KARSTIC FANTASTIC - spring 2026

In recent years, early summer has become the time for our "review of the season"—in fact, one of the few blogs we manage to put together amid busy work and family life. This time, the geographic area we cover is even more restricted than usual: the Karst/Kras, which is, quite naturally, the place where we live and spend most of our time. However, this blog also includes some other "karst" that is not part of the Classical Karst (the region in southwestern Slovenia). For example, we ventured into the karst of the Dinaric Plateau (mostly the Notranjska region), as well as small parts of Istria and the Brkini Hills—all neighbouring areas that also feature characteristic karst elements. Year after year, we are amazed that this little corner of Slovenia is so rich in habitats and biodiversity that we hardly need to travel far from home to experience wild nature. Moreover, our research focus (within DOPPS – BirdLife Slovenia) over the past three years has been the Short-toed Eagle (more on that in one of our upcoming blogs). As in 2025, we therefore spent a considerable amount of time this year monitoring breeding pairs and searching for new nesting sites, mostly in the Karst and the surrounding regions.

For a similar blog, see last year's review of the spring season.

International Waterbird Census (IWC) on the river Reka near Škocjanske jame, January.

Dipper Cinclus cinclus on the river Reka during IWC.

Goosander Mergus merganser has recently become a regular sight on the river Reka and most probably a newly established breeder too.  

The season's first Snowdrops Galanthus nivalis are usually seen on sandy soil along rivers.

Birding the Karst edge in late January for a very special guest...

Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer, Karst edge. A first for Slovenia that I found in December 2025. Present at the site at least until early February 2026. Most probably later no one went to check!

Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer, Karst edge, January 2026.

Wintering habitat of Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer in Slovenia - often seen sharing the cliff with Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria & Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris.

Scanning the Karst's limestone cliffs in late February for another speciality...

Spot the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo!

Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria at Škocjanske jame in February. A regular winter guest on the limestone cliffs of the collapse dolinas.

Pair of Crossbills Loxia curvirostra - a scarce and localised breeding bird in the Karst's extensive Black Pine Pinus nigra plantations.

Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella is also a rather localised breeder in the Karst. 

Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes medius observed feeding on ivy berries in late winter.

Hepatica nobilis - one of the main representatives of the early spring forest flora in the Karst.

Dog's-tooth Violet Erythronium dens-canis, March. A few places in the Karst are covered with them, otherwise this is a rather scarce species.

Dog's-tooth Violet Erythronium dens-canis - white variant.

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos (with Buzzard Buteo buteo in lower pic) seen repeatedly over the easternmost part of the Karst in March. Perhaps the bird from the nearby Nanos plateau.

White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos ssp. lilfordi on the Javorniki mountains during a playback census in March (four birds detected, which isn't bad for that particular transect).

White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos ssp. lilfordi - territorial drumming.

Christmas Rose Helleborus niger, Javorniki, March.

Spring Snowflake Leucojum vernum, Javorniki, March.

Ramsons Allium ursinum with Hacquetia epipactis, Javorniki, March.

Canyon of the river Reka near its "entrance" to Škocjanske jame (Škocjan caves), March.

Bear's-ear Primula auricula in bloom on the limestone cliffs of Reka's canyon, March.

Raven Corvus corax, adult & nest with chicks at Škocjanske jame in March.

Cornelian Cherry Cornus mas, Škocjanske jame, March.

Hacquetia epipactis, Karst near Divača, March.

Red Squirrel Sciurus vulgaris (dark morph), Karst, March.

Typical view of a Green Woodpecker Picus viridis, Karst, March.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dryobates minor excavating a nest-hole, Karst, March.

Mountain Pasqueflower Pulsatilla montana, Karst near Divača, March.

Woodlark Lullula arborea with food for the chicks, already in late March.

Wild wild Karst - view over the Raša valley with mt. Nanos in tha background, late March.

Maples Acer spp. are the first to put out their leaves in early spring; Raša valley, March.

Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus, Karst, April.

The first Short-toed Eagles Circaetus gallicus are back to the Karst in late March.

Short-toed Eagle simultaneous (group) census in early April. The aim was to find some territorial activity in the NW part of the Karst. We were very lucky with actually finding a nest (nest-building observed).

Sheep grazing on a karstic pasture in early April.

Spot the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo - part 2. The female is incubating on a small cliff ledge, early April.

Vrhe plateau on the Karst's easternmost edge in early April.

Two Wrynecks Jynx torquilla in a little village in Istria, early April.

Early Purple Orchid Orchis mascula, Istria, April.

Poet's Narcissus Narcissus poeticus subsp. radiiflorus putting on show in mid April on karstic hay meadows.

Dotterel Charadrius morinellus stopping during spring migration for a few days on a karstic pasture near Divača in mid April. Thanks to Kajetan Kravos for the excellent find!

Karstic pasture with mount Nanos in mid April - still mostly green-less!

Coal Tit Periparus ater collecting fur from a forest road in the Javorniki mountains in Apri.

