Noggan Man - This week In Birdland July 16th

This Week In Birdland

16-17th July 2026

We were lucky enough to venture north this week to the Valli di Comacchio in Italy's Po Valley and spend a sunset and sunrise watching the flamingos and some other beautiful birds near the site of the old salt works. The area didn't disappoint and was to date one of the best birding experiences we've had in northern Italy. My only regret was not staying longer.

Scroll down to get to the photos & skip the babble

With the temperature in the high 30s°C, evening and even early morning birding was always going to be a heated affair. The sight of a 'flamboyance' of Great Flamingos (a new term for me) within minutes of entering the reserve made it all worth while and I set up the tripod and started filming immediately. They were at a bit of a distance and the light wasn't being kind but I managed to get some lovely footage and some decent pics. As the sun started to set, I caught sight of an Egret bathed in the golden glow of the salt waters with one of the old salt work ruins in the background.

The air was full of the sound of Black-winged Stilts and we made our way along the small road that ran alongside the wetland for less than a kilometre until you couldn't go any further without a key to the gate and a guide. Along the way we saw Terns, Sandpipers and Black-headed Gulls. I also saw a European Bee-eater, a first for me in Italy, but wasn't quick enough to get a shot away.

The following morning and the sun was in the right spot even if it was almost 30°C at 7am! It was another, better opportunity to photograph the flamingos, and I was able to get a nice shot of a Black-winged Stilt and its chick along with a Common Ringed Plover, a Spotted Redshank, a Wood Sandpiper and what I think is a Ruff. I have left a question mark by this until I get it confirmed. Just as we were leaving we got several flypasts from the Flamingos - magic!

It turns out that this is one of the best spots for birding in Northern Italy and I will have to find an excuse to get back up there soon, maybe even later this year. Even in the blistering heat there was a lot to see and I can only imagine that with access to more of the internal pathways and a pre visit check on seasonal migration etc you could easily spend a few days here if the weather allowed.

After checking with several experts from the GBCN It turns out that what I thought might be a Ruff was actually a Black-winged Stilt juvenile. Who'd have thought it? Not me, obviously!

Ali Reeves