Day 14: Friday, July the 11th, 2003: Hortobagy NP

Birds at a glance: Great Bustard, Lesser Grey Shrike, Ferruginous Duck - 245 kilometres of driving.

Great Bustard was the keyword for this morning. Last day, we had some quick looks in a Dave Gosney book a friendly Belgium birder showed us at the Halasto fishponds. We drove to the described fields, which can be found as follows. From the main road 33, just a few metres east of the above described Red-footed Falcon colony, one can take the road south to Nagyivan. Exactly after 5.2 kilometres from the road 33, take a smaller road east and drive this until a T-crossing. It is prohibited to drive any further to the left or to the right from there, as the park rangers we encountered there told us. But, the signs do not say so. Very strange situation. However, from that crossing, we were very surprised to really find an adult male Great Bustard!  We had really not expected that, because everyone told us that it is almost impossible to find this species in Hortobagy, especially without the guidance of a park ranger. Once again a nice start of the day!

Other beautiful birds near the Great Bustard were about 10 Red-footed Falcons, 1 Lesser Grey Shrike, 1 singing Grasshopper Warbler and about 15 Purple Herons. Besides, how many times in his or her life is a birder so lucky as to see a Quail? Well, we were this time at least! Not less than 2 birds of this fantastic species dove into the shrub just a few metres next to the car. And as we got out, we even had the opportunity to see them run and very soon choose the air once more.

So, all good observations. But, still no Long-legged Buzzard for our good friend. Therefore, at the end of the morning, we once again drove to the watching tower near the kilometre sign 3 along the road between Balmazujvaros and Tiszacsege to try our luck. Unfortunately, we still could not find any Long-legged Buzzard. Luckily, we saw another very nice raptor over there: a Short-toed Eagle was hovering a few hundred metres from the road. Also 4 Red-footed Falcons showed well, as well as 3 Lesser Grey Shrikes, a male Hen Harrier and a Lesser Spotted Eagle. Apart from about 20 Common Cranes in the fields, a group of 100 birds or so past by over our heads.

Day 15: Saturday, July the 12th, 2003: Hortobagy NP - Balmazujvaros village

Birds at a glance: Roller, Saker, Syrian Woodpecker - 155 kilometres of driving

This day would be the last day fully spent in the fantastic Hortobagy national park. In the morning we once again drove to the Steppe Eagle site, with a chance on seeing Long-legged Buzzard in our minds. In the bushes north of the mentioned farms we found a Roller. The Steppe Eagle was not seen for sure. At least 3 eagles flew above the forest west of the road, but to far to be identified as Steppe or Imperial. Though, the 2 Lesser Spotted Eagles will surely have been there. Birds that again showed just how good that specific spot is for raptors were a Goshawk, a Saker (just 1 this time), about 10 Kestrels, about 30 Common Buzzards, a Red-footed Falcon and an adult Hobby. The dragonfly Orthetrum brunneum was seen and photographed here.

At the end of the morning we left the place and drove east again to Balmazujvaros to buy water and food and to get some shadow. Having seen a nice park in the centre of the small town Balmazujvaros the days before, we decided to visit it and try for Syrian Woodpecker because the habitat seemed perfect. And indeed. Within 2 minutes the first Syrian Woodpecker, a female, was found, followed by a second one, a juvenile. Also interesting is the fact that Red-backed Shrikes were breeding inside the village. Small bushes between the houses and flats seemed already enough for the birds to have a territory.

In the afternoon we drove in the direction of the campsite, so westwards along the main road 33 towards Hortobagy-village. Near kilometre sign 79 we stopped at a stupid information centre where stupid people could drive with stupid tilt-cars onto the vast plains to disturb the foraging Common Cranes and domestic geese. From the parking place, we walked round the small forest and found a watching tower in the north side of the forest. We were told by our guide Felix Felger from Poland that this should be a good spot for Suslik Citellus citellus, the favourite food of Steppe and Imperial Eagle. Unfortunately, we did not see any. Some birds did show, however, despite of the heat. They include Lesser Grey Shrike, Tawny Pipit and Crested Lark. All in small numbers. A good find was the dragonfly Sympetrum depressiusculum. Butterflies here included Lycaena dispar and Papilio machaon.