Three-toed Woodpeckers Picoides tridactylus (male in the bottom pic) found during a playback census in the Javorniki mountains in late April. Only small numbers of this specialised woodpecker remain in the Javorniki.

Three-toed Woodpecker's habitat on Javorniki mountains in April.

White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos ssp. lilfordi - a "bycatch" during the Three-toed Woodpecker's census in the Javorniki mts. As it often happens, White-backs like to respond to Three-toed's playback. They often inhabit the same forest stand and readily exploit dead conifers too.

Forest stand with plenty of dead conifers, where the White-backed Woodpecker was seen feeding.

Omphalodes verna is one of the most typical species on the forest floor in the Dinaric mountains.

Scopolia carniolica - perhaps one of the most charismatic Slovenian flowers of all. A nice stand was growing in a small dolina at the foothills of the Javorniki mountains, not far from lake Cerknica.

When doing field work in the Dinaric forests, you're never far away from a Brown Bear Ursus arctos... and sometimes you even see it! This young bear crossed a forest road in the Javorniki mountains in April.

Limestone formations in the Karst near Sežana, April.

Habitat of Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes medius in the Karst near Divača in April.

Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes medius nesting in a large oak snag (complete with bracket fungus) in the Karst near Divača. Always happy to find breeding evidence of this specialised woodpecker in the Karst.

Green Longhorn Adela reaumurella (moth) swarms in large numbers all over the Karst's oak forests in late April.

Small Emperor/Ligurian Emperor Saturnia pavonia/pavoniella, Cerkniško jezero, May.

Pink Butterfly Orchid Anacamptis papilionacea, a rare and very localised species in Slovenia that I found at a new site near Črni Kal in May. A Mediterranean species that is barely present in Slovenia, with most localities in Istria.

Hoopoe Upupa epops, Karst edge, May.

Season's first Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus in the Karst near Divača in early May.

Eagle Owl Bubo bubo - female guarding a large chick (just visible behind the female) at the nest showed above in May.

Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus, a passage migrant through Slovenia, in the Karst near Divača in May.

Pic-nic on a meadow near Divača with two Short-toed Eagles Circaetus gallicus interacting just above our heads. It is common to see two or more eagles together in visual and vocal dispute over a shared hunting ground.

Cuckoos Cuculus canorus are everywhere in spring... but seeing one is always tricky!

Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos, Karst, May.

A pair of Short-toed Larks Calandrella brachydactyla I found on a dry pasture at the Karst edge in May. A very rare breeding bird in Slovenia, these two individuals could have also been migrants.

Dry limestone grassland on the Karst edge with a limestone scree and flowering Smoke Bush Cotinus coggygria.

Etruscan Honeysuckle Lonicera etrusca, Karst edge, May.

A very rare example of wet forest with Narrow-leaved Ash Fraxinus angustifolia and Downy Oak Quercus pubescens on the Karst edge near Kastelec.

Lax-flowered Orchid Anacamptis laxiflora, Kastelec, May.

"Green Frog" Pelophylax sp., Karst edge, May.

Italian Crested Newt Triturus carnifex (female above, male below) Karst, May.

Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris, Karst, May.

Dry grasslands on mount Vremščica in late May.

Mount Vremščica is a favoured hunting ground for Short-toed Eagles Circaetus gallicus of several different territories from the neighbouring areas.

Grass-leaved Iris Iris graminea in flower between May and June in a variety of "grassy" habitats, is (in my opinion) the most attractive iris in the Karst.

Green Woodpecker Picus viridis by its nesting-hole in a large beech Fagus sylvatica, Karst, May.

The Risnik collapse dolina (the remains of an ancient cave without ceiling) on Divača's doorstep. A natural jewel full of botanical surprises...

A few Carniolan Lilies Lilium carniolicum still linger in the rocky habitat around the dolina - one of the few places we know, where the species grows at a "lowland" location (not on a mountain). Here they bloom at the end of May, a few weeks earlier than on nearby mountains, where they are still abundant (Vremščica, Nanos, Slavnik...).

Adriatic Lizard Orchid Himantoglossum adriaticum in the Karst near Divača, late May. This Mediterranean species seems to have spread a bit everywhere in the Karst (and western Slovenia in general) in the last 10 years or so.  

Dittany Dictamnus albus, a characteristic plant of overgrowing karstic meadows in late spring.

Dorcadium arenarium, a rare Cerambycid of dry grassland habitats, found at Škocjanske jame in late May.

On the botton of the Velika dolina (collapse dolina with the highest limestone wall in Slovenia) at Škocjanske jame (Škocjan caves), where the river Reka disappears underground. Admiring nesting Alpine Swifts Tachymarptis melba and Crag Martins Ptyonoprogne rupestris.

Inside the impressive and world-known Škocjanske jame (Škocjan caves) near Divača.

Dry limestone grasslands above the Karst edge in early June. Prime habitat for a variety of endangered grassland birds and Slovenia's richest grassland habitat.

Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus, Karst edge, June.

Donkeys on pasture, Karst edge, June.

Smoke Bush Cotinus coggygria in flower all over the dry grasslands in early June.

Spot the alien...

