19 July 2018

The minor road starts just before the Učka road tunnel and runs up in a series of hairpins through wooded hills with views of limestone crags  At the top, there are numerous marked paths that lead off into woodlands and a restaurant with a blue haze view to the south of Rijeka and the island of Cres. Here there are ancient forests of beech with glades where the sun traps butterflies and plants.

Pearly heath is more common than small heath

Meadow brown

Red dead nettle species

Grayling

Orchid past its best

Martagon lily

Beech longhorn bettle

Great banded grayling

The path runs out into an uneven plateau of scrub and grassland.  A family of red-backed shrikes are noisy and sit on the tops of juniper bushes.  A single buzzard mews and woodlarks and linnets make brief appearances. The plants and butterflies are easier to see and abundant; simply dazzling in their diversity.  The Balkans were an important glacial refuge and remain a key biodiversity hotspot in Europe.

Pinks and grasses

Limestone grassland

Small tortoiseshell on scabious

Round-headed leek

Bloody cranesbill

Amanda’s blue perhaps

Woodland ringlet

Scarce swallowtail on betony

Marbled white

Possibly high brown fritillary

Queen of Spain fritillary

Dianthus carthusianorum was very common across the grasslands

Spiked speedwell

Lousewort species

Grape hyacinth species

Clustered bellflower

Cross gentian – foodplant of the Alcon blue

Another lousewort species

The limestone cliffs on the road to the satellite station are a rock garden of beautiful plants.  These hills need weeks to explore; today is a quick but wonderful splash in the pool.

Bellflower species on cliff; possibly Campanula tommassiniana

Sloe hairstreak perhaps

The view from the satellite station down to the sea

Dianthus monspessulanus on the cliff with the Campanula