Looking for Rock Partridge - Croatia 26th to 29th March 2023 (1 Viewer)

[Paul Chapman]

Due to be off to Croatia to look for Rock Partridge on Sunday for a few days with a birding mate. We are flying into Dubrovnik from Gatwick with easyJet and due to be hiring a car from Avis. A flat is booked for three nights near Posedarje. It seems from recent eBird reports and a friend's experience back in 2007 that Rock Partridges are relatively frequent in the area but I have a track record of missing the species.... Just about my last Category A European breeding species I think - though a few Category C exotics outstanding.

I have no real expectations of what additional species may be seen but hopefully, we can score the target and then explore the area.

A request for birding locations in the vicinity produced no response - Croatian Birding Sites around Zadar - and not an area of the country that is well covered on eBird. Also not really sure what if any of the spring migrants may have started to appear. I cannot imagine many. So it will be a more interesting trip into the unknown for me than usual.

Hopefully a few things can be added to the World Photographic Yearlist - Paul's 2023 Photographic World List - but without increasing my backlog of photo processing too much.....

I suspect updates on return but we will see.

All the best

Paul

 

[pianoman]

If it's not old hat, the Alpine Swift colony in beautiful Dubrovnik old town is not to be missed. indeed it is impossible to miss

 

[James Lowther]

Hi Paul,
Presumably you know about the rock partridge site above Cavtat, right next to Dubrovnik airport?
James

 

[Paul Chapman]

Nope. Very happy to learn... 😀

Edit - just found this....

Surfbirds Birding Trip Report: Croatia - 4th - 7th May 2013 - In Search of the Rock Partridge

 

[James Lowther]

yes exactly there. I saw one there in 2017. I struggled to be honest (just one bird over a period of several hours) but other people have found them quite easy. It is unbelievably convenient for Dubrovnik airport though, the views are unbelievable, and if you go in the morning any birds you see should be at eye level or lower and with the sun at your back.
good luck,
James

 

[opisska]

Tricky target - I have seen exactly one in my life! And, well, not very well ... Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca)

Isn't is sad to be done with the species?

 

[Paul Chapman]

Tricky target - I have seen exactly one in my life! And, well, not very well ... Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca)

Isn't is sad to be done with the species?

A painting? 😀

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Good luck Paul 👍🤞

 

[Paul Chapman]

A bit of last minute swatting has provided the Catvat site (many thanks James) in addition to four areas near where we are staying for Rock Partridge & back up birding at Lake Vrana and Plitvice National Park so hopefully travel & arrangements will go to plan in the morning.

All the best

Paul

 

[andyb39]

Good luck Paul. This is a bogey bird for me.

 

[Scridifer]

Keeping all my extremities crossed for you Paul, even more so after your precise locations paid off for me at Stanborough this morning! Many thanks and the best of luck to you.

Chris

 

[DMW]

A bit of last minute swatting has provided the Catvat site (many thanks James) in addition to four areas near where we are staying for Rock Partridge & back up birding at Lake Vrana and Plitvice National Park so hopefully travel & arrangements will go to plan in the morning.

All the best

Paul

Try from the lookout at 42.588803,18.246772 early morning, and along the stretch of road either side. Rock Partridge was easy for us here in May a few years ago. We also had Sombre Tit in the trees near the restaurant a couple of kms to the N, and some pleasant birding around the hamlet of Jasenice a few kms to the east.

 

[Paul Chapman]

We arrived late morning, hired a car and went to the Catvat escarpment overlooking the airport and have just scored... Now to get some birding done & improve on the pics.

 

[James Lowther]

Brilliant!

James

 

[Paul Chapman]

Rock Partridges also at our site near our accommodation at Posedarje both this morning and this afternoon. Trying another location in the morning before heading inland to try some woodland.

Heading back Wednesday and will play catch up then with this thread as a few nice bits bumping up the yearlist and the World Photo Yearlist as I go.

Lots of catching up to do when back on such things but not given myself too much of an additional burden from this trip yet.

All the best

Paul

 

[wolfbirder]

Congratulations Paul. I need to do the Rock Partridge trip too.

 

[temmie]

I would still strongly recommend Termignon in June. The whole set of Alpine birds and gorgeous meadows with fantastic butterflies.

On the other hand, Croatia holds an interesting mix of Eastern / Eastern Mediterranean birds that you won't find (easily) further (North-)West, e.g. Black-headed Bunting, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Syrian Woodpecker...

 

[pppppvvvv]

I would still strongly recommend Termignon in June. The whole set of Alpine birds and gorgeous meadows with fantastic butterflies.

On the other hand, Croatia holds an interesting mix of Eastern / Eastern Mediterranean birds that you won't find (easily) further (North-)West, e.g. Black-headed Bunting, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Syrian Woodpecker...

Hi Temmie, do you know what Termignon looks like in the first half of May? I have a few days in the area, and a few possibilities, but this would be my preferred choice to return to Termignon providing the whole area isn't still snow covered.

 

[DMW]

I would still strongly recommend Termignon in June. The whole set of Alpine birds and gorgeous meadows with fantastic butterflies.

On the other hand, Croatia holds an interesting mix of Eastern / Eastern Mediterranean birds that you won't find (easily) further (North-)West, e.g. Black-headed Bunting, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler, Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Syrian Woodpecker...

It really depends on your priorities. For UK birders, it's probably quicker, easier and cheaper to fly to Cavtat for a couple of days. If you basically just want to twitch Rock Partridge from the UK, it's hard to think there's anywhere more convenient. That's not to say that it's a better experience than the French Alps, of course.

 

[pppppvvvv]

Google maps shows the Termignon road as closed at the moment (not surprisingly!), but at least I can make an informed choice depending on whether the road is open when I'm in the vicinity.