Serins like a banana toffee whirl
There’s a bird singing like a Canary at the top of a tree at Lago di Alviano. It has the colours of a banana toffee whirl. Do you remember those, or were they just a feature of my childhood?
Last time I saw a Serin I checked the RSPB’s website about them.
“There are 1-2 breeding pairs in the UK. And the number who pass through the UK in a year? Clickety click 66. That’s a tragically small number.”
I check their website again in 2023: UK breeding population: 0.
More Serins
A Serin singing like a Canary I still can't stop laughing at this photograph of a Serin, Serinus serinus, in Matera What a face! He's a… read more
Serins The Serin's scientific name is Serinus serinus. Serins; so good, they named them twice. The scientific name serinus comes from the… read more
Serin There's a small, noisy flock of birds in the trees in this Italian park. I think they might be Siskins.… read more
Could it be a Canary? I can see a tiny yellow bird at the very top of a house resting on the TV aerial in… read moreMore from Lago di Alviano
Osprey kerfuffle I'm walking along the path by the side of the Lago di Alviano in Italy when I hear a kerfuffle… read more
Pettirosso The name of the European Robin in Italian is il pettirosso. It means Red Breast. The scientific name of the Robin… read more
Spatola The Eurasian Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia, is called La spatola in Italian. Italians clearly think it's a spatula and not a spoon.… read more
A Poiana from the hide Italian bird hides seem to be so much better than ones in the UK. Why should that be? Has no-one… read more
Scoiattolo! There's a Squirrel up in the trees here at Lago di Alviano. It must be Red Squirrel, because we've seen… read more
Lucherino The Siskin, or Lucherino, as it's known in Italy, is a beautiful, tiny finch. It has gorgeous green colours, a… read more
A Pygmy Cormorant stuffing itself stupid There's a Pygmy Cormorant, Microcarbo pygmaeus, swimming and diving on the lake. It's too far away for a decent photograph as the… read more
Cinderella Iron The last we saw of a Grey Heron was one standing, impressively, on a branch over the lake at Lago… read more
Major White Airplane Great White Egrets, Ardea alba, are impressive birds. They're much bigger than a Grey Heron and stunning in flight. Just… read more