First Goatsuckers

Nightjar (Goatsucker) Caprimulgus europaeus - taken on the Karst in 2012

Goatsuckers have returned on the Karst. Yesterday night I went owling and heard at least 4 singing Nightjars, one of which also showed briefly in flight. Owling was productive with 1 Tawny Owl seen (female) and no less than 7 Scops Owls heard singing in the course of the evening. Interesting was the night migration of Med Gulls which were heard calling overhead several times.
On Wednesday I also had my first Honey Buzzard of the year - spotted from home as it was migrating over the sea.
Škocjanski zatok NR is now getting quieter. Great Reed and Reed Warblers are a common sight (singing everywhere over the freshwater marsh). Yesterday during a short walk I also heard a Sedge and a Marsh Warbler. Common Terns are nesting in the lagoon, together with Black-winged Stilts, Common Redshanks and Little Ringed Plovers. Also saw a cinereocapilla Yellow Wagtail and a few Wood Sandpipers, but nothing much.

Rock Thrush on Nanos

Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis

Arabis scopoliana

Daphne alpina

Daphne alpina & Iris illyrica

Pleasant walk on the mt. Nanos today; this time a hike from Razdrto to the very top of the mount (Pleša, 1262 m), through the most rocky and grassy area. Luck struck almost immediately with a gorgeous male ROCK THRUSH sitting on the most exposed rocks. Alongside it was also a female and on closer approach up the path, we managed to see both birds quite well. The above photos are as usual a rather terrible documentative capture (digi-binning).
Other highlights on Nanos included and adult Golden Eagle being mobbed by a Raven, a passage of 6 Griffon Vultures, 1 White Stork soaring high above the Vipava valley, 1 Black Woodpecker and several Rock Buntings and Tree Pipits. At least two Cuckoos were singing, one of which was see perched on the top of a silver fir. On the mammal front 8 Alpine Chamoises were of note. The botany highlight was Arabis scopoliana, an endemic species of the Dinaric Alps, with mount Nanos being its stronghold in Slovenia.

New for the patch: Black Tern and Little Gull

Black Tern Chlidonias niger - an old pic from 2008

Local patch: it was a good couple of days along the coast as I added two new species for my patch list. Yesterday in the afternoon I had a look at the sea from my window and saw a flock of BLACK TERNS. They were flying around and hunting under the rain and some were perched on floating rubbish. I counted at least 46 individuals. This is a regular and fairly common species in wetland habitats, but I never had the chance to see it on migration over the sea.
Today I checked the sea again in the hope of finding a Yelkouan Shearwater, skua or Gannet (all reported these days in other coastal locations), but found instead a flock of about 10 LITTLE GULLS on the sea in front of Miramare. One was clearly an immature (black "W" on back and upperwings), the others were mostly adults with black hoods and dark underwing.
Supporting cast included and unexpected female Red-breasted Merganser, 5 Common Terns and 1 Great Crested Grebe. A few days ago I also had a flock of 26 Med Gulls and 12 Black-necked Grebes.
This morning the first Golden Oriole in the patch was singing again and both Willow and Wood Warbler were heard a few days ago in the nearby gardens.

Local patch list now at 162 species.

Sunny morning in the uplands

Singing Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

First Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca of the year

Amelanchier ovalis

Orchis purpurea

Dactylorhiza sambucina

View over the grassy plateau and Nanos' edge

Beech woodland in spring

Yesterday morning was finally completely sunny (after several days of rain) so I decided to visit the grassy plateau of mt. Nanos. The weather was perfect for being there (at least until midday, when a rain storm came down) and although I didn't find my target bird, Rock Thrush, I saw a couple of interesting species, but especially plants. It was good to walk in the chorus of upland grassland birds like Tree Pipit and Skylark. Up to 6 Rock Buntings were also singing at the mountain's rocky edge. The area also held a singing Lesser Whitethroat (year's first), 3 Common Whitethroats, 1 Wryneck, 1 Northern Wheatear, 5 Cuckoos, 2 Stonechats, 2 Yellowhammers, 1 Wood Warbler. Also saw an Alpine Chamois basking on the rocky screes.
Up to 6 Crag Martins were also seen around their probable breeding sites under the motorway bridges. A Dipper near Ajdovščina in the afternoon was also a highlight, along with a Peregrine, 2 Montagu's Harriers and 2 singing Hoopoes.

