This year was the first time of running our Wildlife Watching and Tracking course in Croatia. We had a brief recce of the area last year and were blown away by the shear beauty of the area and also the amount of wildlife sign we observed in a short four days. We knew then that this had the makings of an awesome course and this year proved that to be the case.
The instructor team went out a day early to set the course up and just a brief visit into the Risnjak National Park yielded Wolf tracks and Marten scat beside a small stream and as we were walking back we encountered a Fire Salamander crawling across the track.
The following day the course participants joined us and after a journey through some stunning scenery, a bite of lunch on route and a stop off in the nearest big town for a spot of grocery shopping, they were introduced to the instructor team and our Croatian hosts.
The following day, the group went into the park and to introduce everyone to Risnjak, we followed the three mile long Leska trail along the length of which are 23 educational boards in Croatian and English giving a great insight into the history, geology, flora and fauna of the area. We were soon immersed into this amazing pristine forest and what should have been a 2 hour walk, took all day as we became absorbed into new species of plant and fungi.
We also found plenty of animal sign including woodpecker, red deer, hare and wild boar. The icing on the cake was to find fresh lynx tracks in the sand next to a stream on this first day. Considering that there are only a handful of lynx in the park and that they roam vast distances we were incredibly privileged.
We finished the day with a dusk sit spot next to a wild boar feeding spot.
The rest of the week carried on in a similar way. Days were spent exploring areas of the park from the Source of the Kupa river to the top of Mount Risnjak, looking for tracks of the local wildlife, watching the diversity of bird species, identifying plant and fungi species, and generally just soaking up this amazing country.
Evenings were spent sampling typical Croatian cooking as we were spoilt with some fantastic meals in our guest house……. I’m certain that everyone went up a belt size during the week!
In addition we;-
- Befriended the park rangers and learned about their work and have struck up a partnership to work with them in future years
- Dissected owl pellets to identify what they had been feeding on
- Set up trail cameras
- Played owl and wolf calls to attract a response and had a Pygmy Owl reply.
- Examined hazel nut shells to determine what small mammal species where in the area
- Learned how the local community utilise some of the wild plants to make medicinal preparations.
Towards the end of the week, we took it in turns four at a time to spend the night in the Lazac lodge. Situated by a clearing in a remote part of the park at an elevation of 100om, the area is baited by park staff to attract bear and boar.
On the second night we were lucky to have a small family of wild boar come down to the baiting area. They waited until it was completely dark before making an appearance but there was just enough moonlight so spot these illusive creatures.
The lodge saved the best for last. On the Saturday the lucky last group hit the jackpot as a female bear with two cubs crossed the clearing in front of the lodge. We had spotted plenty of bear sign around; tracks, fresh scat, claw marks on trees and even found a hair caught on a fallen tree across one of their trails but this was the pinnacle of an amazing week.
All in all a remarkable trip, so much so that many of the people who went this year have rebooked for next year’s trip in May.
