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Paul Bourdin

@paulbourdin.bsky.social

Birder, currently based in Italy. Also post Commonwealth War Graves material and military archaeology.

231 Followers  |  596 Following  |  206 Posts  |  Joined: 01.12.2023  |  2.0284

Latest posts by paulbourdin.bsky.social on Bluesky

I could do Wednesday afternoon?

19.10.2025 14:16 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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No ringing at Le Soglitelle today, so I went back to Torre Flavia. A juvenile Little Crake was the highlight, but it was run close by my first Bluethroat at the site. Penduline Tit was heard but not seen. Very little offshore. #birds #birdingitaly

12.10.2025 12:32 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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A nice day at Le Soglitelle. 3 Acros was nice, including the first Moustached Warbler of autumn. A lovely male Bluethroat ringed as well. A group of 4 Ruddy Shelduck were new for the site, provenance notwithstanding. Osprey and Stock Dove were unusual visitors. #birds #birdingitaly

05.10.2025 14:58 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Buffing the happy lamp? That’s genius! 🀣

01.10.2025 18:18 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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From Sibley…

30.09.2025 18:16 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Cool picture Ken, but if that isn’t a gallinule I will eat my shorts!

30.09.2025 17:56 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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New ringing season started at Le Soglitelle. Bluethroat are in, and plenty of Yellow Wagtails are passing through. Waterfowl are building up and the first Lapwing have arrived.
#birds #brdingitaly

28.09.2025 09:52 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Spent a couple of days at Stelvio pass near the Italy/Switzerland border. A large group of very confiding Rock Ptarmigan was the highlight. Lots of Alpine Marmot on the slopes leading up to the pass.

31.07.2025 18:52 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Castiglione South African Cemetery. Just outside Bologna. An absolutely gorgeous setting, one of the nicest in Italy. Lots of casualties from the tail end of the war, with many graves from late April 1945.

31.07.2025 10:45 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Argenta Gap Cemetery. 2 VC’s here, and the first George Cross I’ve ever seen in a war cemetery. One of the VC’s is Anders Lassen, the legendary Danish SAS officer.

28.07.2025 20:14 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Faenze Cemetery.

28.07.2025 20:07 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image Post image Post image Post image 28.07.2025 12:36 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Coriano Ridge Cemetery. Soldiers from all over here, including uncle Jack, my grandfather’s brother

28.07.2025 12:35 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Soldiers from many Gurkha regiments here. The only GWGC cemetery I’ve see without the big cross and sword, presumably for religious reasons

28.07.2025 12:33 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Rimini Ghurka Cemetery. 2 VC’s here…

28.07.2025 12:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

As I’m sure you know, many of the most egregious crimes were considered lawful at the time (Apartheid, Holocaust, Slavery), sometimes resistance really *is* the moral path

23.07.2025 10:42 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

They were in mine too.

23.07.2025 10:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

OMG! That was the best pint (2L) I’ve ever had! Truly spectacular…

19.07.2025 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

They look too dark for Common, so I’m saying Black Noddy.

01.07.2025 15:10 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Juvenile Sooty Tern are superficially similar, but they don’t have the lovely pale cap.

01.07.2025 15:08 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Lovely birds, but those are Noddys, probably Black Noddy, though Common Noddy also occurs off NE Australia.

01.07.2025 15:07 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Same in Italian, culbianco!

27.06.2025 12:19 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

This is pretty on the mark, not sure what is bothering you about it?

13.06.2025 15:02 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I think you posted the wrong picture. That’s a fantastic picture of a Checker-throated Yellownape.

07.06.2025 14:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The last ringing day at Soglitelle of the summer. Quite hot, but still nice birding. Catch of the day was a Green Whip Snake, followed by a Greenfinch in the nets. On the reserve were 40+ Med Gulls, mostly imm. birds over-summering. 3 juv. Little Gull doing the same thing. #birds #birdingitaly

07.06.2025 14:51 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I think that’s Alexandrine Parakeet, the red shoulders are the main difference.

02.06.2025 17:54 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Possibly via Italian where β€˜noioso’ means boring.

02.06.2025 15:01 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I’m not sure median = hyper intelligent makes a lot of sense as median is a measure of central tendency, and β€˜hyper’ indicates an extreme, but that is a very nit-picky point. You’re right of course that it doesn’t mean much on its own.

01.06.2025 17:56 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

*Exactly* 50% are below the median. That’s what median means.

01.06.2025 16:39 β€” πŸ‘ 62    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0

That would be a straight red in rugby let alone football!

25.05.2025 16:07 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

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