After two fantastic weeks tracking and wildlife watching in Croatia we are finally back in the UK. Over the two weeks our instructor team between them clocked up nearly 400 miles on foot between, summited Mount Risnjak 3 times and looked at literally hundreds of tracks, scat and other sign.
The first week was some joint team training with Pablo, J.P, and the Woodlife Trails Team quickly followed by our normal spring Tracking & Wildlife Watching Course.
We had some notable new sightings to add to the list this year as well as capturing some amazing video of bear, boar and deer on our trail cameras.
In addition to the star attraction of bear and wolf sign, we had some new unusual ones to learn from some slightly smaller but nevertheless still exciting animals, firstly a Fire Salamander track and the tracks of a Yellow-bellied Toad hopping.
Two new reptile species; Common Wall Lizard and a melanistic (black) Adder…….which slithered right underneath a customer’s legs on a sit spot!
Some good new bird species were added to the list including; Black Stork, Hoopoe, Nutcracker, Middle-spotted Woodpecker, Ural Owl (a rare dark-faced form), Golden Eagle and Peregrine.
We had a few nice mammal firsts; a couple of nice sets of Polecat tracks, a dead Water Shrew, an Eagle owl pellet which contained both Glis Glis and Bank Vole remains. The icing on the cake was for the first time in 4 years we finally got to see the elusive Chamois, not once but 3 times observing 4 different animals (20% of the park’s total population).
We also got to see some clear Chamois tracks and also feeding sign where they are browsing on Deadly Nightshade! The are one of the few animals which are reported to eat this extremely toxic plant and seem to suffer no ill effects.
Over the 4 years since we have been running this trip we have built up quite an impressive list of flora and fauna that we have either observed or seen direct sign of.
Flora and Fauna Species List for Croatia
| Fungi | ||
| Common Name | Latin Name | |
| 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 | |
| Morel | Morchella esculenta | |
| Oyster Mushroom | Pleurotus ostreatus | |
| Monilophytes | ||
| Bracken Fern | Pteridium aquilinum | |
| Hart’s Tongue Fern | Phyllitis scolopendrium | |
| Bryophyte | Polytrichum attenuatum | |
| Hard fern | Blechinum spicant | |
| Maidenhair Spleenwort | Asplenium trichomanes | |
| Lady Fern | Athyrium filix-femina | |
| Coniferae | ||
| Silver Fir | Abies alba | |
| Mountain Pine | Pinus mugo | |
| Norway Spruce | Picea abies | |
| Juniper | Juniperus communis | |
| Mountain 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 | |
| Rowan | Sorbus aucuparia | |
| Large-leaved Spindle | Evonymus latifolia | |
| Elder | Sambucus nigra | |
| Dwarf Elder | Sambucus ebulus | |
| Wild Cherry | Prunus avium | |
| Bramble | Rubus fructicosa | |
| Raspberry | Rubus ideaus | |
| Wild Strawberry | Fragaria vesca | |
| Dandelion | Taraxaclum officinale | |
| Common Solomon’s Seal | Polygonatum multiforum | |
| Spotted Cat’s Ear | Hypochaeris maculata | |
| Goat’s Beard | Aruncus silvestris | |
| Liverleaf | Hepatica nobilis | |
| Hacquetica epipactis | ||
| Bastard Agrimony | Aremonia agrimonoides | |
| Spring Snowflake | Leucojum vernum | |
| White Butterbur | Petasites albus | |
| Black Bryony | Dioscorea communis | |
| Selfheal | Prunella vulgaris | |
| Bugle | Ajuga repens | |
| Snowberry | Symphoricarpos albus | |
| Moschatel | Adoxa moschatellina | |
| Marsh Valerian | Valeria dioica | |
| Common Valerian | Valeria officinalis | |
| May Lilly | Maianthemum bifolium | |
| Adenostyles alliariae | ||
| Alpine Enchanter’s Nightshade | Circaea alpina | |
| Coralroot Bittercress | Cardamine bulbifera | |
| Lady’s Mantle | Alchemilla vulgaris | |
| Salad Burnet | Sanguisorba minor | |
| Opposite-leaved Golden-Saxifrage | Chrysosplenium oppositifolium | |
| Spurge-laurel | Daphne laureola | |
| Mezereon | Daphne mezereum | |
| Crosswort | Cruciata laevipes | |
| Sweet Cicely | Myrrhis odorata | |
| Cow Parsley | Anthriscus sylvestris | |
| Hogweed | Heracleum sphondyllium | |
| Ramsons | Allium ursinium | |
| Drooping Bittercress | Cardamine enneaphyllos | |
| Toothwort | Lathraea sqamaria | |
| Coltsfoot | Tussilago farfara | |
| 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 | |
| Crosswort | Cruciata laevipes | |
| 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 | |
| White Butterbur | Petasites alba | |
| 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 | |
| Drooping Bittercress | Cardamine enneaphyllos | |
| 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 | |
| Stinking Aposeris | Aposeris foetida | |
| Amphibians | |||||
| Common Name | Latin Name | Observed | Heard | Sign Observed | Comments |
| Fire Salamander | Salamandra salamandra | √ | √ | Several dead ones on road, tadpoles found.
