Anyone who knows about European butterflies will tell you that the Balkan countries are some of the most species-rich in Europe and Croatia is no exception. The port town of Zadar and the neighbouring Paklenica National Park lie half-way down the Dalmatian coast and offer a mix of Mediterranean, Continental and Alpine ecosystems: perfect for wildlife.

The area around Zadar would fit into the ‘Mediterranean’ category, with mild winters and hot summers and a landscape dominated by maquis scrub. What has enhanced its  wildlife value even more is, oddly enough, the  Serbo-Croatian War. During the early 90s, landmines were laid throughout the country and many remained there for years, allowing the wildlife there to thrive due to the lack of human disturbance. Most of the mines have since been cleared by the Croatian government, but there are plenty of ‘wild’ areas on Zadar’s outskirts that I was able to explore.

I found a track that led from the north of the town through scrub and olive groves to a small pine forest and it was here that I was able to find many different types of wildlife.  In the first few hundred metres of the track, there were numerous butterfly species such as Geranium Bronze, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Southern Small White and Spotted Fritillary, of which the latter two were new species for me. A few Scarce and Common Swallowtails were around too; both equally large and impressive species that always make me stop and stare in admiration. A solitary Great Sooty Satyr sat amicably for me on the stony path, which was also a nice sight.

Several other unfamiliar butterflies were flying further down the path, one of which was the Oriental Meadow Brown. Similar to the Meadow Brown found in Ireland, this species is found in southern Europe and has scalloped hindwings, making it distinctive. The other was the Orbed Red-underwing Skipper, a small species which flies low and fast but one which eventually settled for me, just! Tree Graylings were quite abundant around the edges of the pine forest, where they often settled on tree trunks and in shady spots, likely trying to avoid the intense midday heat. One of the most exciting species I saw was the Cardinal fritillary, the largest fritillary in Europe. Unfortunately I flushed it up from the forest floor and didn’t have time to get a photograph, as it zoomed away into the dense canopy and didn’t return! Two other new species were also seen along the edge of the woods, which were the Eastern Bath White and the Lang’s Short-tailed Blue.

Aside from the butterflies there were other species, particularly insects, that were common here. Blue-winged grasshoppers along with several other grasshoppers sat on the stony path and only flew off when I was practically on top of them! A few Lily Bush Crickets and what I believe to be Migratory Locusts also were found here. As ever in the Mediterranean, Ash Cicadas were in full song and were so numerous in the pine forest that it was almost deafening. The flock of Pheasant that I encountered didn’t seem to mind though, as they browsed through the undergrowth quite happily.  The most interesting animal I encountered whilst walking was the Hermann’s Tortoise. Being from Ireland, seeing a tortoise plodding across a country lane is something I’m not familiar with but I could very much get used to it.

The area around Zadar was just a small taste of the wildlife that the area had to offer; and the real goal was Paklenica National Park, which I will write about in the next post!