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Istria

Birds

Istria has a wide range of species due to its broad range of environmental conditions. The Mediterranean community is well represented with subalpine and Sardinian warblers, bee-eaters and hoopoes and alpine swifts. Scops owls are abundant. Several species reach the north-western limit of their distributions including olivaceous warbler, black-headed bunting and, in recent years, lesser kestrel. Limestone gorges are breeding grounds for blue rock thrush, eagle owl and several pairs of golden eagles. The forests have several interesting woodpeckers (black, three-toed and grey-headed) and ural owls. Griffon vultures from nearby colonies on the island of Cres often put in an appearance. Wetlands are rather scarce and isolated, but there are a few such as Il Palù south of Rovigno, along the river Mirna close to the hotel and the large salinas at Seãovlje on the border between Slovenia and Croatia.

Flowers

Istria is renowned for its flora with a mixed Mediterranean, Balkan, subalpine and northern community including irises, orchids and several endemic plants. The grasslands of upper Istria are famous for their floral displays in April and May. Mediterranean maquis dominates the coast including myrtle, various species of cistus, wild sage, evergreen oak and tree heath along with terebinth and mastic trees, though the composition of the community varies greatly with geology. Moving away from the coast, and up in terms of altitude, average annual temperatures drop rapidly, allowing the appearance of northern, subalpine and even a few true alpine species to make their appearance.

Other wildlife

Butterflies abound throughout Istria. Hungarian glider, nettle-tree butterflies and scarce swallowtail are present, along with an impressive range of blues, graylings and fritillaries. Upper Istria, inland, cooler and heavily forested has few human inhabitants and is home to wolves, lynx and brown bear. Mediterranean Istria has a wide range of other wildlife including Hermann’s tortoise and the ophisaurus, Europe’s largest lizard, not unlike a giant slow-worm.

Rock thrush

Green-winged orchids (Ivan Nethercoat)