After dinner at the campsite, we drove to the Steppe Eagle site again. Yes, again! Just because we could not live with the fact that we had not yet seen Long-legged Buzzard, while it should be a yearly summer visitor to the Hortobagy national park. And again, we did not find what we were looking for. No Long-legged Buzzard. Also no Steppe Eagle this time. But, we did see 1 Lesser Spotted Eagle, Tawny Pipits, 2 Lesser Grey Shrikes and we heard some Common Cranes. Also, 2 juvenile Sakers were resting in a tree at the end of the road that was described above for the Steppe Eagle site. We found a nest box in another tree next to the resting birds. It might just have been the breeding box for the Sakers over there. It turned out to be the best spot for the butterfly Coenonympha glycerion of which photographs could be taken.

Good fun were two little Hungarian children near the Sakers, dancing on funny pop music from their radio in the middle of nowhere on an old truck.

Day 16: Sunday, July the 13th, 2003: travelling south

Birds at a glance: none - 544 kilometres of driving.

Next in our planning was driving to the Delta Naretva in the south of Croatia. We knew that to get there, we were to drive at least a thousand kilometres. So we decided to cut the trip into two parts, especially because we would drive through Bosnia and Herzegovina and the roads would be far from convenient. In the morning we packed our stuff into the car and cleared the campground from all the empty water and cola bottles. We had the plan of driving to the northern part of Croatia and to stay there for the forthcoming night. And so we did. The directions we followed are the following: From Hortobagy-village we drove to Debrecen and from there we took road 47 to Berettyoujfalu - Szeghalom - Mezobereny - Bekecsaba - Oroshaza - Szeged. Make fun of yourself and try to pronounce all that right! From Szeged we took road 55 westwards to Baja. Being in Szeged, it is not easy to find the way to the 55 and Baja. We asked several times before finding it. We did especially not drive towards the south, towards Subotica, because that road leads through Yugoslavia and one needs a visum to enter that country. Still, that drive should be a bit shorter. After reaching Baja, we drove further west towards Bataszék and from there south to Mohacs along the road 56. From there we drove in the direction of Osijek, a rather large city in the north of Croatia. Crossing the border to Croatia was no problem. As we arrived in Osijek we got ourselves some money, kunas, and went to eat at the despicable MacDonald's restaurant. We were quite shocked by seeing lots of buildings with shot holes and some even blown apart by granites in the middle of the city. As the evening was still young, we followed our way further towards Bosnia and Herzegovina and drove till we arrived at Dakovo. This part of Croatia does not have any campsites at all and we were forced to find something else. That turned out to be the one and only hotel in the city: Zelena Laguna. The hotel was very good with toilet and shower on every bedroom and the breakfast was of course included. The price per person per night amounted about euro 17.00. A little stroll through the city in the evening only yielded about 20 Hooded Crows, a family of Kestrels and lots of Common Swifts near the church. Serins sang from every large tree.

Day 17: Monday, July the 14th, 2003: roads through Bosnia - Delta Naretva

Birds at a glance: Alpine Swift, Pallid Swift - 512 kilometres of driving

Today we had to drive through the "very, very scary" country of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Afterwards, that might have been not so smart. Later on, in Croatia, a Dutch couple told us that people need a special allowance from their insurance company to be covered by the company while travelling through Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Just after leaving Dakovo at 9 am we filled up the petrol tank and drove to the border. To get to the border formed a real problem. It turned out that there is not a main road leading into Bosnia and Herzegovina. We got lost in small villages and arrived everywhere but near the border passage. Luckily, some people spoke little German and English and were able to show us the right directions.

The reason for the absence of a clear main road leading into Bosnia and Herzegovina and the absence of any signs showing the right direction must be the war. People only recently found the need for travelling into Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is hard to explain the route to follow for the people that might once want to travel here, but one should try to follow the main route from Dakovo to the south, also through the smaller villages. This seemingly main road will lead towards the border, although no signs show the way to it. Be not distracted by a small white sign showing something about Bosnia and Herzegovina and leading you onto a small road and into a small village. It will not get you anywhere! So, keep following the main road.

