Tuesday 23 September 2014

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.