Below is a list of all the plant and animal species observed or that we saw sign of in 2014
Flora and Fauna Species List for Croatia 2014
| Fungi | ||
|
Common Name |
Latin Name |
Comments |
| Lion’s Mane Fungus | Hericium erinaceus | |
| Cauliflower Fungus | Sparassis crispa | |
| Hedgehog Fungus | Hydnum repandum | |
| Horse Hoof Fungus | Formes formentarius | |
| Porcelain Fungus | Oudemansiella muscida | |
| Dog Stinkhorn | Mutinus caninus | |
| Scarlet Elf Cup | Sarcosypha coccinea | |
| Shaggy Inkcap | Coprinus commatus | |
| Earth Star | Geastrum sessile | |
| White Cheese Polypore | Tyromyces albellus | |
| Split Gill Fungus | Schizophyllum commune | |
| Monilophytes | ||
| Bracken Fern | Pteridium aquilinum | |
| Hart’s Tongue Fern | Phyllitis scolopendrium | |
| Coniferae | ||
| Silver Fir | Abies alba | |
| Mountain Pine | Pinus mugo | |
| Norway Spruce | Picea abies | |
| Juniper | Juniperus communis | |
| Angiospermae | ||
| Hazel | Corylus avellana | |
| Beech | Fagus sylvatica | |
| Sweet Chestnut | Castanea sativa | |
| Sycamore | Acer pseudoplatanus | |
| Alpine Buckthorn | Rhamnus fallax | |
| Ash | Fraxinus excelsior | |
| Wych Elm | Ulmus glabra | |
| Silver Birch | Betula pendula | |
| Common Dogwood | Cornus sanguina | |
| Large-leaved Spindle | Evonymus latifolia | |
| Elder | Sambucus nigra | |
| Bramble | Rubus fructicosa | |
| Raspberry | Rubus ideaus | |
| Wild Strawberry | Fragaria vesca | |
| Dandelion | Taraxaclum officinale | |
| Common Solomon’s Seal | Polygonatum multiforum | |
| Blue Eyed Mary | Omphalodes verna | |
| Sticky Sage | Salvia glutinosa | |
| Wood Sorrel | Oxalis acetosella | |
| Dogs Mercury | Mecurialis perenis | |
| Purple Cyclamen | Cyclamen purpurascens | |
| Clematis | Clematis vitalba | |
| Alpine Clematis | Clematis alpina | |
| Stemless Carline Thistle | Carlina acaulis | |
| Perennial Honesty | Lunaria rediviva | |
| Sweet Woodruff | Gallium odoratum | |
| Yellow Archangel | Galeobdolon luteum | |
| Wood Anemone | Anemone nemorosa | |
| Wood Spurge | Euphorbia amygdaloides | |
| Angelica | Angelica sylvestris | |
| Tansy | Tancetum parthenium | |
| Alpine Aster | Aster alpines | |
| Autumn Crocus | Crocus nudiflorus | |
| Gallant Soldier | Galinsoga parviflora | |
| Marsh Marigold | Caltha palustris | |
| Ragged Robin | Lychnis flos-cuculii | |
| Bilberry | Vaccinium myrtillus | |
| Butterbur | Petasites hybridus | |
| Winter Heliotrope | Petasites fragrans | |
| Sanicle | Sanicula europea | |
| Stinging Nettle | Urtica diocia | |
| Wild Carrot | Daucus carota | |
| Wild Basil | Clinopodium vulgare | |
| Hairy Bittercress | Cardamine hirsuta | |
| Narrow-Leaved Bittercress | Cardamine impatiens | |
| Wood Avens | Geum urbanum | |
| Balm Leaved Dead Nettle* | Lamium orvala | |
| Rosebay Willowherb | Angustifolium epilobium | |
| False Lily of the Valley* | Maianthenum bifolium | |
| Large Flowered Calamint* | Calamintha grandiflora | |
| Broad-Leaved Helleborine* | Epipactis helleborine | |
| Lungwort* | Pulmoniaria officinalis | |
| Deadly Nightshade* | Atropa bella-donna | |
| Amphibians | |||||
|
Common Name |
Latin Name |
Observed |
Heard |
Sign Observed |
Comments |
| Fire Salamander | Salamandra salamandra | √ 2 seen | √ | Several dead ones on road | |
| Common Toad | Bufo bufo | √ | |||
| Birds | |||||
| Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | √ | |||
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | √ | √ | Footprints and droppings at Kupa source | |
| Spotted Eagle* | Aquila clanga | √ | |||
