adult Crag Martin but showing the nice tail spots

Lake Iseo

Just came back from a week in Northern Italy by Lake Iseo, which is the fourth largest lake in Lombardy, Italy and near the cities of Brescia and Bergamo. And like me you probably haven't heard of it. Basically it is between the much better known lakes of Como and Garda and yet to get very 'touristy', which means its cheaper too. In the middle of the lake is Europes largest lake island, Monte Isola. More importantly for me it has a large wetland nature reserve that we staying right next to, Torbiere del Sebino Reserve, 360 hectares of water-filled peatbog. July is not a good time for birds but I still managed 73 species, not surprising mostly waterbirds. Decent numbers of lowland butterflies were around, mostly what also occurs in the UK. What it was really excellent for was Dragonflies, I managed to see 24 species, many of them new for me.

Monte Isola

This rocky area by the lake held Alpine Accentor and Rock Bunting

View from Passo del Tonale  

This is the island that the locals claim George Clooney wanted to buy but was told no by the Italians. He denied  the claim.

Some Birds tomorrow