Canale di San Giuliano

Description

Apart from the “Tagio Novo”, la Litoranea runs between the embankments of the fish pools (the valli) and, before the canale Amphora, there is the junction for S. Giuliano via the channel of the same name, featuring wide meanders that should always be taken on the outside, which is deeper, avoiding to cut or tighten the curves where the depths are considerably less. After passing S. Giuliano, on the left there is the area of the “isole della Gran Chiusa” (“islands of the Large Sluice”), characterised by extensive tidal flats and sandy remnants of sandbanks.

Places of interest

Canale di San Giuliano

The Island of San Giuliano still has some agricultural activities flanked by the fish farming in the valle and accommodation for guests. Underground,...



Vegetation

Nanozostera noltii

Frequent in the sea at a depth of less than 5 metres and in lagoons, especially where there are fresh water inlets. It colonises tidal flats,...



Cymodocea nodosa

Frequent in the sea and in lagoons, and like dwarf eelgrass forms extensive fields which are very important for fish and waterfowl.



Ruppia maritima

This is a common aquatic plant found in particular in areas where fish are farmed and in areas with fresh water intake and low water exchange....



Populus nigra

Like the white poplar, it is common along rivers and coasts, but is less tied to sandy soils. A hybrid variety is grown in poplar groves for the...



Tamarix gallica

A shrub and small tree, it is resistant to drought and salty soils as mentioned by D’Annunzio in the poem “la pioggia nel...



Juncus maritimus

A halophyte species, it forms populations in salt marshes and in the areas used to trap fish in the presence of moderate salinity. Widespread in...



Limonium vulgare

A halophyte species forming extensive spreads on sandbanks and very noticeable during the summer flowering.



Atriplex portulacoides

A halophyte species found on sandbanks and on the reclaimed land of Lisert where it covers extensive areas.



Spartina maritima

Another halophyte species, this is the first terrestrial plant to colonise the highest tidal flats, enduring long submersion.



Puccinelia festucaeformis

A halophyte species that is very common on the sandbanks of the Grado lagoon.



Tripolium pannonicum

A halophyte species that shows itself most during its summer flowering.



Limbarda chritmoides

A halophyte species whose yellow flowers colour the summer landscape of the lagoon sandbanks.



Robinia pseudoacacia

A North American species common in cultivated areas and along rivers. Used for poles and firewood.



Traditions

On the islets, the “mote”, which still bear the ancient names from Grado, the fishermen lived in huts of marsh reeds. Now few live...



Habitats

Areas normally above the water in a lagoon are called barene or salt marshes and are characterised by halophilic vegetation typical of...



The areas regularly submerged by the high tide that are revealed when the sea retreats are called the tidal flats. In Friuli Venezia Giulia, these...



The hunting of waterfowl often takes place alongside fishing and is exercised from the hides (botti) that are buried in small islets almost flush...



The lagoon system of FVG extends between the mouth of the Isonzo and that of the Tagliamento. Compared to its “big sister”, the...



One of the largest and most vital underwater meadows of the Gulf lies in front of the mouths of the Isonzo. These are plants with ribbon-like...



Birds

Casmerodius albus

85-100 cm, sexes similar. White plumage, yellow beak which becomes black in the breeding season. Present throughout the year, it does not, however,...



Ardea cinerea

84-102 cm, sexes similar. All year round, nesting in colonies in lagoon groves and other wooded areas inland. Nesting has been noted since 1999. Very...



Bubulcus ibis

45-52 cm, sexes similar. Present throughout the year. It reproduces in some lagoon groves associated with other species of herons. Nesting has been...



Ardea purpurea

70-90 cm, Sexes similar. Present from late March to September, nesting in colonies in lush reeds in the lagoon of Marano and the restored areas of...



Circus cyaneus

45-55 cm, marked dimorphism, the male is grey with black wing tips, the female brown, and both have a white rump. Present during migration and...



Anas crecca

34-38 cm; this is the smallest duck. Mainly a wintering species, some pairs do nest here and concentrations of teal can be observed in freshwater...



Gallinago gallinago

23-28 cm, sexes similar. With well-camouflaged streaked brown plumage, it has a long beak and a characteristic zig-zag flight. Present from July to...



Cisticola juncidis

10-11 cm, sexes similar. Yellowish plumage streaked with dark. Characteristic song: zip-zip-zip emitted in flight. It frequents coastal areas with...



