Paul Bourdin
@paulbourdin.bsky.social
Birder, currently based in Italy. Also post Commonwealth War Graves material and military archaeology.
A nice day of ringing at Le Soglitelle today. 4 Penduline Tit were the highlight, including this gorgeous adult female. The other 3 were juvenile females. #birds #birdingitaly
November 8, 2025 at 12:51 PM
A nice day of ringing at Le Soglitelle today. 4 Penduline Tit were the highlight, including this gorgeous adult female. The other 3 were juvenile females. #birds #birdingitaly
A pill box incorporated into the street architecture in Cancello ed Arnone, north of Naples. The Volturno river is nearby and this was presumably part of the defences on the Volturno line.
November 8, 2025 at 12:30 PM
A pill box incorporated into the street architecture in Cancello ed Arnone, north of Naples. The Volturno river is nearby and this was presumably part of the defences on the Volturno line.
No ringing at Le Soglitelle today, so I went back to Torre Flavia. A juvenile Little Crake was the highlight, but it was run close by my first Bluethroat at the site. Penduline Tit was heard but not seen. Very little offshore. #birds #birdingitaly
October 12, 2025 at 12:32 PM
No ringing at Le Soglitelle today, so I went back to Torre Flavia. A juvenile Little Crake was the highlight, but it was run close by my first Bluethroat at the site. Penduline Tit was heard but not seen. Very little offshore. #birds #birdingitaly
A nice day at Le Soglitelle. 3 Acros was nice, including the first Moustached Warbler of autumn. A lovely male Bluethroat ringed as well. A group of 4 Ruddy Shelduck were new for the site, provenance notwithstanding. Osprey and Stock Dove were unusual visitors. #birds #birdingitaly
October 5, 2025 at 2:59 PM
A nice day at Le Soglitelle. 3 Acros was nice, including the first Moustached Warbler of autumn. A lovely male Bluethroat ringed as well. A group of 4 Ruddy Shelduck were new for the site, provenance notwithstanding. Osprey and Stock Dove were unusual visitors. #birds #birdingitaly
New ringing season started at Le Soglitelle. Bluethroat are in, and plenty of Yellow Wagtails are passing through. Waterfowl are building up and the first Lapwing have arrived.
#birds #brdingitaly
#birds #brdingitaly
September 28, 2025 at 9:52 AM
New ringing season started at Le Soglitelle. Bluethroat are in, and plenty of Yellow Wagtails are passing through. Waterfowl are building up and the first Lapwing have arrived.
#birds #brdingitaly
#birds #brdingitaly
Spent a couple of days at Stelvio pass near the Italy/Switzerland border. A large group of very confiding Rock Ptarmigan was the highlight. Lots of Alpine Marmot on the slopes leading up to the pass.
July 31, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Spent a couple of days at Stelvio pass near the Italy/Switzerland border. A large group of very confiding Rock Ptarmigan was the highlight. Lots of Alpine Marmot on the slopes leading up to the pass.
Castiglione South African Cemetery. Just outside Bologna. An absolutely gorgeous setting, one of the nicest in Italy. Lots of casualties from the tail end of the war, with many graves from late April 1945.
July 31, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Castiglione South African Cemetery. Just outside Bologna. An absolutely gorgeous setting, one of the nicest in Italy. Lots of casualties from the tail end of the war, with many graves from late April 1945.
Argenta Gap Cemetery. 2 VC’s here, and the first George Cross I’ve ever seen in a war cemetery. One of the VC’s is Anders Lassen, the legendary Danish SAS officer.
July 28, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Argenta Gap Cemetery. 2 VC’s here, and the first George Cross I’ve ever seen in a war cemetery. One of the VC’s is Anders Lassen, the legendary Danish SAS officer.
