ANOTHER FEW NOTES FROM THE PARK

By Alberto Confalonieri

 

walking in Monza Park path-notes

 

moorhen (photo A.Confalonieri)

Come and join me in my walk in the Park on a sunny and quiet morning of year-end.

Right before Christmas, I left thrushes and fieldfares in the southern area of the Park. Luckily enough some fieldfares let me hear their calls, yet do not show.

The shining sun induces a number of small passerines (blue tits, great tits, nuthatches, wrens, robins, long-tailed tits)  to call. A robin is even singing. I am also lucky in sighting again, like last week, a flying cormorant and a lazy grey heron resting on a poplar near Lambro river.

In spite of their natural shyness, three moorhens dare to graze on the grass thus leaving the sheltering bush. I can easily take their photo with my camera (see photo as the bird really deserves being admired). At the end of my walk, a kestrel, small yet noble bird of pray, flies over me. Its presence is a real wealth.

Alberto Confalonieri

settorenatura@parcomonza.org

December 31, 2004 

 

 

 

 

Bird chronicles from the Park

by Alberto Confalonieri

 

walking in Monza Park - path-notes

 

Robin

Tough day today at the Park – it’s cold enough to chill your bones and the silence is just about absolute!  There are very few people with the pluck to take a walk especially those looking out for new arrivals.  A few weeks ago we had seen a small group of arrivals from the North (redwings mainly) but today did not seem promising...

After having been on the lookout for about an hour, my field-glasses met the impertinent stare of some Redbreasts, while a red-tailed chimney sweep was busy minding  a  heron roosting on a poplar:  I was frustrated to say the least!

I was just about to put my field-glasses away and head for home when all around me one, two and a myriad voices filled the air; dry calls and, in an instant, behold an untidy flight of a redwing mix-up, crossing over in the sky and giving life to the bare trees. The final booty was about 35 bird all-sorts salad to which I’m pleased to add red peckers (who are the hosts since they reside in the Park the year round), the flight of two Cormorants (hopefully not heading for Como where they risk been riddled with shot thanks to our Provincal Laws).

On my way home from this pristine silence I had to cross Monza with its Xmas orgy in full swing.

Best wishes to one and all

Alberto Confalonieri

settorenatura@parcomonza.org

December 19, 2004

 

 

Winter tracks in the Park

by Alberto Confalonieri

 

Observations while walking along the paths of the Monza Park

 

Redwing

Redwing

Winter is here after an unusual continuation of good weather – the chirping of crickets could be still heard a fortnight ago. I recently scouted the Park to see, first hand, the damage caused by the wind, and noticed the first tracks of the forthcoming Season among the uprooted oaks and lowered branches.

Siskins have arrived from the northern Countries. These gracefully brown or yellow-granivorous birds were all busy pecking alder berries along the Pelucca Canal in front of St. George Premier Restaurant. More interesting still was the sighting of a couple of Redwings that allowed themselves to be admired on bare branches after drawing attention to their presence with their typical barking-like calls .

Alberto Confalonieri

settorenatura@parcomonza.org 

November 29, 2004