Autumn in the Dinaric mountains

Mali Snežnik (left) & Veliki Snežnik (right)

Beech Fagus sylvatica turning into autumn colours

Volovja reber

Looking towards the Snežnik forests

Landscape shot of Volovja reber (click to enlarge)

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo vs Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus

Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus passing very low

Campanula cespitosa

Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus

Gentianella sp.

Jay Garrulus glandarius carrying an acorn

First day of autumn! Very pleasant weather today with sunny skies and a little breeze, with quite low temperatures for the season (quite cold in the uplands). Spent the morning staring at the blue skies at Volovja reber (Ilirska Bistrica) and the afternoon in the Snežnik's forests.
Birds of note included: Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes (3), Raven Corvus corax (+15), Buzzard Buteo buteo (2), Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus (1), Crested, Coal & Willow Tit (Lophophanes cristatus, Periparus ater, Poecile montanus), Hobby Falco subbuteo (1), Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus (2), Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis (1), Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe (1), Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus (2), Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula (2), Crossbill Loxia curvirostra (20), Goldcrest Regulus regulus, Eurasian Treecreeper Certhia familiaris.
Also a Red Deer Cervus elaphus (stag) rutting in the middle of the afternoon and Jays Garrulus glandarius carrying acorns a bit everywhere. Typical scenes of the early autumn.

Bear videos & update

Here and here I uploaded two videos of the Brown Bear from Sunday. I still think of it as one of the most exciting wildlife encounters in my life.

In the last week I just went for a stroll or two on the Karst and saw things like Goshawk Accipiter gentilis, Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius (including one today - seen from the car), migrant mix like Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, Whinchat Saxicola rubetra, Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis, Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava, Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata ect. Also one of the few (the last?) remaining juvenile Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio before departure.
Here are two typical autumn flowers from the Karst:

Calluna vulgaris with Mt. Nanos in the background

Colchicum autumnale

Quite cool to see was a Lesser Whitethtroat Sylvia curruca in the garden when I looked out from my window some days ago. Robins Erithacus rubecula are on the increase and there's a nice movement of Coal Tits Periparus ater and Jays Garrulus glandarius around my house. Also around the odd Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus and Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla. All in all good autumn mix.

Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus

On Wednesday the most interesting bird at Škocjanski zatok NR was a Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus (above), whereas a Peregrine Falco peregrinus was the highlight last week.
In these two weeks at the reserve also a passage of migrants like Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus, Garden Warbler Sylvia borin & Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca and the first Reed Buntings Emberiza schoeniclus of the autumn. Coots Fulica atra are having an incredible increase (683 counted on Wednesday) and there's a smaller increase in duck numbers too: Teal Anas crecca (100), Wigeon Anas penelope (3), Shoveler Anas clypeata (34) and a few Pochards Aythya ferina. Pygmy Cormorants Phalacrocorax pygmeus are down instead with just 2 birds remaining, after the very high numbers in summer. 7-8 Black-necked Grebes Podiceps nigricollis are still present in the lagoon, along with some Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus.
On Wednedays I also saw my last Swallows Hirundo rustica so far - hirundines in general becoming quite scarce now.

Last week I was also at Lisert where I had a Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, a Hobby Falco subbuteo, a Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca and a Peregrine Falco peregrinus. I also visited shortly the cliffs at Duino/Devin which produced a juvenile Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius, but most interesting where the plants - see below.

Smilax aspera fruits

Teucrium flavum

Galeopsis angustifolia

That's all for now. Stay tuned.

BROWN BEAR (Ursus arctos)

Adult Brown Bear Ursus arctos as seen through binoculars, down to 25 metres

Basically a huge peluche

Nice little claws

In its natural habitat

Last view...

...before saying farewell

Saw the above BROWN BEAR Ursus arctos yesterday in Slovenia's Dinaric forests. Watched it for 50 minutes. A wild animal. A lifer. The biggest European carnivore. Impressive. Amazing. Thrilling.
Also close to the bear a male Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius, Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes, upland forest bird mix and a Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos earlier in the morning. Evening rounded up with a rutting Red Deer Cervus elaphus.
Bear videos: here & here.

Volovja reber & Snežnik forests

Volovja reber

Yesterday I visited Volovja reber with a friend. This is an open hilly area with karstic grasslands near Ilirska Bistrica and is considered a hot-spot for raptors. During our short afternoon stay we saw two Griffon Vultures Gyps fulvus, +10 Buzzards Buteo buteo, 1 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus on migration, +5 Kestrels Falco tinnunculus, 2 Sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus. The area also holds a breeding pair of Golden and Short-toed Eagle and is a good spot for watching migrating raptors, with several rare species recorded (like Eleonora's Falcon, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Red Kite ect). Around in the open areas were also present several Whinchats Saxicola rubetra and Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe, a few Tree Pipits Anthus trivialis, a Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata, Woodlarks Lullula arborea and a Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius which we also saw in flight.

1st winter male Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Later in the evening we moved to the Snežnik forests for some owling and a random night visit. The forest was very quiet with just a single Ural Owl Strix uralensis heard calling. At this time of year there should be more activity. Probably not a very good year for owls as we didn't even hear a single Edible Dormouse (usually very common) - the owl's main source of food. The forest in the evening also produced a nice Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes showing well from the top of a spruce. Other birds were the common forest ones like Willow Poecile montanus, Crested Lophophanes cristatus & Coal Tits Periparus ater, Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula and so on.

