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Northwest Slovenia 23rd-30th August 2014,

A week long family package holiday based in the beautiful ski resort of Kranjska Gora set at 810m within the stunning Julian Alps. Flew into Ljubljana airport which is a one hour drive from our hotel. We didn’t hire a car but used the very reasonable local buses a few times (including to Lake Bled on the 29th August) and also had an organised coach trip to the famous Postojna caves on the 28th. The 1:30,000 tourist (walking) map of the Kranjska Gora area was particularly useful (bought in hotel for 6 euros). Previous trip reports by John Cantelo (1998), Bob Swann (2003) and Ben Miller (2008) were used for reference although we didn’t use any of the ski-lifts as recommended in the reports.

A total of 70 bird species were noted during the week including three new to me. Very nice to see black redstarts so abundant with a few in song during the visit. A few notes on particular sites and birds follow:

Ratece area. Reached by bus west from Kranjska Gora. Followed partly steep footpath north to the joint Slovenia/Austria/Italy border. Four honey-buzzards were noted within a kettle of at least 50 common buzzards over the ridge here. Along a cycle route back down through the forest a three-toed woodpecker responded almost immediately to a taped calls but didn’t show itself unfortunately. Nutcracker was also noted in this area. A ‘green-coloured’ woodpecker was also seen here by my wife.

Lake Jasna area. About a 15min walk south alongside road (or river if path open) south from Kranjska Gora. This turned out to be regular pre-breakfast walking area and proved to be fairly good for migrants.  A resident flock of mallards (and a wood duck) were occasionally joined by teal. Three wader species were noted: singles of common snipe and little stint plus up to 5 common sandpipers. Other species here were up to 5 alpine swifts, regular dipper, pied flycatcher, crested tit, peregrine, raven and common crossbill.

Virsic Pass (1600m). Reached by bus south from Kranjska Gora and involving 25 hairpin bends! Unfortunately it was very misty for most of the time at this height which limited birding but an alpine accentor was close to the roadside car park. Alpine marmots are also known to be present here. A flock of over 50 common crossbills were also noted here plus the only dunnock and wren of the trip.

Lake Bled. A day-long visit using bus. Only a few waterbirds were noted (mallard, coot, great crested grebe, goosander and mute swan) and also the only gull of the trip (a single black-headed). Other birds noted whilst walking circuit of lake included peregrine, pied flycatcher, spotted flycatcher and nuthatch.

Zelenci Nature Reserve. A 40 minute walk west from Kranjska Gora along cycleway (old railway). The route to this reserve was better for birds than the reserve itself which was very quiet apart from several hundred feeding swallows and house martins. Red-backed shrike, pied flycatcher, lesser whitethroat and olivaceous warbler were noted alongside the cycleway.

East of Kranjska Gora. Walks alongside the river and on a cycleway produced nutcracker, red-backed shrike, dipper, whinchat, yellowhammer, water pipit and also a golden eagle (over the ridge to the north).

SPECIES LIST

H = Heard only

Additional wildlife seen included fire salamander (in forest north of Ratece), sand lizard, wall lizard, red squirrel, fat dormouse and hedgehog. At least 30 species of butterflies were noted including Camberwell beauty, silver-spotted skipper (frequent), dryad, purple emperor, chestnut heath, arran brown and large wall brown.  Moths included Jersey tiger, four-spotted footman and hummingbird hawk-moth. Dragonflies included the near-endemic Balkan Goldenring. Other invertebrates included red-winged grasshopper, blue-winged grasshopper, fire bug and the huge alpine longhorn beetle Rosalia longicorn.  Many flowers were still in bloom with crocus, cyclamen and various gentians being particularly showy.

Unfortunately, ash-dieback would seem to be in full swing in this area of Slovenia.

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