The Maiano suburb stands on ancient deposits of sand, pebbles, and other materials, transported mainly by the last great glacier, which about 20 thousand years ago was moving slowly towards south-south-west, shaping the valley.
The first people were attracted by the favourable disposition of the location. They worked to deforest and break up the land, today cultivated almost entirely as apple groves with the exception of a few vineyards below Maiano and more recently around Cles Castle. Despite being intensively cultivated, the apple groves provide ideal habitats for dozens of species of birds, who use them in the different periods of the year for breeding and overwintering. The most numerous nesting birds include blackbirds and thrushes, two birds with similar habits and found in very large numbers among the apple groves.
They are both migratory even though their migratory paths are not really “typical” and they can overwinter as far away as northern Africa. In March the males start singing in order to mark out their own territories against other males, and early in the season also to attract females. It appears that the aim of nocturnal singing is mainly to intercept any females that might be “passing over” during their migratory flights, which take place at night. The song of thrush birds is particularly well known and popular for its timbre and countless variations, partly resulting from their imitations of other species. Nests are built in the apple trees and it is easy to distinguish those of blackbirds from thrushes because the latter coat the inside of their nests with a fine layer of mud. Eggs are laid at the beginning of April (generally 3 to 5) and brooded for around 14 days, about the same amount of time required before the hatchlings take flight. While the chicks are being raised they are fed almost exclusively with earthworms, while from November to February fruit generally forms a significant component of the diet for these two species. Fruit remaining on the trees or on the ground after harvesting attracts flocks of birds (not only blackbirds and thrushes, but also fieldfares, redwings, and chaffinches). Birds generally prefer fruit when it is very mature and overripe, with blackbirds and thrushes eating it mainly on the ground, while other species like the various tits and blackcaps preferring to peck it in the trees. The great abundance of passerine birds attracts numerous raptors who eat them, among these the buzzard, goshawk, and black kite.
