Once again, winter 2007-08 was relatively mild, with few freezing nights and almost no snow; it was quickly forgotten and replaced by an early spring, which was however quite rainy, at least until mid-June. Summer was unremarkable weather-wise, while the autumn was quite dry, and the early winter rainy and at times snowy.

For birdwatching, 2008 was a very good year; as always, April was the month in which the highest number of species was recorded, including some interesting records and some real surprises. Generally speaking, every month offered lively and satisfying birdwatching: in my ranking of the highest day lists, almost half of the top positions, and the number one spot overall, are occupied by 2008 dates. This is due mostly to a larger total of resident and regularly occurring species, rather than to occasional records of rarities. One such example is the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, which bred at La Cassinazza for the first time in 2008, and which is being observed with increasing frequency. Other regular species have become commoner, especially breeding species that have found new niches in the increasingly mature habitats of La Cassinazza: in 2008, there was a spectacular increase in the number of breeding pairs of Black-winged Stilt, while Little Bitterns and Acrocephalus warblers (Marsh, Reed, and Great Reed) also increased.

Red Kites wintered for the second year in a row, this time with three individuals, and, somewhat surprisingly, three Spoonbills also attempted to winter. We were also surprised by some species that had been abundant the previous winter, and suddenly became scarce: we had few Woodpigeons in 2008, and Penduline Tits were altogether absent.
The overall list of species observed at La Cassinazza is already quite long, and new records are becoming increasingly harder to come by. Nonetheless, three new species made it onto the list in 2008: Savi’s Warbler, Golden Eagle, and the beautiful Yellow-browed Warbler. Although the latter two may not be expected to occur again, Savi’s Warbler, which was seen in both spring and fall, could well become a regular visitor.

There was a great variety of butterflies as well: at least 30 species were recorded this summer, including three new additions to La Cassinazza’s list: Bath White (Pontia daplidice), Berger’s Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis) and Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris).
Best of all was the return of good numbers of Large Copper (Lycaena dispar), a rare and very beautiful butterfly.
The variety of dragonflies was just as great: in 2008, 30 species were recorded, out of an all-time total of 35. At least one of these is a new arrival: Southern Skimmer (Orthetrum brunneum), which was seen for the first time at the end of June.

On the other hand, wildflowers were less showy and interesting, due mostly to weather-related reasons: excessive rainfall in spring ruined or felled most flowers. The number of plant species, both grasses and shrubs, identified so far at La Cassinazza has risen to 221, but the list is far from complete, since it does not include most graminaceous plants, nor species lacking conspicuous flowers. The lack of rainfall in late summer and early fall meant that mushrooms had a poor showing, both in numbers and variety.