Coriano Ridge Cemetery. Soldiers from all over here, including uncle Jack, my grandfather’s brother
July 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Coriano Ridge Cemetery. Soldiers from all over here, including uncle Jack, my grandfather’s brother
Soldiers from many Gurkha regiments here. The only GWGC cemetery I’ve see without the big cross and sword, presumably for religious reasons
July 28, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Soldiers from many Gurkha regiments here. The only GWGC cemetery I’ve see without the big cross and sword, presumably for religious reasons
Rimini Ghurka Cemetery. 2 VC’s here…
July 28, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Rimini Ghurka Cemetery. 2 VC’s here…
The last ringing day at Soglitelle of the summer. Quite hot, but still nice birding. Catch of the day was a Green Whip Snake, followed by a Greenfinch in the nets. On the reserve were 40+ Med Gulls, mostly imm. birds over-summering. 3 juv. Little Gull doing the same thing. #birds #birdingitaly
June 7, 2025 at 2:51 PM
The last ringing day at Soglitelle of the summer. Quite hot, but still nice birding. Catch of the day was a Green Whip Snake, followed by a Greenfinch in the nets. On the reserve were 40+ Med Gulls, mostly imm. birds over-summering. 3 juv. Little Gull doing the same thing. #birds #birdingitaly
Birding at Soglitelle was slow but steady today, with decent birds all morning. Best in the nets was a senator Woodchat Shrike, also Quail and Sand Martin. Caspian, Gull-billed and Black Terns on the marsh. Migrants included Bar-tailed Godwit and Eastern Red-footed Falcon. #birds #birdingitaly
May 17, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Birding at Soglitelle was slow but steady today, with decent birds all morning. Best in the nets was a senator Woodchat Shrike, also Quail and Sand Martin. Caspian, Gull-billed and Black Terns on the marsh. Migrants included Bar-tailed Godwit and Eastern Red-footed Falcon. #birds #birdingitaly
4292 Yelkouan Shearwater counted in one hour off Torre Flavia this morning flying south. The main breeding area in mainland Italy is on the islands off Tuscany. Total Italian breeding population is 13-20,000. I’ve seen this phenomenon here several times, always in spring. #birds #birdingitaly
May 11, 2025 at 4:00 PM
4292 Yelkouan Shearwater counted in one hour off Torre Flavia this morning flying south. The main breeding area in mainland Italy is on the islands off Tuscany. Total Italian breeding population is 13-20,000. I’ve seen this phenomenon here several times, always in spring. #birds #birdingitaly
Best in the nets wasn’t a bird, it was this wonderful Cream-spot Tiger!
May 2, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Best in the nets wasn’t a bird, it was this wonderful Cream-spot Tiger!
Ringing at Le Soglitelle was fairly slow today so I headed to Foce dei Regi Lagni. Several terns and gulls, including 3 Little Gull, a magnificent Caspian Tern and a truly stunning White-winged Black Tern. A Red-crested Pochard mum had a dozen very newly hatched duclings in tow. #birds #birdingitaly
May 2, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Ringing at Le Soglitelle was fairly slow today so I headed to Foce dei Regi Lagni. Several terns and gulls, including 3 Little Gull, a magnificent Caspian Tern and a truly stunning White-winged Black Tern. A Red-crested Pochard mum had a dozen very newly hatched duclings in tow. #birds #birdingitaly
Back to Ara della Regina for a raptor watch. Black and Red Kites both present, but distant. Nice views of a newly arrived Redstart. Also plenty of Corn Bunting singing, and dozens of Swallowtails in the thistles. #birds #birdingitaly
April 27, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Back to Ara della Regina for a raptor watch. Black and Red Kites both present, but distant. Nice views of a newly arrived Redstart. Also plenty of Corn Bunting singing, and dozens of Swallowtails in the thistles. #birds #birdingitaly
Away from warblers there were plenty of Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles, Woodchat Shrike and Pied Flycatchers. Also Wryneck and RB Shrike. No real rarities, apart from the island’s first Avocet. #birds #birdingitaly
April 25, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Away from warblers there were plenty of Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles, Woodchat Shrike and Pied Flycatchers. Also Wryneck and RB Shrike. No real rarities, apart from the island’s first Avocet. #birds #birdingitaly
My now annual spring trip to the island of Ventotene for migration. Lots of lovely things as usual, including fantastic views of Western Bonelli’s Warbler, amongst the scores of Wood and Willow. Loads of sylvias too, with large numbers of Garden, Sardinian and Whitethroat. #birds #birdingitaly
April 25, 2025 at 12:44 PM
My now annual spring trip to the island of Ventotene for migration. Lots of lovely things as usual, including fantastic views of Western Bonelli’s Warbler, amongst the scores of Wood and Willow. Loads of sylvias too, with large numbers of Garden, Sardinian and Whitethroat. #birds #birdingitaly
In the nets were Reed, Sedge and Great Reed Warbler, and a lovely little Eastern Subalpine Warbler. #birds #birdingitaly
April 5, 2025 at 3:13 PM
In the nets were Reed, Sedge and Great Reed Warbler, and a lovely little Eastern Subalpine Warbler. #birds #birdingitaly
An excellent day at Le Soglitelle. Plenty of migrants including Pallid & Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, 68 Purple Heron, 4 GBTern, Curlew Sand, Whimbrel, Wryneck. A single Greylag was the last sign of winter. #birds #birdingitaly
April 5, 2025 at 3:10 PM
An excellent day at Le Soglitelle. Plenty of migrants including Pallid & Alpine Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, 68 Purple Heron, 4 GBTern, Curlew Sand, Whimbrel, Wryneck. A single Greylag was the last sign of winter. #birds #birdingitaly
The second is much smaller, and above the first. It could be an above ground air raid shelter as the ground is very rocky and trenches would be very difficult to dig. There are the remnants of a few of these, so possibly this was a sizeable anti-aircraft position.
March 30, 2025 at 12:57 PM
The second is much smaller, and above the first. It could be an above ground air raid shelter as the ground is very rocky and trenches would be very difficult to dig. There are the remnants of a few of these, so possibly this was a sizeable anti-aircraft position.