Monday 11 July 2016

ALPINE IMMERSION - Triglav National Park

Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta (male), 
Mangart, 4th July 2016 
(lower pic by Sara Cernich).
Leontopodium alpinum
Breginjski Stol, 8th July 2016.
Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis
Mangart, 4th July 2016.
Dryas octopetala
Mangart, 4th July 2016.
Nigritella rubra
Mangart, 4th July 2016.
Nigritella rhellicani,  
Breginjski Stol, 8th July 2016.
Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
Mangart, 4th July 2016.
Trollius europaeus
Sleme plateau, 5th July 2016.
Marmot Marmota marmota
Mangart, 4th July 2016.
Marmot Marmota marmota
Mojstrovka, 5th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Linaria alpina
Vršič pass, 5th July 2016.
Dianthus sternbergii
Vršič pass, 5th July 2016.
Ranunculus traunfellneri
Mangart, 4th July 2016.
Eritrichum nanum
Mangart, 4th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Mt. Montaž/Montasio 
from the Mangart plateau, 4th July 2016.
Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria
Trenta valley, 6th July 2016.
Cliff on the Mangart plateau, 4th July 2016.
Mt. Jalovec and Tamar valley 
from the Sleme plateau, 5th July 2016.
Dryas octopetala
Sleme plateau, 5th July 2016.
Gentiana terglouensis
Mojstrovka, 5th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Primula halleri
Mangart, 4th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Linum julicum
Mangart, 4th July 2016.
Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus
Sleme plateau, 5th July 2016.
Centenarian larches Larix decidua
Sleme plateau, 5th July 2016.
View from the Sleme plateau, 5th July 2016.
Mt. Prisojnik (above) and "Ajdovska deklica" - 
the famous face in the cliff (below), 5th July 2016.
Physoplexis comosa
Mangart, 4th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Rhodothamnus chamaecistus
Mojstrovka, 5th July 2016. 
Soldanella pusilla
Mangart, 4th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Soldanella minima
Mojstrovka, 5th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich). 
Lloydia serotina
Mojstrovka, 5th July 2016. 
Viola biflora
Mangart, 4th July 2016.
Saxifraga oppositifolia
Mangart, 4th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
River Soča, Trenta valley, 2nd July 2016.
Epipogium aphyllum
Trenta valley, 4th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Drosera rotundifolia
Pokljuka plateau, 3rd July 2016.
Corallorhiza trifida
Pokljuka plateau, 3rd July 2016.
Pinguicula vulgaris
Pokljuka plateau, 3rd July 2016.
Malaxis monophyllos
Trenta valley, 6th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Pyrola rotundifolia
Vršič pass, 5th July 2016.
Zadnja Trenta in the Trenta valley, 6th July 2016.
Aglais urticae
Breginjski Stol, 7th July 2016.
Nose-horned Viper Vipera ammodytes, 
 Breginjski Stol, 7th July 2016.
Smooth Snake Coronella austriaca
Breginjski Stol, 7th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Traunsteinera globosa
Breginjski Stol, 7th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Rock Thrush Monticola saxatilis
Breginjski Stol, 8th July 2016.
Stemmacantha rhapontica
Breginjski Stol, 8th July 2016.
Steep grassy slopes on Breginjski Stol
(with Lilium carniolicum and Laserpitium siler)
8th July 2016.
Lilium carniolicum
Breginjski Stol, 8th July 2016.
Pedicularis elongata ssp. julica
Breginjski Stol, 7th July 2016.
Steep grassy slope with Laserpitium siler
Breginjski Stol, 7th July 2016.
Soča river valley at dawn 
from Breginjski Stol, 8th July 2016.
River Soča, 
Trenta valley, 6th July 2016.
Dipper Cinclus cinclus by the river Soča, 
Trenta valley, 6th July 2016 
(Sara Cernich).
Cephalanthera rubra
Trenta valley, 2nd July 2016.
Julius Kugy's statue and mt Jalovec, 
Trenta valley, 6th July 2016.
Camp's official t-shirt (that I drew) 
with mt Jalovec on it (the real mountain in the back), 
Trenta valley, 6th July 2016.


I'm back from an intense week in the Julian Alps, where I carried out (co-organised) a biologist's summer camp in the Trenta valley (NW Slovenia). Above is a long selection of the very best wildlife we saw around the Triglav National Park and beyond. For me, the best observation of the week was certainly a male Ptarmigan Lagopus muta showing off on the Mangart plateau. There we also encountered a pair of Snowfinches Montifringilla nivalis and other typical alpine birds. The Trenta valley also surprised us with a pair of breeding Wallcreepers Tichodroma muraria, as well as a Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos and a great variety of orchids - the most interesting of all was certainly the rare Ghost Orchid Epipogium aphyllum.  Breginjski Stol, near Kobarid, proved once again to be an excellent site for Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca as we saw 4 different birds (flushed) and heard an additional 3 (7 in total!). Corncrakes Crex crex singing in the evening, Rock Thrushes Monticola saxatilis, reptiles and carpets of colorful flowers, all added up atmosphere to the beautiful alpine scenery.