| Buzzard | Buteo buteo | √ | √ | √ | Feather found |
| Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | √ | |||
| Black Kite* | Milvus migrans | √ | |||
| Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | √ | |||
| Woodcock | Scolopax rusticola | √ | |||
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | √ | |||
| Wood Pigeon | Columba palumbus | √ | |||
| Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | √ | |||
| Pygmy Owl | Glaucidium passerinum | √ | Call heard and replied to recording | ||
| Eagle Owl | Bubo bubo | √ | Pellet found at top of Risnjak. Pair seen in 2013 | ||
| Barn Owl | Tyto alba | √ | Several pellets found in grassy area behind village | ||
| Kingfisher* | Alcedo atthis | √ | |||
| Grey-Headed Woodpecker | Picus canus | √ | √ | √ | |
| White-Backed Woodpecker | Dendrocopus leucotos | √ | |||
| Three-Toed Woodpecker | Picoides tridactylus | √ | |||
| Black Woodpecker | Dryocopus martius | √ | √ | ||
| Grey Wagtail* | Motacilla cinerea | √ | |||
| Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | √ | |||
| Jay | Garrulus glandarius | √ | √ | ||
| Magpie | Pica pica | √ | |||
| Jackdaw | Corvus monedula | √ | |||
| Hooded Crow | Corvus cornix | √ | |||
| Raven | Corvus corax | √ | √ | ||
| Dipper | Cinclus cinclus | √ | √ | ||
| Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | √ | √ | √ | Footprints in mud |
| Goldcrest | Regulas regulus | √ | √ | ||
| Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | √ | √ | ||
| Robin | Erithacus rubecula | √ | √ | ||
| Blackbird | Turdus merula | √ | |||
| Mistle Thrush | Turdus viscivorus | √ | |||
| Willow Tit* | Parus montanus | √ | |||
| Blue Tit | Parus caeruleus | √ | √ | ||
| Coal Tit | Parus ater | √ | √ | ||
| Great Tit | Parus major | √ | √ | √ | Footprints in mud |
| Treecreeper | Certhia familiaris | √ | √ | ||
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | √ | √ | ||
| Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | √ | |||
| Serin | Serinus serinus | √ | |||
| Mammals | |||||
| Mole | Talpa europaea | √ | |||
| Noctule* | Nyctalus noctula | √ | √ | ||
| Pipistrelle* | Pipistrellus pipistrellus | √ | √ | ||
| Rabbit | Oryctolagus cuniculus | √ | √ | A couple of burrows found | |
| Brown Hare | Lepus capensis | √ | |||
| Red Squirrel | Sciurus vulgaris | √ | √ | Spruce cone and hazel nut feeding sign | |
| Edible Dormouse | Glis glis | √ | Hazel nut feeding sign, bones found in Eagle Owl pellet. Seen in 2013 | ||
| Common Vole | Microtus arvalis | √ | √ | Runs in long grass, remains in Barn Owl pellet | |
| Wood Mouse | Apodemus sylvaticus | √ | Hazel nut feeding sign | ||
| Brown Bear | Ursus arctos | √ Mother & 2 cubs seen | √ | Scat, tracks and hair | |
| Wolf | Canis lupus | √ | Scat and tracks | ||
| Red Fox | Vulpes vulpes | √ | √ | Lots of scat | |
| Stoat | Mustela erminea | √ | Scat at Lazac | ||
| Pine Marten* | Martes martes | √ | Probable scat | ||
| Beech Marten* | Martes foina | √ | Probable scat | ||
| Badger | Meles meles | √ | |||
| Lynx | Lynx lynx | √ | Clear tracks in stream bed, also seen in same location in 2013. Associated with Red Deer tracks. | ||
| Wild Cat | Felis silvestris | √ | Print and possible den | ||
| Wild Boar | Sus scrofa | √ | √ | Lots of scat and feeding sign, particularly Wild Carrot. | |
| Chamois | Rupicapra rupricapra | √ | Scat by salt lick on Risnjak | ||
| Red Deer | Cervus elaphus | √ | √ | Scat, tracks and feeding sign | |
| Roe Deer | Capreolus capreolus | √ | √ | √ | Scat, tracks and feeding sign. |
*Denotes probable