At the border leaving Croatia was no problem. Entering Bosnia and Herzegovina was, though. People hardly spoke anything else than their own language. The custom officers wanted us to hand over a so-called green paper. Afterwards we understood that it must have been about the insurance stuff. Also, they seriously searched the car and asked us what we were up to. So, we showed them our telescopes in combination with bird books and explained that we were just travelling to the Croatian coast to do bird watching. After a while, they suddenly told us to get along and so we did.

The next thing that brought us in some trouble was the fact that every sign along the road suddenly was written in some sort of Greek language. All deltas and gammas and stuff. So, how could we possibly be able to find our way, especially given the fact that we had to drive about 500 kilometres trough this country?!

We tried to buy a map somewhere, written in this language, but that seemed impossible. We asked the way for Sarajevo some times and drove along the road that seemed to be the main road. Luckily, out of the blue, the signs were again written in "normal" European language after a couple of kilometres.

We constantly drove in the direction of Sarajevo. Driving went quite slowly, mainly due to the large amount of trucks not being able to drive the slopes. One should bear in mind that an average speed of 50 kilometres per hour is maximum! Also, we encountered an accident along the road. We had to wait for about an hour before it became clear we could not drive any further (during this hour, we scored the butterfly Satyrium w-album)! So, we drove to Doboj and took a smaller road to Sarajevo. Doboj is still far in the north of the country and we had serious doubts about whether we would reach Croatia in one day. The smaller road was no good at all except for the Parnassius appollo, a large butterfly, Wesley saw! We had to ask the directions a million times, for the signs were very incomplete. Moreover, the road became smaller and smaller, ending into a small mountain road for tens of kilometres. Some bridges were even of the wooden girders type! Our speed was now reduced to about a 30 kilometres per hour.

We decided to find ourselves a hotel in Sarajevo and to drive the last part in an extra day. We arrived in Sarajevo at 4.30 pm. Sarajevo turned out to be a very busy city and a traffic jam kept us for another hour more. But, the presence of a small number of Dutch and German cars gave us the feeling that the road to Croatia had to be better. Therefore, we decided to give it a try and drive further to the south. We choose the direction of Mostar, for that road leads towards the Delta Naretva in Croatia, our next stop to do some serious birding. As we drove past Mostar, we now were really shocked by all the ruined buildings. Every house and flat showed at least a 100 bullet holes! That in contrast to Sarajevo, that clearly had been quickly rebuild, probably because it is the country's major city. Also, KFOR troupes from Germany and Canada drove around everywhere and lots of mines had to be in the fields next to the road, as was clear from the signs and the mine cleaning trucks driving by now and then.

Of course, our eyes were also still pointed on birds! The most interesting birds we saw along the road include the vacations first Alpine Swifts, Pallid Swifts and Crag Martins. Also, we saw Hooded Crow, Turtle Dove, Red-backed Shrike, Honey Buzzard, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail and Raven. Most of these observations are from Sarajevo southwards.

We drove towards Metkovic, the first village in Croatia behind the border. The borders formed no problem at all and the drive towards the Delta Naretva from the border took only about 20 minutes, for Croatia is very small here. Inside the Delta Naretva, we found a nice campsite called 'autocamp Rio'. One can find this campsite by driving along road 9 from Metkovic towards the sea. This road follows the river Naretva. As the river ends in the delta, the road splits into a direction north along the delta and one south along the delta. One should follow the southern direction, which can be done by following the direction of Dubrovnik along the road 8. After a few hundred metres from the split, a very small white sign on the right site of the road shows the way to Blace. Take this road, which leads into the delta, and drive the road for 6 or so kilometres. Now, follow the signs that show the way to the campsite.

Day 18: Tuesday, July the 15th, 2003: Delta Naretva

Birds at a glance: Western Rock Nuthatch, Golden Eagle, Spanish Sparrow, Sombre Tit - 220 kilometres of driving

Just before reaching the campsite from the main road, a juvenile Woodchat Shrike, some European Bee-eaters and a Common Quail were recorded. At least three individuals of the butterfly species Melitaea didyma were seen. Further along this road, towards the main road, two males Little Bittern and at least four Lesser Grey Shrikes were seen.

