Yesterday I took part in a bird race, organized all over Italy. The target was to find the greatest number of birds within the borders of the Gorizia province (Italy). Our team (me and two others) started at 04.00 am in the morning and ended at about 20.00 pm in the evening. We managed to see 113 species (the complete chek-list at the end). The visited places (in more or less chronologic order) were: Alberoni, Fossalon, Doberdob lake NR, Lisert, Isola della Cona NR, Valle Cavanata NR, Valle Artalina, Gradisca d'Isonzo, Gorizia-river Isonzo, Medea/Borgnano, Carso Goriziano (Karst) + Cava di Sagrado + Alture di Polazzo.
The highlight of the day was a pair of
LITTLE CRAKES in the morning at Lisert. The two birds were showing well at the reedbed marging, feeding together. Other interesting birds of the day were:
Goosander (at least 10 f/eclipse m, on the river Isonzo), an
OSPREY (at Lisert, perching on a pole), three
Short-toed Eagles (above Lisert), several
Hobbies, two
Peregrines on the Karst, several
Little Owls (at Fossalon) and the nice migrats including: a male
Redstart,
Wheatears, Whinchats, several
Garden Warblers, 2-3
Lesser Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Wood Warblers, some
Spotted Flycatchers and many
Pied Flycatchers.The two Little Crakes (male-the first one):

Osprey:
Short-toed Eagles:
The complete bird check-list of the day:
Mute SwanGreylag GooseBar-headed GooseMallardGadwallShovelerWigeonTealPochardGoosanderRed-breasted MerganserPheasantLittle GrebeGreat Crested GrebeCormorantShagPygmy CormorantNight HeronCattle EgretLittle EgretWestern Reef EgretGreat EgretGrey HeronOspreyShort-toed EagleMarsh HarrierBuzzardHoney BuzzardSparrowhawkKestrelHobbyPeregrineWater RailLittle CrakeMoorhenCootLittle Ringed PloverGrey PloverLapwingDunlinWood SandpiperCommon SandpiperSpotted RedshankGreenshankCurlewSnipeRuffBlack-headed GullMediterranean GullYellow-legged GullSandwich TernRock Dove/Feral PigeonWoodpigeonCollared DoveTawny OwlLittle OwlAlpine SwiftKingfisherBee-eaterBlack WoodpeckerGreen WoodpeckerGreat Spotted WoodpeckerLesser Spotted WoodpeckerWoodlarkSand MartinBarn SwallowHouse MartinTawny PipitTree PipitWhite WagtailYellow WagtailGrey WagtailRobinRedstartBlack RedstartWheatearWhinchatStonechatBlackbirdGarden WarblerBlackcapLesser WhitethroatSardinian WarblerSedge WarblerZitting CisticolaCetti's WarblerReed WarblerWillow WarblerWood WarblerChiffchaffSpotted FlycatcherPied FlycatcherGreat TitBlue TitMarsh TitLong-tailed TitNuthatchShort-toed TreecreeperRed-backed ShrikeMagpieJayJackdawHooded CrowStarlingHouse SparrowTree SparrowChaffinchGoldfinchGreenfinchSiskinHawfinchCirl BuntingRock Bunting