Tracks |
|
| Alpine Newt | Triturus alpestris | √ | |||
| Smooth Newt | Triturus vulgaris | √ | |||
| European Tree Frog | Hyla arborea | √ | √ | Seen in pool calling | |
| Yellow-Bellied Toad | Bombina variegata | √ | √ | Tracks seen | |
| Fire-Bellied Toad | Bombina bombina | √ | |||
| Common Toad | Bufo bufo | √ | √ | Found eggs and ovaries from Buzzard predation | |
| Agile Frog* | Rana dalmatina | √ | |||
| Common Frog | Rana temporaria | √ | |||
| Reptiles | |||||
| Slow Worm | Anguis fragilis | √ | |||
| Common Lizard | Lacerta vivipara | √ | |||
| Common Wall Lizard | Podarcis muralis | √ | |||
| Common Viper
(melanistic) |
Vipera berus | √ | |||
| Birds | |||||
| Cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | √ | |||
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | √ | √ | Footprints and droppings at Kupa source | |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | √ | |||
| White Stork | Ciconia ciconia | √ | |||
| Black Stork | Ciconia nigra | √ | |||
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | √ | √ | Tracks | |
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | √ | |||
| Booted Eagle | Hieraaetus pennatus | √ | |||
| Buzzard | Buteo buteo | √ | √ | √ | Feather found
Feeding sign found |
| Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | √ | |||
| Black Kite | Milvus migrans | √ | |||
| Kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | √ | |||
| Peregrine | Falco peregrinus | √ | |||
| Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | √ | |||
| Woodcock | Scolopax rusticola | √ | |||
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | √ | |||
| Wood Pigeon | Columba palumbus | √ | |||
| Collared Dove | Streptopelia decaocto | √ | |||
| Cuckoo | Cuculus canorus | √ | |||
| Pygmy Owl | Glaucidium passerinum | √ | √ | Call heard and replied to recording | |
| Eagle Owl | Bubo bubo | √ | √ | √ | Pellet found at top of Risnjak. Pair seen in 2013, seen 2016 and 2017 |
| Barn Owl* | Tyto alba | √ | Several pellets found in grassy area behind village | ||
| Tengmalms Owl | Aegolius funereus | √ | Heard calling in reply to recording 2015 & 2017 | ||
| Ural Owl | Strix uralensis | √ | √ | Several heard calling in reply to recording
Rare dark faced bird seen 2017 |
|
| Tawny Owl | Strix aluco | √ | |||
| Swift | Apus apus | √ | |||
| Kingfisher* | Alcedo atthis | √ | |||
| Grey-Headed Woodpecker | Picus canus | √ | √ | √ | |
| Green Woodpecker | Picus viridis | √ | √ | ||
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | Dendrocopus major | √ | √ | ||
| White-Backed Woodpecker | Dendrocopus leucotos | √ | √ | ||
| Middle Spotted Woodpecker | Dendrocopus medius | √ | √ | ||
| Lesser Spotted Woodpecker | Denrocopos minor | √ | √ | ||
| Three-Toed Woodpecker | Picoides tridactylus | √ | √ | √ | Feeding sign and holes |
| Black Woodpecker | Dryocopus martius | √ | √ | √ | Lots of confirmed feeding sign and holes |
| Wryneck | Jynx torquilla | √ | √ | ||
| Swallow | Hirundo rustica | √ | |||
| Grey Wagtail | Motacilla cinerea | √ | |||
| Yellow Wagtail | Motacilla flava | √ | |||
| White Wagtail | Motacilla alba | √ | |||
| Meadow Pipit | Anthus pratensis | √ | |||
| Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | √ | |||
| Jay | Garrulus glandarius | √ | √ | ||
| Hoopoe | √ | ||||
| Magpie | Pica pica | √ | |||
| Jackdaw | Corvus monedula | √ | |||
| Hooded Crow | Corvus cornix | √ | |||
| Raven | Corvus corax | √ | √ | √ | Foot prints found |
