Dates: April 28 – May 8, 2026

Leaders: Rick Wright & Marco Valtriani

E-bird

Total Species: 137 birds

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Overall Summary

Full of charming landscapes and historic villages, Apulia and the neighboring province of Basilicata are little-visited by birders—unjustly so. As we found in our time together, split between a luxurious masseria just outside world-famous Matera and a hotel in the venerable coastal city of Vieste, this tremendously varied region offers the perfect combination for travelers whose interests include both the natural and the cultural.

We saw the first of multiple Montagu harriers on our way to visit some of the wonderful cave churches of the Materan Murgia, and in the ancient city itself, lesser kestrels enlivened our explorations of the cathedral and the famous sassi, or rock dwellings. Nearby Altamura, with the strikingly decorated west front of its cathedral and some excellent food—of which there was everywhere an abundance—introduced us to the 170,000-year-old Altamura Man and "one of the lowest arches in all of Europe"; we followed up with a sunshiny visit to the ruins of Frederick II's Garagnone Castle.

Our short morning at Gravina di Laterza, a precipitous canyon home to a fine variety of raptors, also produced what appeared to be two pairs of black storks. We moved on to Bari, where under the tutelage of a local guide, we visited the basilica church housing the remains of Nicholas of Myra (yes, that Saint Nick) and the severe Romanesque cathedral. As we lingered on the beachside sidewalk, half a dozen Scopoli shearwaters came in close to be admired.

It was hard to leave the area of Matera and Altamura, but we were excited to be headed to the coast, where river mouths and salt pans turned up waterbirds including little and slender-billed gulls, ruffs, squacco herons, and a beautiful alternate-plumaged marsh sandpiper. The Laguna del Re hosted several red-crested pochards, yet another lifer for some participants.

From our new base in Vieste, we visited the mountain woodlands of Foresta Umbra and the large lagoons at Varona and Lesive. Pygmy cormorants, one at each lake, were not the surprise they would have been just five years ago, but exciting all the same. Common pochards were joined by a scarce ferruginous duck, whose rapid departure just a few minutes after our arrival confirmed once again how great a part of birding is simple timing. Eurasian hobbies and red-footed falcons hunted the air above the waters here.

Our last full day together found us at sea, literally, our private boat following the coast from Vieste to Rodi and back. The swell kept us close to shore, but that proved no cause for disappointment: in addition to Mediterranean and little gulls and good numbers of often very close Scopoli shearwaters, towards the end of our journey we found ourselves surrounded by an enormous flock of yelkouan shearwaters.

Good birds, good food, and above all good company made this a great outing for me and for Marco, and I hope to see all of you again soon.

Day-by-Day Summary

April 28 - Departures from US and Canada.

April 29 - Arrivals in Bari and 40-minute drive to Masseria Fontana di Vite in Matera; bee-eater colony and introductory dinner.

April 30 - Optional pre-breakfast birding walk at masseria, with Spanish sparrows, purple heron, and common nightingale. 9:00 departure for Murgia Materana National Park; rainy, but Montagu harrier and crested larks not far from visitor center. Cave churches with spectacular wall paintings.

May 1 - Optional pre-breakfast birding walk at masseria. 8:30 departure for city of Matera, visiting the cathedral and other sites on a leisurely downhill stroll with a local guide. Birding from gravina overlook.

May 2 - Optional pre-breakfast birding walk at masseria. 9:00 departure for Lamalunga Cave and Altamura Man visitor center. Pulo di Altamura; gigantic limestone sinkhole with eastern black-eared wheatear. Altamura: Arco Basso, west front of cathedral. Garagnone Castle.

May 3 - Departure 8:30 am for Gravina di Laterza, with honey buzzard flight and raptors in the canyon. Mercadante Forest. Bari with local guide: Basilica of Saint Nicholas, Bari Cathedral, Scopoli shearwaters from the sidewalk.

May 4 - 8:00 am Departure for Saline di Margherita di Savoia and nearby birding sites, with marsh sandpiper, slender-billed and little gulls. Laguna del Re for red-crested pochards and great crested grebes. Arrive at Vieste hotel for dinner.

May 5 - 9:00 am Departure for Foresta Umbra; light rain, but Eurasian wren, European robin, European chaffinch all seen well. Monte Sant'Angelo and shrine church of Michael the Archangel.

May 6 - 8:30 am Departure for Varona and Lesive Lakes, with pygmy cormorants, squacco herons, black-necked grebe.

May 7 - 9:00 Departure for boat trip from Vieste to Rodi, with Scopoli and yelkouan shearwaters, little and Mediterranean gulls.

May 8 - 7:00 Departure from Vieste, arriving at Bari Airport for end of tour.

Wildlife Seen: 

Red fox

Four-lined snake

European green lizard

Italian wall lizard

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