Eco Hvar received this request for advice on September 2nd 2024:
"We are a birdwatching couple that will be visiting Hvar island from this Monday till Friday. Would you be able to share with us popular trails of watching birds? Specifically, also good places to watch bird migration? We are staying near Zavala on the island. Thanks in advance!"
Our reply:
"Many thanks for your inquiry. Unfortunately our resident birdwatcher Steve Jones has left Hvar due to family reasons, so it is difficult for us to recommend the best places for birdwatching. It is also true that bird numbers have declined dramatically over the past few years. This year the hot summer also seems to have taken its toll.
That said, we hope that around Zavala you will be able to enjoy some birdlife, especially if you head towards Gromin Dolac; other possible good areas are the upper track above Zavala towards Humac; the area around Soline near Vrboska; the pond in the Stari Grad Plain.
I expect you've seen the birdwatching reports on our website? Steve made an interesting report in the spring this year. If you look back over his reports from September / October from past years, you should get some idea of what to expect in the area between Stari Grad / Dol and Jelsa / Vrboska. For instance from October 2018.
It seems the bee-eaters have already left, also the swallows. The Scops owl has not been in evidence round my way in the last few days, whereas the eagle owl has been calling, which I always take as a sign of changing seasons. Your visit may be too early to see the cranes migrating, but you may well see others gathering and making their way our...
I'm sorry not to be able to help more, as we don't have 'trails' for birdwatchers. But you may find local people in Zavala who are interested and can give you some better guidance."
The birdwatchers' report:
"Thanks a lot for your extensive reply. We ended up visiting the Stari Grad pond (which due to the weather was more a puddle) and the airport field, the area near Soline and we paid attention to birds near our stay in Gromin Dolac.
We managed to (primarily) hear and see multiple bee-eaters during our stay (probably migratory birds), saw a Short-toed Snake eagle near the airport field, as well as Eurasian Sparrowhawk,
We also saw Tawny Pipit, Barn Swallows and Northern Wheatear, besides Red-Backed Shrike and Blackcap .
Near the Soline beach, we saw six (!) European Turtle Doves, but nothing else worth mentioning.
Most exciting was probably overhearing multiple Black-Crowned Night herons in Gromin Dolac at night (still needs to be confirmed, but we have high hopes!). We also overheard Scops owl, but only once.
Thanks again for providing us with the information, we really appreciate it!"
We in turn are extremely grateful to these keen birdwatchers for sharing their experiences on Hvar with us, we hope they will come again for a longer stay.
