birdwatching by BixGe

Chiffchaff - Luì piccolo (Phylloscopus collybita) Robin - Pettirosso  (Ertithacus rubecula) Brambling - Peppola ( Fringilla montifringilla) Greenfinch - Verdone (Carduelis chloris) Chaffinch - Fringuello (Fringilla coelebs) White Wagtail - Ballerina Bianca  (Motacilla alba) Chiffchaff - Luì piccolo, Querciola pond, Parco della Piana di Sesto, Florence, 7th march 2020. Robin - Pettirosso, Querciola pond, Parco della Piana di Sesto, Florence, 7th march 2020. [uncropped picture] White wagtail - Ballerina bianca, Querciola pond, Parco della Piana di Sesto, Florence, 7th march 2020. Chiffchaff - Luì piccolo, Querciola pond, Parco della Piana di Sesto, Florence, 7th march 2020. Great Tit - Cinciallegra. Parco della Piana di Sesto, Florence, January 2020. Chaffinch - Fringuello. Parco della Piana di Sesto, Florence, January 2020 Branbling - Peppola. Parco della Piana di Sesto, Florence, January 2020 Greenfich - Verdone. Parco della Piana di Sesto

Nowadays birdwatching excursions are not allowed, due to the lockdown for the coronavirus epidemic in Italy. We Italians are responsibly observing the rules imposed in this period: the world is watching us. However, for those who own a dog , short walks are allowed for the wellbeing of our animals. Fortunately, Crusca and my family live in an  area of Florence located very close to the Arno river, which includes the Viale dei Colli. Early this morning, there were only very few runners and citizens with the dog, almost no cars. Obviously I didn't have my reflex with me, but with my smartphone I was able to take some pictures of Crusca, that was very interested in three  mallard  males. We could observe Blackbirds , Wood Pigeons , Finches and two G rey Wagtails . Very close to home, on the tall trees of the Viale dei Colli, still without leaves, two Green Woodpeckers could be heard distinctly drumming on the branches.

Shoveler - Mestolone (Spatula clypeata)  Garganey - Marzaiola (Spatula querquerdula) Teal - Alzavola (Anas crecca) Mallard - Germano reale (Anas platyrhynchos) ... and a "find the intruder" test: answer to the picture without id. Northern Shoveler (male) - Maschio di Mestolone. Querciola Pond, Parco della Piana, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, March 2020 In early march it's possible to observe several species of dabbling ducks in Tuscany. They are surface feeding small to large sized ducks in ponds and shallow water lakes, and in rivers too. Most of them are migratory species, but it's possible that many specimens have both sedentary and migratory habits. Nevertheless in march arrive the garganeys from the South (explaining the vulgar Italian name of ' marzaiola ') and most of the teals, as winter visitors, are now preparing to leave towards the North Europe. There are many Shovelers in this period. Garganeys, Teals, Shovelers and Mallard -