More to the west there is another slope, which we visited. This one can be reached by driving the main road along the northern side of the Naretva river, which runs along a railway. There is a very steep small road crossing the railway and then going up towards Istocna Pina. This road leads to a church, which is surrounded by a graveyard, and can be seen from far away. This point gives a nice panorama view on the Delta Naretva. More important, however, were the nice Western Rock Nuthatches on the steep rocks above the church, a new species for the four of us. At least three individuals were seen and clearly heard (already from the church, were the car was parked). We climbed to the foot of the rocks, but the terrain was quite rough. Some Sardinian Warblers and a Corn Bunting were noted there, as well as a male Balkan Green Lizard Lacerta trilineata. A large dragonfly flew over, probable a Lindenia tetraphylla, a dragonfly very high on the wish list. Kasper was the first to find one sitting on the road downhill from the church. Rob and Ben later twitched this individual. While searching for the Lindenia tetraphylla, two males Spanish Sparrow were found, as well as House and Tree Sparrow. A second calendar-year Golden Eagle made the list of eagles somewhat more complete. Sadly, the bird disappeared quickly behind the rocks. Other dragonflies there were Orthetrum brunneum, Aeshna isosceles (one individual hunting near the road), and a fresh unidentified female Coenagrion damselfly.

At the end of the afternoon, we visited Ploce and Gradac at the northeastern side of the delta. This produced almost nothing worth mentioning, except one Lindenia tetraphylla passing by in the town Ploce. Later on, we went to a small peninsula in the Bosnian part of the coast. This was extremely boring and produced no interesting birds at all. It was, however, very easy to pass the border. They didn't even look at the passports.

Day 19: Wednesday, July the 16th, 2003: Delta Naretva - Mljet island

Birds at a glance: European Scops Owl, Alpine Swift, Eastern Orphean Warbler - 164 kilometres of driving

We planned to stay at the campsite in Ropa (we paid 166 Kuna per night in total). While driving to Ropa, we saw three Alpine Swifts along the main road, as well as a Common Kestrel. At the campsite, 6 Pallid Swifts were seen. Sharp-snouted Rock Lizards Lacerta oxycephala were seen also there.

On the first evening on Mljet about four European Scops Owls were heard and two were seen very well in the surroundings of the campsite. One young bird could be observed for a long time in the light of the maclight. It was visited two times by an adult bird! Very cute were the Eastern Hedgehogs Erinaceus concolor which walked around there. Turkish Geckos Hemidactylus turcicus were found on the walls of the campsite buildings.

Birds at a glance: Eastern Orphean Warbler, Cirl Bunting -115 kilometres of driving

Another spot with some cultivated ground, along the circular road along Govedan, just after a turn, near the entrance of the National Park, was visited too. Black-headed Buntings were also absent here, but present were at least one male Eastern Orphean Warbler, more than ten Sardinian Warblers and three Cirl Buntings. Butterflies were represented by Limenitis reducta, Hipparchia statilinus, Iphiclides podalirius, a male and female Gonepteryx cleopatra and Carcharodus alceae. Two species of lizard were found here: Sharp-snouted Rock Lizard Lacerta oxycephala and Dalmatian Wall Lizard Podarcis melisellensis.

At the edge of the small harbour of Okukje we finally cooled down in the fresh water. During swimming we scored some Yellow-legged Gulls and the dragonfly Sympetrum fonscolombii.

That evening, we returned to the same road as yesterday, the road to Blato and Kozanica. Near the graveyard of Blato we noted the butterflies Lycaena phlaeas and Aricia agestis. At the fishponds of Kozanica, again one Hermann's Tortoise Testudo hermanni was seen. Other species seen here were a male Crocothemis erythraea (again), a male and female Cercion lindenii, Anax imperator and Ischnura elegans. A juvenile Yellow-legged Gull was walking with the goats.

