Savour the rare opportunity of spotting most of the rare Mediterranean species on a small area, in the attractive and wild surroundings of the Adriatic coast, with Val Tours, during 7 days in Croatian National and Nature Parks
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Croatia, being a mountainous and coastal Mediterranean country, is rich in various species of birds, many of which are today rare and endangered in Europe. According to the Croatian Institute of Ornithology, Croatia notes 387 species of birds, of which 178 endangered on the national level, 69 endangered on European level and 21 endangered on the global level. For the birders, the highly interesting locations would be in the coastal area, where different Mediterranean species are to be seen. As Croatia straddles over the central and partially over the west European migration corridor, in the spring and in the autumn intense migrations, especially those of raptors, take place in most of the coastal regions. The Adriatic coast is also an important wintering area for many of species. The protected areas of the coast are of special interest, such as the Nature Park Velebit, Nature Park Vransko Lake, National Park Paklenica, ornithological reserve Velo and Kolansko blato on the island of Pag, and the territory of the river Zrmanja, therefore we have chosen exactly these areas for this particular guided tour program here presented. Off course, tours tailored to your exact needs and wants, regarding the length of a tour, number of participants and/or alternative Croatian birding destinations, are available by request. |
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ITINERARY Day 1 - Saturday - arrive at the hotel, meet your guide and the other participants. Day 2 - Sunday - birding in picturesque canyons and cliffs of the Zrmanja River - interesting species: Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer), Raven (Corvus corax), Sombre Tit (Parus lugubris), Subalpine Warbler (Sylvia cantillans), Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis), Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica melanoleuca), Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala),etc. Day 3 - Monday - birding in rocky habitats and exposed cliffs of the National Park Paklenica - characteristic species: Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca), Hopoe (Upupa epops), Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala), Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica), Alpine Swift (Apus melba), Crag Martin (Ptyonoprogne rupestris), Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Sombre Tit (Parus lugubris), Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer), Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus), Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia) Day 4 - Tuesday - birding in the ornithological reservations Velo and Kolansko Blato of the Island of Pag - expected species: Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), Black winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), Gadwall (Anas strepera), Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides), Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus), Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla), Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris), Curlew (Numenius arquata). Day 5 - Wednesday - birding in the area of Ljubac, Ravni Kotari - a lowland area between the Velebit mountain range and the Adriatic sea - prevailing Mediterranean species: Bee-eater (Merops apiaster), Fan-tailed Warbler (Cisticola juncidis), Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Curlew Sandpieper (Calidris ferruginea), Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cachinnans michahellis), etc. Day 6 - Thursday - birding in forest, open, rocky and mixed habitats of the Nature Park Velebit. The influence of the Mediterranean is present here up to 950m high, with the following most interesting species: Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris), Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola solitarius), Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis), Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica melanoleuca), Wheater (Oenanthe oenanthe), Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia), Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana), etc. Day 7 - Friday - birding in the swampy habitat with flooded meadows and reeds of the Vrana Lake Nature Park. Lake Vrana is the largest natural lake in Croatia and an internationally important wetland for migrating and breeding birds. The lake lies by the Adriatic Sea and is possibly the most important coastal passage stop-over in the country, in both spring and autumn. Breeding species here include Pygmy Cormorant, Purple Heron and Black-winged Stilt. Expected species: Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), Little Crake (Porzana parva), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus), Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti), Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus), Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis), Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon), Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala). Day 8 - Saturday - departure.
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Departure to the sites every day around 7:00 AM, return to the hotel around 6:00 PM. All participant should bring their own gear and equipment. All locations in our program are easily accessible from your accommodation, within about 60 miles.
Price per person: 790,00 €
The price includes:
3 meals per day (breakfast and dinner in the hotel, take-out lunch) arrival/departure transfer from/to Split or Zadar airport, ferry-port, or bus station. local taxes transfer to the locations entrance tickets in all nature and national parks professional ornithologist guide
Maximum number of participants:
8 per group. Larger groups on request.
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Tours tailored to your exact needs and wants are available per request.
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More information and reservations on: info(at)val-tours.hr tel: +385-23-386479 fax: +385-23-386478 |
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We are listed on Travel-quest's Directory of bird watching holidays and ornithological vacations pages on the travel-quest bird watching holidays and ornithological vacations from the travel-quest specialist travel directory.
www.birdingpal.org - Birdwatching information and birding contacts for traveling birders all over the world
foryourbird.com - Beaver Creek Aviary Pet Bird Supplies
Travellingbirder.com - Internet portal to bird travel and birding trip reports
Duch Birding Association - the site for birdwatchers and twitchers |
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Optimized for Internet Explorer, screen 800x600 This site COPYRIGHT ©2005, Val Tours Photos by Dare Sere, Tomaz Miheli, Al Vrzec and Davorin Tome
Mr. Crnkovic, your guide, is a skilled ornithologist; he is actively involved
in ringing, a custodian of the oological collection of the Institute
of Ornithology of Croatian Academy of sciences and arts, a Croatian representative by
the birds section of MEDMARAVIS, the international organization for
studying and protection of the Mediterranean coastal area. He has
published works on topics of nesting of Puffinus yelkouan on the
Croatian coast of Adriatic and Himantopus himantopus in Croatia, as
well as on nesters in the Trogir area, and the characteristics of
habitat and distribution of Sitta neumayer in Croatia and
neighboring areas.