Spring migrants on the Karst

Hoopoe Upupa epops from the car

Female Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio

Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris

Ringtail Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus

Iris illyrica

Onosma javorkae

Trifolium rubens

Stipa eriocaulis (grass)

Spent the past two days strolling around on the Karst in search of migrants. The weather has been quite variable, with regular rain showers as well as sprouts of sun. Yesterday was "harrier day" at the airfield of Divača and nearby areas. At least 5 ringtails were around. I could only identify 3 MONTAGU'S HARRIER (including a transitional male) and a Hen Harrier for sure. Two female Marsh Harriers were also on passage. Other highlights yesterday included a showy Hoopoe, Wheatear (3), Stonechat (2), Whinchat (4), Cuckoo (2), Common Whitethroat (4), Tawny Pipit (3) and Corn Bunting. 
Today I checked Campo Carri in the hope of finding a Woodchat Shrike (it's the perfect date), but the situation was not very lively with migrants. And the weather was quite unstable with rain showers coming and going. However I heard my first Golden Oriole of the year, saw the first Red-backed Shrike (female), a few Wheatears, 1 Whinchat, 3 Tawny Pipits and 1 Wood Warbler. Raptors included a distant male Goshawk and a nice SHORT-TOED EAGLE watched hovering over the hilly karstic countryside for most of my stay.
A final stop at the cliffs of Mt.Grisa produced a singing male SUBALPINE WARBLER in the bushes by the road. Another nice year's first to round up the day.

Red-footed Falcons & orchids

Male Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus

Yesterday in the afternoon I made a short visit to the open areas around the airfield of Divača. The grasslands were carpeted with orchids, mostly Orchis morio which here is very abundant. Also lots of Daffodils Narcissus poeticus and many others. On the bird front I was very glad to see two RED-FOOTED FALCONS (a male and a female) hunting above the meadows in the company of several Kestrels. A SHORT-TOED EAGLE gliding low above the airfield was also nice to see and there was also a ringtail harrier which unfortunately will remaind unidentified (doubt between Hen and Pallid). In the hedges my first Common Whitethroats of the season were singing and several Corn Buntings, Skylarks and 3 Stonechats were on territories. Also 2 Cuckoos singing and in the air a good passage of Swallows, House Martins and some Common Swifts.
Both yesterday and today I had a Wood Warbler singing in one of the gardens around my home.

Fritillaria orientalis (tenella). Not an orchid, but a rare plant in Slovenia, confined to the Karst's dry meadows.

Neotinea tridentata

Apparently a hybrid between Orchis simia and Orchis militaris

Scope view over the meadows - the patches of purple are made up of Orchis morio. Literally tons of them!

Narcissus poeticus and Orchis morio

Part of the meadows as seen through the scope. The white spots are Daffodils Narcissus poeticus. A real abundance of wildflowers.

Picoides tridactylus again

Female Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus drumming

Not much birding in the last week, except for a second THREE-TOED WOODPECKER mission. Also this time with no less than 4 birds heard drumming and two of them (females) seen very well in a sort of a territorial fight. Still preferring the broken spruces to the rotten ones for drumming. Most of the birds in the forest were mainly those seen last week, except for a singing URAL OWL in complete daylight (added to the chorus of 2 drumming Three-toeds!).
A quick routine visit of the Cerknica lake produced once again several good birds in the form of: 1 ad WHITE-TAILED EAGLE, 1 juv Montagu's Harrier, 3 Red-footed Falcons (year's first), 2 Hobby (also year's first), 1 Red-necked Grebe, 3 Sedge Warblers on territories, 2 breeding Fieldfares, 2 pairs of White Storks (on nests), Wryneck, Black Woodpecker, Yellow Wagtail, 3 Marsh Harriers, 1 Cuckoo, 1 Whinchat and mixed duck species (incl. Garganey).