Happy Easter from Ponza!

This past week on Ponza was largely shaped by persistent bad weather, with wind, rain, and grey skies dominating most days. Despite the challenging conditions, the team kept nets open as much as possible, collecting valuable data and spotting some new arrivals that hint at the progress of spring migration.

The week started with two new species for the season – the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) and the cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) – showing that migration is still ticking along despite the adverse conditions.

The following days remained slow in terms of captures, but not without highlights: the first European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) of the year and a willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) retrap originally ringed in Prague stood out among the few birds processed.

The golden oriole (Oriolus oriolus) brightened an otherwise quiet and stormy 16 April, while unstable conditions continued to keep numbers low through most of the week. Only on the 19th did the weather finally clear, bringing the first decent day of migration in a long stretch: about 170 birds, dominated by common whitethroat, warblers, and pied flycatchers.

While the week was far from ideal, these signs of movement suggest that the real spring wave may be just around the corner. If the weather holds, the next few days could bring the long-awaited passage of birds.

Stay tuned – spring is coming, even if it’s late!