End of season 2025

The final week of the season clearly marked the end of the spring migration. Despite a few warm and sunny days, the number of birds ringed dropped drastically compared to previous weeks, confirming that the peak migratory flow had come to an end.

Weather conditions were variable: the week began with the warmest and calmest day of the season, but wind and unstable weather soon returned, with rain and easterly winds limiting the opening of nets in the more exposed areas. In the following days, westerly winds and a few sunny intervals brought calm yet pleasant days.

From a species perspective, the garden warbler (Sylvia borin) remained the most abundant, albeit in modest numbers. Unexpectedly, a few early-season species continued to be caught, such as the blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) and the subalpine warbler (Curruca cantillans), well beyond their usual peak. Among the more noteworthy records were few nightjars (Caprimulgus europaeus), a Moltoni’s subalpine warbler (Curruca subalpina), and even a male quail (Coturnix coturnix).

Among the highlights were the first-ever capture for Ponza of juvenile greenfinch (Chloris chloris) and serin (Serinus serinus), along with a few locally ringed individuals such as a blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius) marked at the beginning of March and our beloved so called Otello, a male Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) born in 2019 and ringed every year since 2020. Being resident on Ponza, he has now become something of a mascot for us!

We also managed to capture an image of a garden warbler with red berry stains on its breast and around the bill—likely consumed along the African coast before crossing the Mediterranean. To the untrained eye, this often looks like blood or injury, but it’s actually fruit juice, which provided the vital energy needed for the bird to reach Ponza.

As bird activity declined, attention gradually shifted to dismantling operations, with the closure of the station and the packing up of equipment. Despite the calm ending, spirits remained high thanks to the sense of fulfilment and the warm hospitality of the Le Forna community.

Spring 2025 draws to a close with deep gratitude to all participants, volunteers, and followers who shared in this season of discovery and migratory magic.

See you in spring 2026!