Sterna sandvicensis

37-43 cm, sexes similar, light grey upperparts, white in the lower parts, with a black cap and a tuft on the head, the beak black with light-coloured...



Anas strepera

46-56 cm, with characteristic white speculum. Mainly a wintering species, but some pairs nest here. It frequents freshwater wetlands, the mouth of...



Himantopus himantopus

33-36 cm, sexes similar. Black and white, with long red legs. Present from March to September-October. It nests in the valli da pesca (fishing...



Numenius arquata

48-57 cm, sexes similar. Brownish with a long curved beak. Present throughout the year but does not nest. Forms flocks during high tide on sandbars...



Numenius phaeopus

37-45 cm, sexes similar. Brownish with curved beak, shorter than the curlew, and with characteristic dark streaks on the head. Present during...



Cygnus olor

140-160 cm, white, grey in juveniles, tubercle at the base of the beak, most evident in males. Present throughout the year, numerous at river mouths...



Anas acuta

51-62 cm, an elegant duck with long neck and, in the male, long central tail feathers. A wintering species, it frequents tidal flats, the restored...



Columbus palumbus

38-43 cm sexes similar, grey with white wing bands. Present throughout the year, it commonly nests in the groves of the lagoon islands and in...



Phalacrocorax carbo

77-94 cm, sexes similar. Like pelicans and boobies, they have the 4 fingers joined by a membrane to facilitate swimming. The species is present...



Motacilla flava

15-16 cm, the male with grey head and white throat in the cinerocapilla subspecies, yellow belly, long tail with white outer feathers. During...



Circus aeruginosus

43-55 cm, marked dimorphism, with the male more colourful while the female is dark with pale-yellow head and shoulders. Present throughout the year,...



Pandion haliaetus

52- 60 cm, the upperparts dark, white underside, long wings. Present during migration, especially in April-May and August-September. Relatively...



Phoenicopterus roseus

120-145 cm, adults with a typical red-pink plumage while the young are grey. Present throughout the year but with very numbers ranging from a few...



Anas penelope

42-50 cm, the male with a characteristic white spot on the wing coverts. A very numerous wintering species from September to March, some individuals...



Fulica atra

36-42 cm, sexes similar. Sooty black in colour with white beak and frontal shield. It runs over the water to take flight. Present throughout the...



Chroicocephalus ridibundus

35-39 cm, sexes similar. In February, it gains the dark brown cap for the breeding season, which it then loses in July-August. Present throughout the...



Larus melanocephalus

37-40 cm, sexes similar. Compared to the black-headed gull, the beak is more massive and coral-red, it has a black head – during nesting – and...



Larus michahellis

52-58 cm, sexes similar. Grey upperparts, white lower parts. Present throughout the year and abundant, nesting in the lagoon, on the roofs of houses...



Gallinula chloropus

27-31 cm, sexes similar. Dark with tail in part white and red and yellow beak. Present throughout the year, it nests in freshwater and brackish...



Egretta garzetta

55-65 cm, sexes similar. White plumage with long feathers on the neck and back during the breeding season. Present throughout the year round, nesting...



Larus canus

40-46 cm, sexes similar. It is smaller than the black-headed gull. Present from November to April, numerous in some winters, it frequents the sea,...



Anas plathyrhynchos

50-60 cm. With marked dimorphism, this is the ancestor of the domestic duck. Present throughout the year, it is very adaptable, frequenting both...



Falco tinnunculus

31-37 cm, the male with a grey head and tail, rufous upperparts, the female with rufous barred tail. Present throughout the year, it nests in the...



Falco subbuteo

29-35 cm sexes similar, dark uppers, with speckled chest and lower parts red. Present from April to October, it nests in the riparian forests along...



Phalacrocorax pygmaeus

45-55 cm, sexes similar. It is present throughout the year and nests in colonies, associating with various species of herons in some groves of the...



Alcedo atthis

17-19 cm, sexes similar. Blue upperparts, red underparts with large, dark beak dark and very short tail, which in flight makes it resemble a...



Anas querquedula

37-41 cm. The male has a characteristic white stripe from the eye to the nape. A migratory species, it is present from March to September. It...



Anas clypeata

44-52 cm; the male this a distinctive white chest. Mainly a wintering species, some pairs breed here. It frequents wetlands with low salinity and the...



Nycticorax nycticorax

58-65 cm, sexes similar, the adult black and grey, the juveniles brown. Present from spring to autumn, rare in winter. It nests in colonies...



