INTRODUCTION
This was a combination of family holiday and getting a short list of targets. Sardinia is a great destination for this combo. It is very straightforward to bird - the butterflies and dragonflies required a bit more effort to find. A good part of the time was spent relaxing, visiting charmful villages and some beach/water activities. Great place for children!
Many thanks go out to Pieter Vantieghem and Wout Opdekamp for some recent information & literature.
ITINERARY
Download kml file with all gps coordinates
PRACTICALITIES
Transport
We drove all the way from Belgium to Genoa with a Sixt rental car. In Genoa we took the Moby ferry back and forth. One time during daytime for some sea watching, one time overnight for convenience and saving time. Make sure to check whether you are allowed to take your rental car on the ferry - some companies specifically forbid it.
Accommodation & food
We camped all the time, except near Aritzo. We didn't find any campsite in the area. Via AirBnb we booked an apartment in the tiny village of Aritzo. Needless to say that in the touristic areas there is a huge range of accommodation and restaurants.
Money
ATM's all around and credit cards are widely accepted.
Weather
We had very warm and dry weather throughout. Read more at the Weather And Climate site.
Health and safety
No problems were encountered. Make sure to bring sufficient sun protection. No vaccinations needed. (reference: Institute of Tropical Medicine).
Electricity
All plugs are type C/F - the standard European plugs. Read more at the Worldstandards website.
VISITED SITES
Below is a basic list of the sites we birded with some short notes. Information is well covered in the Crossbill Guides and birding site guides by Clarke & Gosney. To gather additional information www.cloudbirders.com was consulted for bird trip reports.
Lago Baratz
sites:
- dragonfly spot [40.6778609912, 8.2257490002]
dragonflies: Bladetail, Black Pennant
Stagno di Cabras (near Nurachi)
sites:
- backside of the small lake for dragonflies [39.967054, 8.5080899]
birds: Western Swamphen, Slender-billed Gull
dragonflies: Northern Banded Groundling, Bladetail, Island Bluetail
Aritzo - Desulo area
sites:
- first butterfly roadside stop above Aritzo along the old road [39.967754, 9.216923]
- second butterfly roadside stop above Aritzo along the old road [39.976049, 9.2298599]
- butterfly spot near Riu Istidda abive Aritzo [40.006719, 9.2661227]
- birding spot near restaurant above Desulo [40.030996, 9.2321375]
- birding spot high above Desulo [40.024566, 9.2713654]
- butterfly spot near Desulo [40.034771, 9.2423302]
birds: Corsican Finch, Marmora's Warbler, Moltoni's Warbler, Red Crossbill (unknown type), Blue Rock Thrush
butterflies: Corsican Red-underwing Skipper, Corsican Swallowtail, Corsican Idas Blue, Corsican Fritillary, Corsican Small Tortoiseshell, Sardinian Meadow Brown, Corsican Wall Brown, Southern Grayling, Corsican Grayling, Corsican Heath
Perda Liana
sites:
- parking lot, start walking from here [39.9170467578, 9.41616277357]
- rocky area for butterflies [39.9093377724, 9.41125336203]
birds: Corsican Finch, Marmora's Warbler, Moltoni's Warbler, Rock Sparrow, Tawny Pipit
butterflies: Corsican Chalk-hill Blue, Corsican Fritillary, Sardinian Meadow Brown, Corsican Wall Brown, Southern Grayling, Corsican Grayling, Corsican Heath
Grotto Su Marmuri
sites:
- parking area with finches [39.814336, 9.4876759]
birds: Corsican Finch, Eleonora's Falcon
Oliene area
sites:
- stream for dragonflies [40.2750027279, 9.34727637706]
dragonflies: Green Hooktail, Island Bluetail
Biroro area
sites:
- stream for dragonflies near Nuraghe Pontes [40.2500126041, 8.86370632595]
birds: Balearic Woodchat Shrike
dragonflies: Yellow-veined skimmer, Island Bluetail
Sos Alinos area
sites:
- Sos Alinos river and marshy area [40.4344063408, 9.76769820648]
birds: Western Swamphen
dragonflies: Black Percher
FULL TRIP LIST
Taxonomy strictly follows the IOC checklist version 8.2.
