Migration: Anomalous migration pattern in a strange pre-nuptial migration.
We are at the FEIN Ornithological Observatory in Arosio and we are preparing the first observations, which come to us from Italy and our correspondents in the Mediterranean Basin on this anomalous pre-nuptial migration.
The weather conditions of the first two months of the year remind us - it is easy to say - of a winter that never wanted to end with the last splash of snow, just over an inch, on March 3. In the middle of the month from 13 to 17 March rain, even intense, and then a resumption of good weather, except for Monday 28 March with light precipitation, to make room for an early summer that reached its peak on Sunday 10 April, reaching peaks above the seasonal norm for some time never recorded in this period. It was hot.
So hot, more in the north than in the south of the Peninsula. Not so much thanks to the Azores anticyclone, which brings good weather with clear and clear skies, but not the summer heat we enjoyed in this first fortnight of April. For this early summer we have to thank the high pressure that came to us from North Africa and that sent us a large amount of hot air.
Later, while the sky remained clear - especially in the north - from the 12th of the month we had a return to milder temperatures due to a strong wind coming from the north.
Introduction to this overview of time, absolutely necessary to explain the rapid migration of the migratory with a pre-nuptial ascent 2011, we have very briefly examined the data of the catches at the FEIN Ornithological Observatory of Arosio (CO), operating continuously since 21 / 02/11 and those of the ringing point of Camignone (BS), a few kilometers from Lake Garda (for gc of Piero Catturich and getistito by Mario Caffi), to understand how in the months of the ascent the migration - still fast and very rapid - prefer this route to follow, therefore, the Adige Valley, while the Brianza - Como one is favored in the period from August onwards for the post-wedding.
This was said by our "old fowlers" who almost never used to stretch their nets in these months until after the first ten days of April for the Prispoloni and the Black Nurses. Nothing has changed under the sky and we will examine these considerations, day after day in detail, in the next issue of Migrazione & Caccia (July 4/11).
In this regard, in Arosio, the first Prispolone was ringed on Friday 1 April reaching, for now, the peak with Friday 15 (13 specimens) and Sunday 17 (12 specimens) and still 14 ringing the following 18 April, while we must consider the good catches of Song Thrush and, in both ornithological stations, the ringings of the Blackcaps and Finches, as well as of the Blackbirds and Robin were positive.
But it is not over yet, because both stations will close on May 10th (except at the Arosio Observatory which will continue until July 31st for the monitoring of nesters during each decade of the month) this constant spring activity, where undoubtedly the conditions weather are always the masters.
Apart from the ducks, after many years it was interesting to pass the Marzaiole, which reached their peak on the last weekend of 26 and 27 March, while for waders there is nothing particular to report, as there reports the FEIN Observatory of Massacciuccoli, while in the Bouches du Rhône, in the area surrounding Marseille, a considerable number of Woodcocks, Thrushes and Frosoni were noticed (in the middle of the week from 14 to 21 March). And so in nearby Liguria, especially on Thursday 17 March.
In Greece, another point of reference, there was a slight migratory movement in the first days of March and then, especially in the north of the country, in mid-March. (notes written on 18/04/11)
Source: Anuu