Puglian Pleasures

Migrating birds swirling in the sunset sky. Image provided by Laura Hanley http://www.verycoolphotoblog.com/

Swirling high in the sky, creating tornado funnel shapes, the migrating birds seem so majestic and intriguing, that I find myself gazing in wonder at their beautiful dance. But then ‘bang, bang, bang’, I’m jolted back to reality as the hunters close in on the poor defenceless birds. Do they really have to shoot these tiny birds, why? Population control?

Before I moved to Southern Italy, I had no idea that it was legal to hunt migrating birds, on certain days from September to the end of February. My first encounter was on the very first morning at our new villa, when I was rudely awoken with the sound of gunshot, and pellets hitting my window shutters. OMG what sort of place have I moved to? Why are they shooting at my house? It certainly wasn’t the…