[105 species]
Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Eurasian Teal
Anas crecca
Barbary Partridge
Alectoris barbara
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnix
Scopoli's Shearwater
Calonectris diomedea
Little Grebe
Tachybaptus ruficollis
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatus
Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus roseus
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax
Western Cattle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
Grey Heron
Ardea cinerea
Purple Heron
Ardea purpurea
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
European Shag
Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus
Western Marsh Harrier
Circus aeruginosus
Common Buzzard
Buteo buteo
Water Rail
Rallus aquaticus
Western Swamphen
Porphyrio porphyrio
Common Moorhen
Gallinula chloropus
Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra
Eurasian Stone-curlew
Burhinus oedicnemus
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Green Sandpiper
Tringa ochropus
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Slender-billed Gull
Chroicocephalus genei
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Audouin's Gull
Ichthyaetus audouinii
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellis
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Rock Dove
Columba livia
Common Wood Pigeon
Columba palumbus
European Turtle Dove
Streptopelia turtur
Vulnerable (VU)
Eurasian Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Eurasian Scops Owl
Otus scops
Little Owl
Athene noctua
European Nightjar
Caprimulgus europaeus
Alpine Swift
Tachymarptis melba
Common Swift
Apus apus
Common Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
European Bee-eater
Merops apiaster
Eurasian Hoopoe
Upupa epops
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos major
Common Kestrel
Falco tinnunculus
Eleonora's Falcon
Falco eleonorae
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Red-backed Shrike
Lanius collurio
Woodchat Shrike
Lanius senator
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius
Western Jackdaw
Coloeus monedula
Hooded Crow
Corvus cornix
Northern Raven
Corvus corax
Coal Tit
Periparus ater
Eurasian Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
Great Tit
Parus major
Woodlark
Lullula arborea
Eurasian Skylark
Alauda arvensis
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Eurasian Crag Martin
Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Common House Martin
Delichon urbicum
Cetti's Warbler
Cettia cetti
Common Chiffchaff
Phylloscopus collybita
Eurasian Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Zitting Cisticola
Cisticola juncidis
Eurasian Blackcap
Sylvia atricapilla
Dartford Warbler
Sylvia undata
Near-threatened (NT)
Marmora's Warbler
Sylvia sarda
Moltoni's Warbler
Sylvia subalpina
Sardinian Warbler
Sylvia melanocephala
Common Firecrest
Regulus ignicapilla
Eurasian Wren
Troglodytes troglodytes
Spotless Starling
Sturnus unicolor
Common Blackbird
Turdus merula
Mistle Thrush
Turdus viscivorus
Mediterranean Flycatcher
Muscicapa tyrrhenica
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Blue Rock Thrush
Monticola solitarius
European Stonechat
Saxicola rubicola
Italian Sparrow
Passer italiae
Spanish Sparrow
Passer hispaniolensis
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Passer montanus
Rock Sparrow
Petronia petronia
Western Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla flava
Grey Wagtail
Motacilla cinerea
Tawny Pipit
Anthus campestris
Meadow Pipit
Anthus pratensis
Near-threatened (NT)
Common Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Hawfinch
Coccothraustes coccothraustes
European Greenfinch
Chloris chloris
Common Linnet
Linaria cannabina
European Goldfinch
Carduelis carduelis
Corsican Finch
Carduelis corsicana
European Serin
Serinus serinus
Corn Bunting
Emberiza calandra
Cirl Bunting
Emberiza cirlus
BUTTERFLY LIST
Corsican Red-underwing SkipperSpialia therapne
Mallow SkipperCarcharodus alceae
SwallowtailPapilio machaon
Corsican SwallowtailPapilio hospiton
Large WhitePieris brassicae
Small WhitePieris rapae
Bath WhitePontia daplidice
BrimstoneGonepteryx rhamni
CleopatraGonepteryx cleopatra
Clouded YellowColias croceus
Small CopperLycaena phlaeas
Purple HairstreakFavonius quercus
Geranium BronzeCacyreus marshalli
Long-tailed BlueLampides boeticus
Lang's Short-tailed BlueLeptotes pirithous
Holly BlueCelastrina argiolus
Corsican Idas BluePlebejus bellieri
Southern Brown ArgusAricia cramera
Southern BluePolyommatus celina
Corsican Chalk Hill BluePolyommatus coridon nufrellensis
Silver-washed FritillaryArgynnis paphia
Corsican FritillaryArgynnis elisa
CardinalArgynnis pandora
Queen of Spain FritillaryIssoria lathonia
Red AdmiralVanessa atalanta
Painted LadyVanessa cardui
Corsican Small TortoiseshellAglais ichnusa
Comma ButterflyPolygonia c-album
Southern White AdmiralLimenitis reducta
African MonarchDanaus chrysippus
Meadow BrownManiola jurtina
Sardinian Meadow BrownManiola nurag
Southern GatekeeperPyronia cecilia
Corsican Wall BrownLasiommata paramegaera
Southern GraylingHipparchia aristaeus
Corsican GraylingHipparchia neomiris
Great Banded GraylingBrintesia circe
Two-tailed PashaCharaxes jasius
Corsican HeathCoenonympha corinna
Speckled WoodPararge aegeria
DRAGONFLY LIST
Copper DemoiselleCalopteryx haemorrhoidalis
Migrant SpreadwingLestes barbarus
Dark SpreadwingLestes macrostigma
Green Emerald DamselflyChalcolestes viridis
Azure BluetCoenagrion puella
Island BluetailIschnura genei
Blue-eyeErythromma lindenii
Blue-eyed HawkerAeshna affinis
Vagrant EmperorAnax ephippiger
Blue EmperorAnax imperator
Lesser EmperorAnax parthenope
Dusk HawkerBoyeria irene
BladetailLindenia tetraphylla
Green HooktailParagomphus genei
Northern Banded GroundlingBrachythemis impartita
Broad ScarletCrocothemis erythraea
Black PercherDiplacodes lefebvrii
Broad-bodied ChaserLibellula depressa
Southern SkimmerOrthetrum brunneum
Black-tailed SkimmerOrthetrum cancellatum
Keeled SkimmerOrthetrum coerulescens
Yellow-veined skimmerOrthetrum nitidinerve
Long SkimmerOrthetrum trinacria
Black PennantSelysiothemis nigra
Red-veined DarterSympetrum fonscolombii
Common DarterSympetrum striolatum
Violet DropwingTrithemis annulata
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