Northern Bobwhite Colinus virginianus has (sadly) become quite widespread in the Karst due to illegal releases. More often heard than seen, this photo documents my first visual encounter with this North American species that does well not only on the ground, but also in low trees.

Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes (adult with fledged juvenile), Karst edge, June.

Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra, Karst edge, June.

Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus, Karst edge, June.

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, Karst edge, June.

An unfortuanate Large Chequered Skipper Heteropterus morpheus that has fallen prey to a crab spider, Karst edge, June.

Scops Owl Otus scops in the Karst near Sežana, during the species' census in June. A widespread species in the Karst villages and surrounding countryside.

Upland dry grasslands on the slopes of the Snežnik plateau in early June.

Volovja reber plateau above Ilirska Bistrica - a complex of dry grasslands, rocky slopes and forest with an immense natural value.

Whinchat Saxicola rubetra on Volovja reber in early June - an increasingly rare breeder in Slovenia.

Kojnik's Iris Iris sibirica subsp. erirrhiza on Volovja reber in early June.

Bladder Gentian Gentiana utriculosa, Volovja reber, June.

Clouded Apollo Parnassius mnemosyne on Anthyllis montana subsp. jacquinii, Volovja reber, June.

A view from Velika Milanja (Volovja reber) towards mount Snežnik.

"Beech Longhorn Beetle" Morimus funereus in its dark (almost entirely black) form, Volovja reber, June.

Mount Vremščica from Volovja reber in early June.

Nettle-tree Butterfly Libythea celtis, Volovja reber, June.

Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis (Cerambycidae), Volovja reber, June.

Lady's-slipper Orchids Cypripedium calceolus at the only know site for this species on the Snežnik plateau (and this part of Slovenia) in June.

Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina, Karst near Divača, June.

Mountain meadows on the Nanos plateau with Filipendula vulgaris in the foreground, June.

Centaurea triumfettii, mount Nanos, June.

Illyrian Gladiolus Gladiolus illyricus, mount Nanos, June.

Carniolan Lily Lilium carniolicum, mount Nanos, June.

Orange Lily Lilium bulbiferum, mount Nanos, June.

Twin-spot Fritillary Brenthis hecate, mount Nanos, June.

Raptor watching on the Nanos' plateau - Golden Eagle, Griffon Vulture, Short-toed Eagle, Honey Buzzard & Hobby all seen from here.

Our local Black Stork Ciconia nigra (from the only known nest in the Primorska region) has raised four chicks this year.

Bee-eater Merops apiaster at a new breeding site I discovered by chance in the Brkini hills in June. Two pairs were breeding in a landslide that formed below a gravel road close to a village. Sadly the breeding site was destroyed (the road was repared) before conservation measures could be put in place.

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, Brkini, June.

Podgorski kras - another fine example of extensive dry grasslands with high biodiversity levels.

A dry stone wall at Podgorski kras where I almost trod on a Nose-horned Viper Vipera ammodytes in an attempt to monitor a local pair of Short-toed Eagles.

Limestone rocks and screes are a typical feature of the Karst and an ideal habitat for reptiles.

Dalmatian Wall Lizards Podarcis melisellensis are locally abundant in these grasslands.

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus with prey - a snake in the beak being delivered to the chick in the nest. This is the most wanted sighting during long hours and days of monitoring potential breeding pairs. The above individual belongs to a pair we didn't know of and revealed us a new possible breeding site (follow the bird with a snake = find the nest).

Seeking relief from the June heat wave in one of the streams in the Brkini hills: 23° C in shade, compared to the 35° C elsewhere in the Karst!

Goat's Beard Aruncus dioicus - the larval feeding plant of the Hungarian Glider Neptis rivularis which we saw several times this year (but didn't manage to photograph) along one of the streams in the Brkini hills.

Yellow Foxglove Digitalis grandiflora, Brkini hills, June.

Heart-leaved Oxeye Telekia speciosa, Brkini hills, June.

Procerus (Carabus) gigas, the largest European ground beetle, Brkini hills, June.

Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii, Snežnik plateau, June.

Scat of Wolf Canis lupus on a forest road on the Snežnik plateau, June.

Footprint of Brown Bear Ursus arctos by a puddle on the Snežnik plateau, June.

Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja, Snežnik plateau, June.

Arran Brown Erebia ligea, Snežnik plateau, June.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne, Snežnik plateau, June.

Orange Lily Lilium bulbiferum, Snežnik plateau, June.

Great Yellow Gentian Gentiana lutea, mount Vremščica, June.

Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus, mount Vremščica, June.

Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, Karst, June.

Can anyone beat five Barred Warblers Sylvia nisoria in one photo?? The Pivka valley is a national (perhaps even international) hotspot for this species. In the photo a fledged family in late June.

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, mount Vremščica, June.

Yellow-bellied Toad Bombina variegata, Brkini hills, June.

Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus "harassing" local children at a playground. Out on the wings in late June and early July evenings all over the Karst. 

Fortunately in the Karst caves are never far away. Here we were enjoying the pleasant 8° C of the small but beautiful Divaška jama (Divača cave) during the June heat wave.