On Wednesday morning we took advantage of one of the first opportunities to get out, after this long period of lockdown, to regain some confidence with hiking shoes and take a short urban trekking a few steps from home.
Equipped with masks, gloves and binoculars, starting from Belvedere San Martino, we descended through the Pedamentina, one of the most beautiful and scenic stairs in Naples that connects Vomero with Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the beginning of “Quartieri Spagnoli”. This path, in addition to being known by many citizens and tourists for its unique views, represents a urban area with a high level of biodiversity.
This place, with its terraces, uncultivated lands and urban gardens, hosts many species of Birds, both sedentary and migratory, who use urban green as a stopover site during the long journey between Africa and Europe.
As soon as we left San Martino, we immediately observed a female of Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), a species linked to anthropic environments such as ruins and castles. Among the most interesting birds contacted in this first part of the route, two trans-Saharan migratory species: Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) and Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina).
At the end of the Pedamentina, we crossed Corso Vittorio Emanuele to visit the Quartieri Spagnoli Park, in the Montecalvario area. This city park is one of the few urban green hotspots in a highly urbanized area and has really amazed us in terms of observations.
It is incredible how few trees can attract species such as: Icterine Warbler, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin), Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix), Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) and Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis).
The star of the day was undoubtedly a Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator) eating many insects, using a large fig tree as a roost. It is a very rare species in the city and being able to observe it with the cathedrals and the skyscrapers of the Centro Direzionale as a background was a strong emotion!
In addition, together with the three species of Swifts, a comings and goings of at least 4 Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) made us think of a probable nesting inside the adjacent and now abandoned Military Hospital.
Returning to Vomero, the effort of the ascent of the Pedamentina, linked to the weeks of inactivity, has been rewarded with a male of Blue Rock Trush but above all another individual of Woodchat Shrike!
The two observations should be the third and fourth reports of the species for the city of Naples, not bad at all!
We can’t wait to add, we hope as soon as possible, this path among our trekking and urban birdwatching itineraries in Naples, activities increasingly loved by our customers, Italian and foreign, of all ages.
CHECKLIST:
- Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michhaellis)
- Feral Pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica)
- Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
- Common Swift (Apus apus)
- Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus)
- Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba)
- Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
- White Wigtail(Motacilla alba)
- Common Blackbird (Turdus merula)
- Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius)
- Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin)
- Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
- Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis)
- Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala)
- Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina)
- Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix)
- Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
- Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
- Collared Flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis)
- Great Tit (Parus major)
- European Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
- Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator)
- Common Magpie (Pica pica)
- Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
- Italian Sparrow (Passer italiae)
- Common Greenfinch (Chloris chloris)
- European Serin (Serinus serinus)