Purple Heron Landing

Our birding tour in northern Italy ended today, with a drive from our Agriturismo south of Pavia to Milan's Linate airport.  We made a brief stop at a marshy pond on the way (at Castelletto di Branduzzo), highlighted by at least two Purple Herons--unfortunately quite distant. This is not a stunning image, but I like the oriental quality of it. On our last stay in southern France in April 2010 we had much closer views, including this one.

Our tour was organized from England, with 11 participants, including us and two other Americans. Two leaders--from England and Italy--drove the small vans and provided excellent guidance, especially with their incredibly sensitive ears (far better than mine and Marylee's). We ate very well, especially at our second stop.