Page 18 - Out Birding Autumn 2024

Slovenia 1st to 7th May 2024
Eleven GBC members convened at an outdoor café at Brnik Airport outside Ljubljana for a week’s birding with our tour company, FotoNatur. For one person, it was her first ever GBC event (Ita) and for Paul and Josh, from the Natural History Museum (NHM) it was only their second event. We were met in two vehicles by the outstand- ing and eagle-eyed team of Jure Novak and his partner Nastja Skrabl. As we drove to our first des􏰀na􏰀on, they got us off to a cracking start, with female Montagu’s Harri- er and White Storks seen from the road in cul􏰀vated farmland. Our first big spot was a majes􏰀c Golden Eagle quartering the mountainside, and an evening ramble across the meadows behind our comfortable Kobarid hotel produced Red-backed Shrikes, a Hawfinch and nes􏰀ng Grey Herons.
We awoke to the sound of so􏰁 spring rain, the previous evening’s Cuckoo s􏰀ll calling. We drove up the Soca valley, into Italy, marvelling at the ethereal milky blue of the majes􏰀c Soca River, ascribed by NHM Paul to the brilliant white Triassic marble bed- rock. En-route we stopped to study a roadside group of migra􏰀ng Whinchats with Linnets and Wheatears, spo􏰂ed by Jure.
We reached the Alpine pastures of Jof di Montasio, and despite the pouring moun- tain rain we saw a wondrous panoply of fauna and flora. A sca􏰂ered herd of Long- horned Ibex on the higher slopes delighted us, and although it was early for Alpine plants, the plucky li􏰂le crocus were coming into bloom, and we noted the chunky rose􏰂es of the giant yellow gen􏰀an studding the pasture. Groups of flighty Water Pipits in their pink breeding plumage entertained us and Yorkshire Paul soon found a Ring Ouzel, spor􏰀ng his brilliant white breastplate and yellow bill.
Following more torren􏰀al rain, we prudently retreated to Kobarid for lunch then enjoyed a short ramble up to the moving war memorial above the town. Our gentle walk yielded Spo􏰂ed and Collared Flycatchers, Serins and two species of redstarts. Jure then took us to a tradi􏰀onal wooden suspension bridge across a raging torrent, to find the Dippers that were nes􏰀ng in the waterworn limestone river gorge.
A wonderful, inspiring day was topped off with a sumptuous repast, with local baked river trout as its crème de la crème, accompanied by excellent Slovenian white wines.
Nick
Next was a travel day as we le􏰁 misty Kobarid behind and headed through heavily forested hills towards Divaca, a large village near the Italian border. We followed the course down the River Soca, a beau􏰀ful jade green ribbon winding through a wide valley down to the wine producing region around Nova Gorica.
Jure spo􏰂ed a male Montagu Harrier in flight and we stopped by the roadside. The harrier had landed and it was
Montagu’s Harrier: Andy
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