Day 21: Friday, July the 18th, 2003: Mljet island - Adriatic Sea - Split - Vis island

Birds at a glance: Scopoli's Shearwater, Mediterranean Gull, European Scops Owl - 37 kilometres of driving

After some problems finding a place to spend the night, we ended up in Komiza. An old lady, Marija Ratkovic has some nice rooms for hire. Her house is situated close to the harbour. We paid her 100 Kuna per person per night. While searching for miss Ratkovic in the village Komiza, we encountered two Eastern Hedgehogs Erinaceus concolor and two calling European Scops Owls. Three Turkish Geckos Hemidactylus turcicus were seen on the wall across our rooms.

Birds at a glance: Eleonora's Falcon, Blue Rock Thrush, Eastern Black-eared Wheatear -125 kilometres of driving.

We had left the car that night at a parking place opposite of a "guarded" parking (guarded by some kind of idiot. Quite expensive, too), which was about a ten minutes walk from our rooms. At that parking place, we found the butterfly Hipparchia syriaca. Although it is, according to the butterfly guide we used, only possible to distinguish this species from Hipparchia fagi by the genitals of the males, we are confident about the identification (which is only based on morphology of the wings). We checked in total five individuals (three males and two females). The males were all very dark both above (only a dark grey band on the wing) and below and showed only one eyespot on the upperside (on the wingtip of the forewing) and two on the underside (one on the wingtip of the forewing and one on the hindwing). Females showed somewhat lighter bars on the upperside (than the males) with a greyish bar across the forewing and a more whitish (but not at all clean white) hindwing. On the latter was one tiny eyespot, on the forewing were two spots of which the one in cell 2 was small. Both sexes were identical to the plates in Lewington, R & Tolman, T (1997). Other butterflies at the parking were Limenitis reducta, Hipparchia statilinus and one Polygonia egea. A big moth rather similar to Catocala nupta was also seen there.

In the surroundings of the villages Podhumlje and Primulicevo we saw a female and two young Eastern Black-eared Wheatears, two more Eleonora's Falcons and some Sardinian Warblers. Butterflies noted there were about ten Iphiclides podalirius, Hipparchia statilinus, Limenitis reducta, Gonepteryx cleopatra and Brintesia circe.

Near the village of Plisco Polje, a female Cirl Bunting, some Sardinian Warblers and a family of Red-backed Shrikes were seen. At the east side of the main road from Rukavac to Zenka, close to the village of Zenka, a young Four-lined Snake Elaphe quatuorlineata of about 30 centimetres was discovered and consequently caught and photographed. On our way back to Komiza we saw a male Cirl Bunting by the hairpin bends just before reaching Komiza.

Birds at a glance: Scopoli's Shearwater, Rock Nuthatch, Red-rumped Swallow -81 kilometres of driving

We took the ferry from Vis to Split at 13:00. During the journey we saw one Scopoli's Shearwater. About halfway Wesley noted a huge pile of garbage floating along the ship, which turned out to be a dead sea turtle, most probable being a Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta.

We slept that night on a campsite in Starikastel, further north along the coast. We paid 160 Kuna for that night. In the evening, a walk along the beach produced a European Scops Owl and a Long-eared Owl.

Birds at a glance: Spanish Sparrow, Rock Partridge, Sombre Tit, Rock Nuthatch - 219 kilometres of driving.

At the main entrance of the Paklenica NP, we were told to go to a biologist at the NP information centre in Starigrad-Paklenica for details about birds, mammals, butterflies, amphibians and reptiles of the NP. He would be there till 15:00, so we were just in time to meet him. Without much trouble the info centre was found, as well as the biologist (sadly, we do not know his name). From him, we received info on good spots for Rock Partridge, Spanish Sparrow, Black-headed Bunting and snakes (12 species can be found in the NP!). About 80 species of butterfly are found in the NP. In spring, lots of Zerynthia polyxena can be found there, but we were to late to see any imago.

