Before I came to Zadar, one area I read about consistently whilst searching various websites for information on Croatia’s wildlife was Paklenica National Park. From what I could gather it was filled with interesting rock formations, pristine forests, a myriad of wildflowers and tonnes of different animal species; so when the day came where I was finally able to visit it I admit I was rather excited!

Because I only had one day to visit I planned a route which would allow me to see as wide a variety of wildlife as possible, or so I hoped. My planned route would take me from the entrance of the park, through a large gorge up 400m to a small hut. From there I would ascend a further 1000m up a valley through Beech and Pine woodland to a large, open mountain meadow called Struge and then return to the park’s entrance. All in all it would take me about 10 hours to complete so on the 28th of July I woke at 5 in the morning full of anticipation!

After a 30 minute drive I began my hike. Starting at 6:30 allowed me to get a good portion of my walking done before the sun rose above the gorge and it got too hot. After about an hour of walking I reached the Paklenica Mountain Hut, where I took a much-needed break. The temperature was creeping up steadily and it wasn’t long until I saw my first butterflies of the day. 5 minutes from the hut was a small hostel with some patches of Cream Scabious flowers, which attracted a lovely range of species, including Queen of Spain, Silver-washed and High Brown Fritillaries, Southern Small Whites and Large and Mallow Skippers. At this point the pathway became a little more ambiguous so I stopped to ask the hostel owner, who insisted that i take some local Rakija before we spoke, which I politely declined (homemade brandy before 9am before an arduous hike above steep cliffs seemed like a dodgy idea) Under the assurance that I would be back later for a drink, he guided me in the right direction and I was on my way.

From this point the path veered westwards, as I began to walk through the dense Pine and Beech woodland up the side of one of several valleys and the shade it provided was rather welcome. The odd clearing allowed for several flowers to grow, such as Wild Thyme, Italian Eryngo, Allium, Cream Scabious and Greater Knapweed, which in turn attracted many butterflies. Holly Blues were rather numerous, along with Silver-washed Fritillaries and Woodland Graylings, with the odd Marbled White and Pearly Heath making an appearance. I was delighted to find Meleager’s and Chalkhill Blues, as they were both new species for me. As I climbed higher to around 1000m, Scotch Argus butterflies became quite abundant, although they were very reluctant to settle for me!

As I continued to ascend the landscape opened up and I soon found myself among light scrub with a whole new host of species. Crag Martins and Swifts soared above the peaks, along with what I believe to be Choughs and the odd larger bird of prey, mostly Peregrine Falcons. Thyme and Scabious flowers hugged the path’s edges, which in turned were hugged by Blue-spot Hairstreaks. One or two Mountain Small Whites were about along with the usual combination of Fritillaries (Silver-washed, High Brown and Queen of Spain). A Great Sooty Satyr perched nicely on the pathway in front of me, as did several Meadow Browns, Scotch Arguses and Graylings. The star of the show was one of the prime targets of the trip: the Apollo. The large mountain butterfly glided around the rocky pass as if it was viewing its kingdom and it had a certain ‘aura’, which despite the myriad of other species flying around, managed to totally captivate me.

Just on up from the Buljma Pass was Struge, the large alpine meadow which was as far as I had planned to go. It was odd that two locations in such close proximity would display such a contrasting range of species. Gentian flowers, Thyme, Scabious and Thistles, along with several fine grasses, dominated this area, which was fringed by clumps of Dwarf Pine, a species restricted to mountains. Mountain Small Whites and High Brown Fritillaries , along with Chalkhill Blues, were very abundant here. Several Erebia species, such as the Mountain, Black and Ottoman Brassy Ringlets flew here too which was a real highlight for me. I sat there for about 45 minutes just soaking up the atmosphere, as long as I could spare before it was time for me to begin my descent.

On my way down in addition to many species mentioned already, I saw a Brimstone and a rather fierce-looking Stag Beetle, as well as a Southern Comma and a Balkan Whip Snake. I’ll admit I didn’t pay as much attention to the wildlife on the way down, as my descent was hastened by the promise of dinner by the promenade in Zadar! My only stop was for an ice-cold beer in the hostel before meeting mum again in the car park; not a bad way to finish the hike!