Personal check-list of the flora and fauna species detected so far in Monastier di Treviso (last update April 2022)

This series of check-lists of the different life-groups includes the species I have detected so far in my municipality, since I transferred in Monastier di Treviso the October 2018. Some groups, like birds, butterflies or plants, were surveyed intentionally, with a number of walks along most of the roads and open areas of the municipality, while other taxa were reported only occasionally, but I considered still it was worth to include those scattered observations.

São Miguel (Azores): birding, whalewatching and endemic biodiversity in the “Ilha Verde”

The “green island”, the largest of the Azores, is quite a dream for landscape photographers, with a variety of volcanic structures, calderas, lakes and harsh mountains. The weather conditions change continuously in an endless alternation of rainfall and sunshine, guaranteeing a flourishing vegetation to grow. The endemic biodiversity, although still relevant, is threatened by invasive species. Something to see at least once in the life.

Val di Pejo: a wonderful day among the glaciers of the Stelvio N.P., looking for apollos and other rare alpine butterflies

At the end of July I went, with the friend Silvio Davison, to the Pejo valley, on the southern edge of the Stelvio National Park, to look for the Phoebus Apollo, incredibly rare in eastern Alps. It came up an unforgettable day with more than 30 species of butterflies, including the stunning Cynthia’s Fritillary and both the Parnassius species.

Early blooms in the few residual natural habitats survived in Cessalto, Mansué, Piave, Storga and Treviso hills

Eastern Veneto suffered one of the most impressive assaults in Europe to whatever natural habitat going, in the lowlands, from the residual plain woodlands, to the Piave riverbed dry prairies, but even the hills were affected by the uncontrolled extend of vineyards, including the Prosecco ones, along every suitable slope!

Another winter with plenty of bird rarities in the Veneto, despite Covid19

The birding in winter 2020/21, like many other aspects, was effected by the Covid19 restrictions, stopping almost whatever twitching velleity to other Italian regions but Veneto, my home region. Despite this, I managed to go birding often collecting, after a slow beginning, an amazing number of rare birds and wonderful observations: I added in fact 3 species to my Veneto life-list plus a worldwide lifer!

Third placement in the Italian Big Year of butterflies and burnets in 2020

In the unfortunate 2020 something that kept the moral high had been the race organized by the Facebook group Amici delle Farfalle (“Friends of the butterflies”): the first “Big Year” concerning butterflies and burnets. By the end of 2020, despite the lack of many trips abroad, I photographed 178 species classifying myself third in the race!

Autumn flowers in southern Italy

In 2020 I traveled extensively in southern Italy, from Abruzzo to Calabria and Apulia, visiting a number of touristic localities and national parks (Cilento, Pollino, Murge, Majella) and photographing some interesting late blooms and other wildlife in a rather unexpected time of the year: October.

The pristine nature of the Bay of Orosei and Gennargentu National Park (Sardinia) in mid summertime

Sardinia is such a big island that even in full touristic season is still possible to find some totally deserted places were to escape the beach crowd: of course it is necessary to repair inland and the Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu is one of the best options in order to look for wildlife. Most of the endemic and iconic species can be find in this harsh mountains, including Corsican Finch, Marmora’s Warbler or Corsican Fritillary.

“Stay home!”: local birding in Monastier di Treviso

The arrival of the Covid19 in Italy induced, in March 2020, the progressive lock down of the country, starting from the first municipalities affected by the virus and then extending to every region of the peninsula. This forced me to reduce step by step the width of my movements until just my home become allowed.

The end of winter in Valle Vecchia and Brussa of Caorle

Valle Vecchia and Brussa are possibly the best birding area nearby Venice, together with the Po delta. At the end of winter, these grounds show the beginning of the migration turn over in a spectacular way, with flocks of hundreds of birds!