In the evening, we decided to try for Rock Partridge at the spot provided by the biologist at the info centre. This is a road west of (and outside!) the NP. To reach this road, drive through the village Starigrad-Paklenica on the main road to the west. Turn right about 700 metres after passing the NP info centre. This is a small inconspicuous road only marked by a sign with 'Veliko Runjo 10 km'. After three kilometres driving on this road uphill (and passing a lot of garbage), you will see a sign with 'Veliko Runjo 7 km' (what a surprise). From this point on, the road becomes inaccessible for normal cars and can only be used by four-wheel driven cars. There is a parking here with a telephone cell which makes a very soft Scops Owl call. We went into the mountains (Rock Nuthatch was one of the first birds we saw) and after a few hundred metres walking we arrived in a valley with a few ramshackle buildings and some old cultivated land. There is one obvious dead tree in the middle. Around this tree, at least three Sombre Tits were actively calling and showing themselves. A Lesser Whitethroat, 6 Red-backed Shrikes and Cirl Buntings could also be found there. Soon, Rob discovered a partridge walking the rocks further along the path. The bird disappeared very soon and could not be refound for a long time, till suddenly (we had been standing there for nearly half an hour) five Rock Partridges flew up and landed a bit further. One of them could be watched for about two minutes perched on a rock. Another was briefly seen a few minutes later. Wesley found a feather from the tail of a Rock Partridge. Further along the road, near a split, two Eastern Black-eared Wheatears were found, as well as some more Rock Nuthatches. As it rapidly became darker, we made our way back to the car. On our way, we found a Four-lined Snake Elaphe quatuorlineata. Ben tried to catch it but the snake turned out to be very aggressive. Its length was about one metre. Two butterflies were found during the walk, one was a Polyommatus coridon and the other one was a Arethusana arethusa.

Birds at a glance: Wryneck, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Orphean Warbler - 20 kilometres of driving.

From 6:30 Paklenica NP is opened. We arrived there - with some delay due to the Wrynecks - at 7:00 and spent there the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon. A ticket for one day costs 40 Kuna per person. We walked the main path to the 'Foresters House' which follows the brook. The brook, however, was largely dried out. From about the Foresters House uphill, water was still streaming. The first part of the path goes through a huge gorge, in which lots of Alpine Swifts (at least 50 birds) and Rock Nuthatches (about ten birds observed) can be found. About 6 Crag Martins were also present. In addition, a group of about 20 doves that closely resembled Rock Dove could be seen there, too. About half of the birds, however, were coloured much darker than a classic Rock Dove should be. Especially the breast and underside were dark grey and showed a deep purple shade. One bird even had large white patches on its body and primaries!! Further along the path, Grey Wagtail was found at some points. Halfway to the forester house, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen and a Eurasian Nuthatch was heard. A Polyommatus daphnis, a beautiful butterfly, was found in that area, too. Kasper had the luck to encounter a Alpine Chamois Rupicapra rupicapra, which was walking downhill to the path, but decided to turn around when it discovered the birder. Along the path, close to the place where a small stone building and its surroundings are used as a toilet by lots of people, two Balkan Green Lizards Lacerta trilineata (a female and a young male with a green head) were seen and photographed. Dalmatian Algyroides Algyroides nigropunctatus were found at several spots along the path. Further uphill, a Eastern Green Lizard Lacerta (viridis) viridis was seen and photographed. Downstream of the second bridge (when counted from the 'Foresters House') one individual of the dragonfly species Somatochlora meridionalis was seen. That spot was also good for butterflies, with Hesperia comma (3), Erynnis tages (1) and lots of drinking butterflies, like Polyommatus coridon, Neozphyrus quercus, Argynnis paphia, Iphiclides podalirius, Limenitis reducta and Arethusana arethusa (these species were very common everywhere along the whole path). From the Foresters House, Ben and Rob walked about a kilometre further uphill, as far as one spot where the brook runs through an open area and is not shaded for about 40 metres. On that stretch, three Gonepteryx rhamni (a butterfly), about 30 Calopteryx virgo (a dragonfly) and another very pretty male Eastern Green Lizard Lacerta (viridis) viridis were seen. Common Wall Lizards Podarcis muralis turned out to be very common here. At the open spot, one male Grey-headed Woodpecker was shortly observed. A Eurasian Nuthatch was also found here, but butterflies were best here. Lots of Polyommatus coridon came here to drink and between them, at least one male P dorylas was found. Another good discovery here was the male Chazara briseis. Not far from this spot, one Argynnis aglaja and one Nymphalis antiopa were seen. Other species of butterflies encountered along the whole stretch were Pararge aegeria (2), Polygonia egea (about ten individuals), Hipparchia fagi (about 30 individuals, but it is difficult to make a good estimate) and a few Hipparchia semele. Two nice moths worth mentioning were found: one similar to Catocala nupta (2) and the other probably was Euplagio quadripunctaria. About 15 Grass Snakes Natrix natrix were found and also some larvae of Fire Salamander Salamandra salamandra. The tadpoles found in the brook probably were Agile Frogs Rana dalmatina, but no mature individuals could be found in the surroundings. Also worth mentioning are the crayfish which could be found in the last pools of remaining water in the dried parts of the brook.

