Montenegro birdwatching tour, Lake Skadar and the Bojana Delta

Guided bird watching holiday (based on min. 2 persons)

Price - from £ 730 per person, including 7 nights accommodation at Villa Miela, welcome dinner and 5 guided birding excursions with lunch.

Enjoy an incredible week birdwatching in untamed nature at Montenegro's Lake Skadar National Park. One of Europe's top five sites for wintering birds, vast Lake Skadar and its connected Bojana Delta are both Important Bird Areas and stunningly beautiful too. Home to the rare Dalmatian pelican and the world's second largest colony of pygmy cormorant, come here at any time of year and you will have the chance to see wetland life in all its glory, from glossy ibis and squacco heron to bitterns, grebes, egrets, terns and more. Over 280 different species of bird are attracted by the variety of habitats at these amazing and extensive wetlands (more than 200 square kilometres in all), including open water, floating vegetation, rocky shores, marshland , rushing rivers and forested hinterland.

Combining hiking, boat and kayak tours, we will take you to the best spots to see a thrilling array of birds, all the while taking in some of the most stunning scenery Montenegro has to offer.

Your base for the week, beautifully restored Villa Miela, is right inside Lake Skadar's National Park borders and a prime site for birdwatching in its own right. Suitable for families, couples and small groups, it is set high on the hillside with panoramic views over mountain, valley and lake. Watch out for birds of prey from the terrace and even the occasional eagle! Sample itinerary below.
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Excursion 1:
Manastirska Tapija and Morača Delta reserves by kayak - this 100%
eco-trip involves a 6-hour circular kayak trip from Virpazar. Circling the twin-peaked island of Vranjina, you will paddle through two of the lake's best bird reserves, enjoying sightings of pygmy cormorants, herons (night, squacco, grey, purple), bitterns, grebes (great crested, little), egrets, terns and more. Led by a UK-qualified kayak instructor, you can get closer to the birdlife than you'd ever imagine! Packed lunch included.

All kayaking equipment provided. _______________________________________________________________________________________

Excursion 2:
Boat trip to see Dalmatian pelicans - with a 3m wingspan, the Dalmatian pelican is one of the world's heaviest flying birds. Our partners will ferry you by private boat to the lake's remote Northern shores, where you will have the chance to see this rare and magnificent bird's breeding grounds. Lunch included - just bring a book (it's a 6 hour round trip) and your best binoculars!

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Excursion 3:
The valley surrounding the Orahovo river is a wonderful place to go hiking, and with its plethora of natural swimming pools, river
channels and undisturbed forest, it's also the perfect environment to see species like kingfishers and bee eaters, with buzzards and even
the odd eagle swooping over the rocky mountain outcrops above you. Set a fast shutter speed and keep your camera ready! Packed lunch and hiking guide included.
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Excursion 4:
Field trip with a birding expert - leave no avian unidentified as you head out onto the lake for the day with a National Park birding expert. If you'd rather head into the mountains to monitor birds of prey - or if there's a bird in particular you're keen to track down - this can also be arranged - it all depends on what you'd like to see. Follow their lead or set the pace - lunch and translation (if required) provided. _______________________________________________________________________________________

Excursion 5:
Trip to the Ulcinj Saltpans. The Ulcinj Saltpans, right by the Albanian border (but only an hour's drive away), consist of a series of shallow pans, largely without vegetation, where a further 241 bird species have been recorded. This site is most exciting during migration and winter, when it attracts up to 20,000 waterbirds, including a hundred or so Dalmatian Pelicans and even a few Greater Flamingos and some 100 pairs of Collared Pratincole. Spotting scopes recommended! _______________________________________________________________________________________

Contact us to discuss your ideal birding tour at Lake Skadar. We can cater for a maximum group size of eight.

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