| Nutcracker | Nucifraga caryocatactes | √ | √ | √ | Split Hazelnut shells
Heard and seen 2017 |
| Dipper | Cinclus cinclus | √ | √ | ||
| Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | √ | √ | √ | Footprints in mud. Nest |
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | √ | √ | ||
| Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | √ | √ | ||
| Goldcrest | Regulas regulus | √ | √ | ||
| Wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | √ | |||
| Whinchat | Saxicola rubetra | √ | |||
| Redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | √ | |||
| Black Redstart | Phoenicurus ochruros | √ | √ | ||
| Robin | Erithacus rubecula | √ | √ | ||
| Blackbird | Turdus merula | √ | |||
| Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | √ | √ | ||
| Mistle Thrush | Turdus viscivorus | √ | |||
| Willow Tit | Parus montanus | √ | |||
| Sombre Tit | Parus lugubris | √ | |||
| Blue Tit | Parus caeruleus | √ | √ | ||
| Coal Tit | Parus ater | √ | √ | ||
| Great Tit | Parus major | √ | √ | √ | Footprints in mud |
| Nuthatch | Sitta europaea | √ | |||
| Treecreeper | Certhia familiaris | √ | √ | ||
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | √ | √ | ||
| Chaffinch | Fringilla coelebs | √ | |||
| Bullfinch | Pyrrhula pyrrhula | √ | √ | ||
| Serin | Serinus serinus | √ | |||
| Greenfinch | √ | ||||
| Mammals | |||||
| Mole | Talpa europaea | √ | Molehills and dead mole | ||
| Noctule | Nyctalus noctula | √ | √ | ||
| Pipistrelle* | Pipistrellus pipistrellus | √ | √ | ||
| Common Shrew | Sorex araneus | √ | √ | Dead animal | |
| Water Shrew | Neomys fodiens | √ | Dead animal | ||
| Eastern Hedgehog | Erinaceus concolor | √ | Scat | ||
| Rabbit | Oryctolagus cuniculus | √ | √ | A couple of burrows found | |
| Brown Hare | Lepus capensis | √ | √ | Droppings, form and kill site. Dead one on road | |
| Red Squirrel | Sciurus vulgaris | √ | √ | Spruce cone, hazel nut and spruce tip feeding sign. Dead one on road | |
| Edible Dormouse | Glis glis | √ | √ | Hazel nut feeding sign, bones found in Eagle Owl pellet. Seen in 2013 | |
| Hazel Dormouse | Muscardinus avellanarius | √ | Hazelnut feeding sign | ||
| Common Vole | Microtus arvalis | √ | √ | Runs in long grass, remains in Barn Owl pellet, hazelnut feeding sign | |
| Bank Vole | Clethrionomys glareolus | √ | √ | Scat and feeding sign, bones found in Eagle Owl pellet | |
| Snow Vole* | Micotus nivalis | √ | Burrows at top of Risnjak | ||
| Wood Mouse | Apodemus sylvaticus | √ | √ | Hazel nut feeding sign | |
| Brown Bear | Ursus arctos | √ | √
|
√ | Scat, tracks and hair |
| Wolf | Canis lupus | √ | √ | Scat and tracks | |
| Red Fox | Vulpes vulpes | √ | √ | Lots of scat | |
| Weasel | Mustela nivalis | √ | Latrine | ||
| Stoat | Mustela erminea | √ | Scat and
Latrine |
||
| Steppe Polecat | Mustela eversmanni | √ | |||
| Western Polecat | Mustela putorius | √ | Tracks and scat | ||
| Pine Marten | Martes martes | √ | Scat | ||
| Beech Marten | Martes foina | √ | Scat and tracks | ||
| Badger | Meles meles | √ | √ | Latrines, tracks, digging | |
| 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,possible den, latrine | ||
| Wild Boar | Sus scrofa | √ | √ | Lots of scat and feeding sign, particularly Wild Carrot. | |
| Chamois | Rupicapra rupricapra | √ | √ | Scat by salt lick on Risnjak
4 seen 2017 |
|
| Red Deer | Cervus elaphus | √ | √ | Scat, tracks and feeding sign | |
| Roe Deer | Capreolus capreolus | √ | √ | √ | Scat, tracks and feeding sign. |
*Denotes probable