Animals of the lake

Along the way, we have realised that we are not alone. Other people, trees, plants and animals inhabit these shores. According to Riccardo, what is the most magical moment to experience the life of the lake?

In my opinion, sunset is the moment of the day when the daytime animals, the birds and so on, head for their shelters, the places where they will spend the night, while the animals that have remained hidden from the sun until then begin to emerge. They appear like shadows, however, because the light is already fading, so one senses their presence, but it is not always possible to identify exactly what they are. This is also because they are very timid animals. The badger and the fox are particularly elusive. They like to roam where people are present, because where there are people there are sources of food, but at the same time they know that humans are hunters, and so they are very careful not to be seen. As the night gradually advances, these animals also begin to make themselves heard through their calls: the sharp, hoarse bark of the fox; the call of the tawny owl, almost eerie, like something from a film; or the higher-pitched call of the soeta, the little owl, which in the past often evoked in people the idea of impending death. The daytime birds are extremely numerous, and their songs are far more... musical. They create real melodies. The iconic birds that have characterised the history of the lake are certainly the great reed warbler, the reed warbler, the icterine warbler, and the nightingale, which is more active towards the evening. These are birds whose songs produce particularly distinctive melodies. The swans were introduced mainly by people to embellish the area, as though the place were somehow bare without them. Human beings always seem to feel the need to decorate things, don’t they? Mallards are currently the most widespread ducks, both here and across Europe, and so they are the ones most commonly seen. But there are many species of waterfowl, many birds similar to the familiar mallard. Their numbers are certainly lower than they once were, and it is their presence that has led to the lake being recognised as a Site of Community Importance. The wellbeing of the lake is closely linked to that of many other regions too, because birds, above all, migrate. They move from place to place and need safe habitats where they can stop to feed and recover, or to breed, before moving on to their wintering grounds.