Sunrise

In these last days of 2013, the weather over Rome is often cloudy and the sunrise at the Natural Reserve of Decima Malafede is ghostly. 

Cona Island Wetland

The Isonzo's mouth is the northernmost wetland of the Mediterranean basin. Therefore it is a crossroad for birds. It's a place where it is amazing to have a walk in every season going through the freshwater marsh to the sea, passing across the brackish water. Each month reveals a different species composition. At the end of summertime you can meet several just fledged individuals sometimes together with their parents. Moreover there are many migrating birds among which good numbers of shorebirds. Geese often send their calls breaking the silence beating the time of the pond. Here following some pictures taken in that amazing and quiet wetland.

 

The Samurai of the lagoon

The spoonbill walks in the water with a proudly glance. This species is always suspicious and it is not easy to watch spoonbills close. However during migration a bit of luck pushed this beautiful bird close to the hide where I was in. Therefore I took a sequence of pictures leaving me particularly satisfied to have spend a day in a lagoon, here in central Italy.

February with frogs

February was a rainy month and not particularly cold here in central Italy. Therefore was the best weather for frogs, toads and newts. In coastal areas, in the survived wet woods, Agile frogs have already spawned in the past weeks. Here below a couple of pictures of their eggs in a temporary pool.

The first day of the new year

Today it was nice to spend the first hours of the early morning in the marsh, watching ducks over the golden waters of the river.
I wish a happy new year to our planet and to its wildlife.