Gentianella ciliata

Waiting for the darkness

The main vocal spectacle in the evening was provided by the rutting Red Deers Cervus elaphus, which were heard all over the forest. Out on the grasslands at the forest's edge also some additional 10 Red Deers (females) and a couple of Roe Deers Capreolus capreolus. Here we also found a showy Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus resting in the middle of the road. Most probably our last Goatsucker this year...

Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus by Igor Maiorano. First spotted on the road, it then flew off and landed on a rock - even better for photography.

Lesser Kestrel...dead

Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni. Note the white claws.

Yesterday I was birding with a friend near Divača, while we came across the above "Kestrel". A closer inspection revealed...white claws! It was a juvenile (prob male) Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni! I was also a bit surprised by the small size of the bird. We also checked the primaries (P10 being quite long) which also confirmed our ID.
Lesser Kestrel used to breed in Slovenia until the 90s, but is now extinct. It only occurs rarely on migration and is considered a vagrant, with something like 6th records in the last 20 or so years. Pity it was a dead bird, anyway it is a very interesting find.

Alive birds in the area included a few migrants in the form of +10 Whinchats Saxicola rubetra, +5 Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe, 4 Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio, 2 Common Whiethroats Sylvia communis, 1 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca, 3 Stonechats Saxicola torquatus. The most interesting was a juvenile Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris, which has probably fledged in the area.
Later in the afternoon we moved to the grassy slopes of mt. Vremščica (at around 800-900 m) to check for potential Dotterels. Here we only found a nice flock of +25 Linnets Carduelis cannabina drinking from a puddle and +20 Whinchats Saxicola rubetra.
We rounded up the day with a Hobby Falco subbuteo flying low above Bazovica (Trieste) in the evening.

On Friday I also had a quick "Dotterel checking session" on Vremščica (1026 m), which was fruitless. 
On Saturday I went for a stroll on Campo Carri (Italian Karst) which was full with Whinchats Saxicola rubetra and Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe. A male Goshawk Accipiter gentilis was also a nice addition to the evening walk. In the sky also 3 Common Swifts Apus apus heading south.

Local patch: birds of note in and around the garden in the last couple of days included Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus (1-2 still present), Coal Tit Periparus ater (2 the 1st of the season), Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla, Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita, first singing Robin Erithacus rubecula of the autumn season and mixed flocks of House Martins Delichon urbicum (+200), Swallows Hirundo rustica and a few Common Swifts Apus apus.

Savi's Warbler

Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides

Škocjanski zatok NR: today's morning at the reserve for the weekly monitoring was lightened up by the above SAVI'S WARBLER Locustella luscinioides. Quite showy bird, perched on a bush by the path and even allowing some quick phone-scoping documentation. This is the first Savi's I see properly outside my Hungary trip in 2011 and also my first in Škocjanski zatok. The timing of this observation coincides well with the migration of Locustellas - from the reserve I have two consecutive observations of Grasshopper Warbler at this time of year.
The weather today was excellent for migrants, but the situation was quieter than expected. Nevertheless some birds were more noteworthy than others: Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis (8 in the lagoon - record number?), Little Stint Calidris minuta (1), Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe (3), Whinchat Saxicola rubetra (5) and Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis (29). Very few waders around (due to high water levels), but 6 Curlews Numenius arquata and 3 Snipes Gallinago gallinago were nice to see on the grass in the freshwater marsh ("winter mode").

Local patch: today the skies were literally full of House Martins Delichon urbicum (+500) with a couple of Swallows Hirundo rustica mixed among them. Also a few Common Swifts Apus apus and at least 20 Alpine Swifts Apus melba. Something like 1000 birds or more in the sky. The strong overcast conditions and a bit of fog kept the birds around for most of the day.
Ooh, the wonders of migration!

Cerkniško jezero & Planinsko polje

Today, back from business work in Ljubljana I stopped at Cerkniško jezero. Full of water and lots of birds, although nothing really rare. Especially lots of migrants: House Martin Delichon urbicum & Swallow Hirundo rustica (+1000 in mixed flocks), Sand Martin Riparia riparia (1), Hobby Falco subbuteo (11), Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus (5), Black Tern Chlidonias niger (3 juvs), Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe (17), Whinchat Saxicola rubetra (+15), Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio (7), Bee-eater Merops apiaster (5 heaing SE; 1st time I see them here), Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis, Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava, Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata (1), Garganey Anas querquedula (3), Pochard Aythya ferina (7). Also a small mixed flock of 4 Snipes Gallinago gallinago and 1 Dunlin Calidris alpina (flying NW). Of the residents: Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius, Goshawk Accipiter gentilis (1), Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella (1), Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus (1), Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus (2), Kingfisher Alcedo atthis (2).

Gentiana pneumonanthe

Mentha aquatica

Succisa pratensis

Colchicum autumnale

Also obligatory stop at Planinsko polje for the Dipper Cinclus cinclus and Crag Martins Ptyonoprogne rupestris (3) nearby.

Dipper Cinclus cinclus