Augustus
....and here he is....Augustus....
A few days away in Rome....not the ideal birding scenario perhaps....but....
I'm guessing this view, or similar view perhaps, has been available to many a Roman and Rome visitor for 2000 years....yes...its the Colosseum...half way up is a Hooded Crow....and right on top is a Yellow-legged Gull....
Hooded Crow
Yellow-legged Gull in the sun....on one of Mussolinis fountains...
....and in the rain....at the Forum...
....and heres a couple of gulls....
...making little gulls.....
The first bird I noted however....was.....no surprise...
Feral Pigeon at the Colosseum
I think this guy has had 2000 years too many of them....
The first Feral Pigeon was at the railway station at the airport...surprisingly, the second bird was almost immediately after it....Common Swift....now, sadly I didn't capture them on digital there...but, yes....they were all over Rome...and here they are over the Colosseum...
...well...you might have to squint a bit...
I suppose we had better deal with Italian Sparrow...or is it just a House Sparrow?....and can I put it on my list?.....apparently its a sub-species...did it just look brighter as it was in the sunshine??....
Italian 'House' Sparrow
Heres one that can also be seen here in the UK.....its to be seen if we end up regretting not culling them when we had the opportunity though there seem to be fans on both sides of that argument...
Ring-necked Parakeet...here at Ostia Antica
You will find Parakeets in the city....I also came across them on visit to the old Roman port of Ostia Antica about 10 miles away from the city. If you've never been, go...its fabulous....very few, comparative, visit it and you can meander round the huge site unscathed by other people....its also good for birds....best bird here was a Hoopoe....great!
Heres the list...
Swift
Collared Dove...no surprise
Feral Pigeon
Greenfinch...one heard near the Colosseum
Yellow-legged Gull...everywhere
Hooded Crow....everywhere
Blackcap....singing by the Colosseum
Wren...at the Forum
Sardinian Warbler....at the Forum
Ring-necked Parakeet
Goldcrest...sadly not a Fire!
Serin....around the city and at Ostia
Kestrel....in the Colosseum
Italian Sparrow
Great Tit
Jay
Magpie
Hoopoe...Ostia
Little Egret...several over the city and at Ostia
Goldfinch
Jackdaw
....as I have put a quote about Rome from a famous Roman...heres another....maybe not a famous Roman...but maybe a bit funnier....
'They say Rome wasn't built in a day, but I wasn't on that particular job'
Brian Clough
Hi. I visited Ostia Antica last August and was surprised to see parakeets there. Pleasantly surprise. In fact, that's how I found this site - I was looking for info on them online. Thanks! Not something you see every day in the US.
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