Day 26: Wednesday, July the 23rd, 2003: Selena -Grosgluckner - Kaprun

Birds at a glance: Snow Finch, Ring Ouzel - 693 kilometres of driving

In Austria, we decided to drive via Lienz to Kaprun. This road is largely a touristy turnpike road called Grosgluckner. Consequently, one has to bring loads of money to enter the road. The amount of € 26 for a car startled us at first, but later on we got used to the high Austrian prices (see below). It turned out that from 18:00 on, the prices are much lower. As we arrived at this point later than 18:00, we had to pay euro 13 - still quite an impressive amount of money for such a short distance. We didn't know, at that point, what the road would bring us. We drove uphill. When we arrived at a restaurant near the peak of the Edelweispitze, suddenly a male Snow Finch perched on the railing of the road!! The bird could be watched from a short distance for about half a minute. From the top of the mountain, some Alpine Marmots Marmota marmota were seen. Further downhill, Wesley and Kasper saw a female Ring Ouzel. A Common Cuckoo was also seen there. Everywhere Water Pipits were calling and some Black Redstarts were seen.

Day 27: Thursday, July the 24th, 2003: Kaprun - Kitzsteinhorn

Birds at a glance: Snow Finch, Alpine Accentor, Rock Thrush - 28 kilometres of driving

The Kitzsteinhorn was the next target. We bought a ticket for the cableway to the top of the mountain (euro 21 per person) and went uphill. At the first stop, we had to wait for about an hour because the second lift broke down. That wasn't a punishment at all, cause the surroundings turned out to be interesting. First, a Dipper was discovered. Later, a second bird was seen downhill. A famous and much wanted butterfly, the Parnassius appollo, was seen a few minutes later. This turned out to be the only individual seen here. Almost all other butterflies found there were Erebia species. The first one to be caught was identified as a Erebia ligea, the second as a E manto and the third as a E melampus!

After a while we went back to the Alpin Center and took the third and last elevator. At the top is a restaurant with delicious apfelstrudel and warm chocolate. The view is, of course, very nice, but no animals except Homo sapiens were seen there.

Birds at a glance: Citril Finch, Snow Finch - 219 kilometres of driving

The second spot was the parking lot of the cableway to the Kitzsteinhorn. We searched for Citril Finch in the forest at the back of the parking area. Only Wesley succeeded and saw three to four birds in the top of the spruces. We waited a long time for the birds to reappear, but it was futile. Other birds seen here were Wood Warbler, Bullfinch and European Goldfinch. At the parking, the butterfly Lasiommata maera was found. In the aforementioned forest, a small grassland can be found with a couple of cows. One Argynnis adippe was found there, as well as some Argynnis paphia. The dragonfly Aeshna grandis was hunting here.

After 18:00, we entered the turnpike road and drove uphill. We stopped several times to listen for birds and watch for butterflies. Just below the tree-line, a few butterflies were found: Boloria titania (1), Lycaena virgaureae (one male) and Erebia ligea. Above the tree line, lots of Water Pipits were seen. House Martins breed under a bridge. Alpine Marmot Marmota marmota were also seen on several spots. Near the restaurant on the top, the same as on day 26, Snow Finches were seen again. This time, a nest with young birds was found!

Birds at a glance: Black Kite- Stock Dove - 788 kilometres of driving

Day 30: Sunday, July the 27th, 2003: Bad Ems - home

Birds at a glance: Mistle Thrush - 492 kilometres of driving

end of report