Anser anser

74-84 cm, grey, in flight, the light-coloured wing coverts are obvious. This is the progenitor of the domestic goose. Present throughout the year, it...



Tringa nebularia

30-34 cm, sexes similar. Grey above, whitish beneath, slightly upturned and relatively large beak. Present throughout the year, scarce from mid-May...



Vanellus vanellus

28-31 cm, sexes similar, iridescent black uppers, white under parts with characteristic tuft on the neck and rounded wings. Present throughout the...



Tringa totanus

24-27 cm, sexes similar. Grey-brown uppers, lighter beneath with evident white bar on the wings, darker in breeding season; red beak and legs....



Calidris alpina

17-21 cm, sexes similar. Characteristic black belly and rufous uppers, grey in winter. It is the most numerous wader during wintering and forms large...



Tringa glareola

18.5-21 cm, dark and mottled with lighter colour on uppers, lighter underneath. Present from March to September, rare in June, does not nest. It...



Actitis hypoleucos

18 to 20.5 cm light brown uppers. white on the lower parts. The wings have a narrow light-coloured bar and are often blocked briefly in flight....



Pluvialis squatarola

26-29 cm, sexes similar. Grey plumage, black and white on the under parts during the breeding season. Grey in winter with characteristic black...



Buteo buteo

48-56 cm, sexes similar, plumage varies widely, generally brown with light patches. Present all year round, most numerous even in the largest lagoon...



Rallus aquaticus

23-26 cm, sexes similar. Grey under parts, brown stripes on uppers, long, curved beak. Present throughout the year, it is more numerous in winter and...



Hirundo rustica

17-21 cm, sexes similar. Black upperparts, red throat and whitish belly. Present from March to April and from September to October, it nests in rural...



Mergus serrator

52-58 cm, the male with dark green head and white neck, the female with reddish head. Present during wintering, it is frequent during the spring...



Sterna hirundo

34-37 cm, sexes similar. Light grey upperparts and white underparts, with black cap and red beak. It is the classic tern, frequent from April to...



Gavia arctica

63-75 cm, sexes similar. In winter the plumage is dark grey above, whitish underneath; the beak is more massive and held flat compared to the...



Gavia stellata

55-67 cm, sexes similar. In winter, the plumage is grey, and whitish underneath. Present in winter at sea and in the deepest areas of the lagoons....



Podiceps cristatus

46-51 cm, sexes similar. Grey upper part, whitish beneath, while in its nuptial plumage it reveals obvious tufts on the head and below the eyes....



Podiceps nigricollis

28-34 cm, sexes similar. Grey and off-white in winter, in March it has a black neck and a yellow tuft behind a red eye. Present from August to April,...



Ixobrychus minutus

22-28 cm, the male yellowish and black on the head, back and wings, the female similar but with brownish instead of black. It is the smallest...



Botaurus stellaris

69-81 cm, sexes similar. Camouflaged plumage. Present during wintering and migration. It nests here occasionally. Frequents freshwater wetlands with...



Streptopelia decaocto

29-33 cm, sexes similar. Plumage light beige with black collar. Present all year round, often associated with human settlements in cities, towns and...



Tringa erythropus

29-33 cm, sexes similar, blackish breeding plumage, after which it becomes whitish below and grey on the upperparts, thin beak and orange legs. It...



Tachibaptus ruficollis

23-29 cm, sexes similar, brown in winter, black with rufous cheeks in the breeding season. Present throughout the year, it nests in freshwater...



Upupa epops

25-29 cm, sexes similar, orange plumage striped with black, erectile crest on the head, flickering flight. Present from April to September and fairly...



Luscina megarhynchos

15-16.5 cm, sexes similar. Reddish brown upperparts, and light in underparts. Present from April to September. It nests in coastal and riparian...



Cettia cetti

13-14 cm, sexes similar. Reddish brown plumage, loud, crackling song, especially when a human intrudes on the territory of a male. Present throughout...



Tadorna tadorna

55-65 cm, white in appearance with a dark red beak with tubercle in the male. Present throughout the year, it frequents areas subject to tide and...



Other hotspots
The island, home to a Marian sanctuary and to a community of Franciscan friars,...
n. 30
The “valle” or fish pool (the term derives from the Latin value or dam,...
n. 27
To remedy the presence of a watershed in the lagoon, the Taglio Nuovo (“New...
n. 35
The Caneo is the western side of the Isonzo river mouth. The name refers to the...
n. 24

Beyond the junction for S. Giuliano, the lagoon opens to the right with an...

n. 37
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