BIRDWATCHING HOLIDAY - 8 DAY GUIDED TOUR ITINERARY
DAY 3 - Subalpine & Mediterranean Karst
Today we’ll visit the Podveležje region, a truly unique part of Herzegovina where people still preserve a traditional way of life, living closely with nature. The Podveležje Plateau lies about 700 meters above sea level, between the impressive Velež Mountain and the city of Mostar. Stretching more than 20 kilometers from north to south, the plateau is wild, open, and beautifully remote.
Subalpine Podveležje Plateau
Subalpine Podveležje Plateau
For centuries, this area has been home to highland farmers and herders who have learned to adapt to its challenging environment. The landscape might seem harsh and dry at first glance, but it’s full of life. You’ll see open grasslands, rocky ridges, and small patches of beech and oak forest, along with many wild herbs and flowers that bloom in spring and summer.
Hobby
Falco subbuteo
Balkan Whip Snake
Hierophis gemonensis
Rock Partridge
Alectoris graeca
Subalpine Podveležje Plateau
The rocky slopes of the Podveležje Plateau rise above Mostar, forming a rugged subalpine landscape. This dry karst terrain is home to the Rock Partridge, which nests and feeds among the stones and low shrubs. Elusive and well camouflaged, the Rock Partridge is perfectly adapted to its rocky home and more often heard calling from a distance than seen.
Sharp-snouted Rock Lizard
Dalmatolacerta oxycephala
Subalpine Podveležje Plateau
Subalpine Podveležje Plateau
This flat subalpine plateau provides habitat for Tawny Pipit, Northern Wheatear, Rock Partridge, and Eastern Subalpine Warbler.
Crested Lark
Galerida cristata
Tawny Pipit
Anthus campestris
Brown Hare
Lepus europaeus
Spring floral display on subalpine Podveležje Plateau
Subalpine Karst in early spring
Bertoloni's Bee Orchid
Ophrys bertolonii
Alpine Swift
Tachymarptis melba
Mediterranean Karst landscape
The Mediterranean Karst region of Herzegovina is a land of striking contrasts - rugged, sun-drenched, and deeply beautiful. In summer, the landscape bakes under a relentless sun, with limestone hills radiating heat.
Yet when spring arrives, Herzegovina’s Mediterranean karst transforms into something almost magical. The hills burst into colour as wildflowers carpet the stony ground, and the air fills with birdsong as migratory species return, drawn by the abundance of life. The scent of herbs like sage and thyme drifts through the air.
Mediterranean Karst landscape
Scarce Swallowtail
Iphiclides podalirius
Burnt-tip Orchid
Neotinea ustulata
Northern Wheatear ♂
Oenanthe oenanthe
Pallid Swift
Apus pallidus
Levant Sparrowhawk ♂
Accipiter brevipes
Green-winged Orchid
Anacamptis morio
Mediterranean Karst landscape
Little Owl (melanistic)
Athene noctua
River in Mediterranean karst region
Great Spotted Woodpecker ♂
Dendrocopos major
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocoptes medius
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker ♂
Dryobates minor
Syrian Woodpecker ♂
Dendrocopos syriacus
Black Woodpecker ♂
Dryocopus martius
Green Woodpecker ♀
Picus viridis
Woodpecker and Golden Oriole woodland by the river
The mature trees in this little woodland by the river provide perfect nesting places for woodpeckers - seven different species live here, drawn by the abundance of insects and hollow trunks. There is a constant backdrop of Nightingale song, and in spring, the air fills with the fluting calls of Golden Orioles, flashing yellow through the fresh green canopy as males chase each other and defend their territories.
