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| Ural Owl Strix uralensis, Trnovski gozd, 30th October 2016 (by Sara Cernich). |
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| South-western slopes of the Snežnik plateau, 1st November 2016. |
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| Beech Fagus sylvatica in its autumn coat, Snežnik, 1st November 2016. |
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| Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus (female), Snežnik, 1st November 2016. |
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| Amanita muscaria, Snežnik, 1st November 2016. |
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| Fungi sp., Snežnik, 1st November 2016. |
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| Usnea sp. ("beard lichens"), Snežnik, 1st November 2016. |
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| Beech Fagus sylvatica, Trnovski gozd, 30th October 2016 |
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| Ural Owl Strix uralensis, Trnovski gozd, 30th October 2016. |
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| Lobaria pulmonaria (a rare lichen), Trnovski gozd, 30th October 2016. |
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| Artomyces sp., Snežnik, 1st November 2016. |
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| Ural Owl Strix uralensis, Trnovski gozd, 30th October 2016. |
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| Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus, Trnovski gozd, 30th October 2016. |
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| Guepinia rufa, Trnovski gozd, 30th October 2016. |
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| Mt Snežnik from Divača, 31st October 2016. |
In the last couple of days I visited the Dinaric forests of Snežnik and Trnovski gozd with a group of friends. Both days were sunny and crystal clear so the autumn colours in the forest were fully enjoyed. In the Trnovo forest (Trnovski gozd) we observed 4 different Ural Owls Strix uralensis (mostly by day), whereas on Snežnik we saw 3. One of the owls on Snežnik was a melanistic individual (dark morph), which I've never seen before. Unfortunately the encounter was quite brief, so we couldn't take any pics (here & here two shots by Lucio Tolar taken in Slovenian forests). Melanistic Ural Owls are regularly observed in Slovenia although they are much rarer than the normal pale form. Some populations in central and southern Slovenia host a greater percentage of such individuals. Dark birds also regularly breed with pale form birds and produce offsprings that are intermediate in colour.
A singing Pygmy Owl Glaucidium passerinum was heard in the late afternoon in the Snežnik forest, while earlier in the day we also enjoyed a female Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus. Black Dryocopus martius & Grey-headed Woodpeckers Picus canus were also seen, along with a female Goshawk Accipiter gentilis and other forest birds typical for this season and location.
Bramblings Fringilla montifringilla were frequently seen among numerous flocks of Chaffinches F. coelebs, feeding on the fallen beech mast, which is very abundant this year.
Finally, on Snežnik we also heard a flock of Cranes Grus grus migrating over the forest in the evening.
