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Montenegro in Spring
Tour Code: MNE01A 9-day tour exploring this rarely visited country in search of migrating and native birds, as well as other wildlife, including time spent at the scenic Lake Skadar and within the dramatic mountains of Durmitor National Park.
£2,195 (Inc flights)
£1,895
Highlights
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Summary
Montenegro is a fantastic little country, rich in history and with stunning scenery. From beaches, sand dunes and salt pans along its coast to the dramatic interior mountains there is a wide range of habitat for wildlife, providing vital stopover points for many migrating birds. Timed to coincide with the spring migration, this tour will focus primarily on birds, although there will also be plenty of plants, amphibians, reptiles and insects to be found. Montenegro is not (yet!) on the main Mediterranean tourist trail, but with its stunning and diverse scenery, we expect to enjoy an outstanding week of birding in this beautiful, welcoming and compact country!
- Unspoilt forest in dramatic Durmitor National Park
- Dalmatian Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant & herons on Skadar Lake
- Spring migrants including Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Yellow Wagtail & Woodchat Shrike
- Waders and gulls in the coastal and wetland habitats
- Woodpecker & raptors, including Black & Three-toed Woodpecker
- Stunning scenery
Grading
Easy to moderate day walks only
Montenegro lies in the Balkans on the coast of the Adriatic Sea to the north of Albania. Although small in size, this little-visited country is rich in wildlife and spectacular landscapes and boasts a fascinating history. From long sandy beaches backed by dunes and saltpans to rugged mountains reaching over 2,000 metres in height, Montenegro has much to offer the visitor, especially those with an interest in natural history. This holiday focuses on the birds, and other wildlife, of the coasts and mountains at a time of year when numerous waders, warblers, raptors, shrikes and other species will be tracking north, and its breeding birds will be back on territory.
Our holiday begins, perhaps surprisingly, with a flight to the Albanian capital of Tirana. From here, we drive north into Montenegro to the historic town of Virpazar, on the north-west shore of Lake Skadar, where we will be based for the first four nights of our tour. Lake Skadar is home to the most westerly breeding population of Dalmatian Pelicans, as well as thousands of Pygmy Cormorants and other waterbirds. It is surrounded by rolling karst hills and is edged by a rocky shoreline. Although water levels change over the course of the year, on average the lake is 44 kilometres long by eight kilometres wide. During our stay in Virpazar, we will explore the lake on foot, by vehicle and by boat in search of the numerous terns, herons and other waterbirds that live here. The strident call of the Great Reed Warbler will be a familiar background sound to our exploration, whilst other species to look out for include Short-toed Eagle, Cirl Bunting, Eastern Subalpine Warbler, Spanish Sparrow, Hawfinch and others. We will also enjoy the orchids and other flowers that grow on the roadside verges.
We will spend time exploring the coastal saltpans, sand dunes and wetlands too, home to such birds as Stone-curlew, Collared Pratincole, Calandra Lark, European Bee-eater, Tawny Pipit, Woodchat Shrike, Savi’s Warbler and Black-necked Grebe. Waders may include Black-winged Stilt, Ruff, Wood Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint and Marsh Sandpiper, whilst Marsh Harrier and the occasional Levant Sparrowhawk may pass overhead. Nearby Lovcen National Park is also worth a visit, within which sits Mount Lovcen, the so-called 'Black Mountain' after which the country is named. Here we will search for woodpeckers such as White-backed Woodpecker, plus Red-rumped Swallow, Black-eared Wheatear and Rock Bunting, before winding our way down towards Tivat, journeying past the magnificent Bay of Kotor en route. Back on the coast, we can search the scrub and dunes for a variety of migrant passerines such as Wryneck, Yellow Wagtail, Whinchat, Spotted and Collared Flycatchers and possibly Woodchat, Lesser Grey or Red-backed Shrikes.
Next, we will head inland to the forests and jagged mountains of Montenegro’s Durmitor National Park, famed for its high rocky peaks, deep canyons and glacial lakes. For the next three nights we will be staying in the small town of Zabljak, located on the edge of the reserve and situated at an altitude of 1,600 metres. This is one of the oldest national parks in Montenegro — and a Unesco World Heritage Site — and it contains an impressive 48 peaks rising over 2,000 metres. The mountains are part of the Dinaric Alps and are cut by deep gorges and dotted with 17 glacial lakes, known locally as gorske oci ('mountain eyes'). En route to Durmitor National Park, we will aim to stop at Biogradska Gora National Park, which protects some of the last remnants of rainforest left in Europe.
From our base in Zabljak, we will explore the mountains in search of a wide variety of upland birds and other wildlife. Overhead soar Goshawk, Golden Eagle and Short-toed Eagle, whilst the woodlands are home to Grey-headed Woodpecker and Firecrest, plus Crested, Willow and Sombre Tits. We will also look for Ring Ouzel, Crag Martin, Rock Bunting, Water Pipit and Blue Rock Thrush in the more open areas. The mountains here are home to a few mammals too, including Balkan Chamois and the black morph of the Red Squirrel.
Finally, we conclude our holiday with a night in the historic town of Krujë, in northern Albania, and a visit to the Kune Vain Wetlands. Here we can look for Ferruginous Duck, Bittern, Squacco Heron, all three marsh terns, Zitting Cisticola and Moustached Warbler before we head back to Tirana Airport the following morning for our flight home.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
A mix of well-situated hotels and guesthouses with en suite rooms; rooms may be fairly basic in nature.
- Food: All meals are included in the tour cost.
Dates & Prices
2025
Tour Leader: Mark Wood
After spending much of his early childhood exploring the woods and fields around his house in Fife, Scotland, Mark quickly developed a curiosity for the natural world around him. With the closest nature reserve being RSPB Loch Leven it did not take long for a keen interest in birds to follow. Going on to study Conservation Biology at Aberdeen University Mark’s passion for wildlife in its many facets and a desire to protect it would only continue to grow.
Much of his working life has been spent as an Ecologist in Scotland but the desire to travel and find exotic bird species is a constant draw. This has led to many long overseas adventures including Australia and New Zealand, where he was able to work on the Kakapo project and see this endangered parrot. Driving from Scotland to Mongolia and back in 2019, exploring much of central Asia and Russia along the way, a lifelong dream! As well as many other fantastic, nature rich locations across North and South America, Africa, Europe and East Asia.
Mark started leading tours to Shetland for Naturetrek in 2022.
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
Enquire
Tour Reports
Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
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