Corsica

01 August 2021 – 08 August 2021

Christian Teltscher

Participants: Christian, Kim, Sara and Zoey Teltscher

We spend a one-week, self-organized family holiday on the french island of Corsica in the first week of August 2021. As usual, this was a combination of family activities with birding and focused pre-breakfast birding. My life targets were the endemic Corsican Nuthatch and the near-endemic Moltoni's Warbler, Marmora's Warbler and Corsican Finch. Additionally, I tried to see California Quail, as Corsica has the only tickable population of that species in Europe. Finally, I keep my eyes open on the ferry for the slim chance of European Storm-Petrel.

Visited Sites

General Travelling Information

We drove from Germany in our own car and took the ferry from Livorno/Italy, all booked through the internet. We stayed the entire time in a holiday flat booked through AirBnB close to Aghione on the east coast. I considered this location quite central to easily reach the main birding areas in the mountains, as well as beaches and other places of tourist interest, but completely misjudged distances. The winding roads on Corsica are quite slow and destinations only 100 km away need up to 3 hours one-way. This didn't have much of an impact on my birding plans, but other places of interest on the west coast or north were just too far away for day trips. In hindsight, spending two weeks moving every couple of days around the island, using some of the numerous camp sites, would have done the island more justice.

What did have an impact on birding was the season: I knew that August is not the best time for birding (summer rarely is), but the lack of bird songs, especially regarding my targets, was frustrating. I never heard one of the warblers sing, only alarm calls were heard from dense vegetation. The nuthatches never called or sang and were only encountered as quiet parts of occasional bird parties. The trickiest species was Corsican Finch. I never encountered them in their "traditional" breeding grounds in the mountains and was lucky only once on the last day at a leaking irrigation pipe in a lowland vinyard. The California Quail is hard even in spring, but I was lucky to at least hear a male, but only once very briefly.

Recommended Literature

Where to Watch Birds France (P.J. Dubois)

A Birdwatching Guide to France - South of the Loire including Corsica (J.Crozier)

Reptiles and Amphibians of Europa (E.N. Arnolds)

Lonely Planet Corsica

Lac de Bigugalia

A large coastal lake south of Bastia. We only visited briefly after arriving by ferry.

Target species

  • Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus

    Only place where we encountered a large flock

  • Audouin's Gull Ichthyaetus audouinii

    Surprisingly the most common gull on the lake. I expected to scan through Yellow-legged Gulls to find one, but most gulls were this rare species

How to get there

We parked here to scan the lake and visit the beach on the other side of the road: 42.64122, 9.4604

Facilities & accommodation

There is supposedly a watch tower at 42.60841, 9.47836, but we didn't check it out

Ferry Livorno - Bastia

The trip takes about 4 hours. Seawatching is possible from multiple places.

Target species

  • European Storm-Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus

    Slim chance on the very crossing. Didn't see it.

Facilities & accommodation

Good restaurant on board and opportunites for a sleep (if you're not trying to see Storm Petrel)

Col de Sorba

Classic site for Corsican Pine forest species. Early morning not crowded. I drove slowly along the road and stopped whenever I heared or saw birds. Other strategy is to find a vantage point to look into the canopy.

Target species

  • Corsican Nuthatch Sitta whiteheadi

    Not calling this time of the year and encountered as part of multi-species bird parties

How to get there

42.150437, 9.1742680 is a good vantage point. Park at 42.15, 9.17491.

Fort de Pasciola

Low maccia and densely vegetated valley with easy access.

Target species

  • Moltoni's Warbler Curruca subalpina

    Constantly calling, but staying in dense vegetation. The only brief look I had was of an individual harassing a Red-backed Shrike

  • Marmora's Warbler Curruca sarda

    Showed only briefly in most cases and located by alarm calls. As they were not singing, only strategy is to wait patiently for an individual to provide good views

How to get there

Park here 42.17493, 9.16367. Best track for both targets is at 42.17484, 9.16264: Maccia to the east and valley with higher vegetation to the west.

Castellu di Cucuruzzu

Archaeological site with neolithic remains. The habitat is a good and tall mixed forest

How to get there

parking and entrance at 41.717097, 9.128060

Facilities & accommodation

Interesting archaeology park with only minor facilities.

Other wildlife observed

Bedriaga's Rock Lizard (Lacerta bedriagae)

Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard (Podarcis tiliguerta)

Col de Bavella

Very scenic road, which follows a mountain creek. In the upper regions pine forest good for Corsican Nuthatch.

Target species

  • Moltoni's Warbler Curruca subalpina

    In lower parts of the road

  • Corsican Nuthatch Sitta whiteheadi

    Pine forest and pass itself (parking lot)

  • Corsican Finch Carduelis corsicana

    Good site for that species, but only distant flocks for me

How to get there

Col de Bavella itself at 41.79582, 9.22469.

Moltoni Warbler heard and very brief viewes at 41.8593, 9.3760

Facilities & accommodation

Restaurants at the pass itself (as well as accomodation) and plenty of swimming sites along the river

Other wildlife observed

Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard (Podarcis tiliguerta)

Italian Pool Frog (Rana bergeri)

Old Faro Bridge

Riparian woodland and shrub. Good access through abandoned stone bridge. Good variety of birds. Only site where I saw Woodlark.

Target species

  • Moltoni's Warbler Curruca subalpina

    Supposedly good for that species, but didn't see or hear.

How to get there

Park on old bridge 42.22758, 9.24269.

Other wildlife observed

Corsican Hare (Lepus corsicanus)

Aghione fields and vinyards

This area is the only place in the western palaearctic for a tickable population of California Quail. I was only able to hear them once around here 42.116714, 9.415035, but wasn't able to enter the vinyards. Local farmers were quite suspicious about my activities and one even jumped into his car, followed me and stopped me asking what my business was around here. He seemed quite relieved and got more friendly when I explained in my worst french, that I'm just looking for birds !!

On the way back I took some dirt tracks through fields and vinyards, which was quite productive. Especially one site, where a leaking irrigation pipe attracted some bird parties. I got a couple of new species here, the only sighting of Corsican Finch and the best views of Marmora's Warbler.

Other wildlife observed

Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

Asco Valley

Very scenic road into the mountains. At the end with multiple trails for hiking. Supposedly good for Golden Eagle, Bearded Vulture, Corsican Finch and a chance for Rock Thrush. We didn't spend much time at the end of the valley, rather more along the multiple river swim spots on the way.

How to get there

start of valley at 42.477132, 9.138819

top and trailhead at 42.40332, 8.92339

Facilities & accommodation

Camp site and restaurants at the ski resort and multiple scenic swim spots along the river

Other wildlife observed

Western Whip Snake (Coluber viridiflavus)

Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard (Podarcis tiliguerta)

Filitosa

Archaelogical site with diverse habitats - open , forest and wetlands

How to get there

parking and entrance 41.744961, 8.870052

Other wildlife observed

European Pond Terrapin (Emys orbicularis)

Tyrrhenian Wall Lizard (Podarcis tiliguerta)

Species List

Order: systematic | alphabetic | highlights first
Published: 14 June 2022
Last updated: 14 June 2022
Corsica - Orniverse