Val di Pejo: a wonderful day among the glaciers of the Stelvio N.P., looking for apollos and other rare alpine butterflies

At the end of July I went, with the friend Silvio Davison, to the Pejo valley, on the southern edge of the Stelvio National Park, to look for the Phoebus Apollo, incredibly rare in eastern Alps. It came up an unforgettable day with more than 30 species of butterflies, including the stunning Cynthia’s Fritillary and both the Parnassius species.

Early blooms in the few residual natural habitats survived in Cessalto, Mansué, Piave, Storga and Treviso hills

Eastern Veneto suffered one of the most impressive assaults in Europe to whatever natural habitat going, in the lowlands, from the residual plain woodlands, to the Piave riverbed dry prairies, but even the hills were affected by the uncontrolled extend of vineyards, including the Prosecco ones, along every suitable slope!

Three weeks in Abruzzo looking for mammals, birds, orchids and butterflies

This year I led three Naturetrek groups, together with the masterly Jessica Turner and some other guides, in Abruzzo during three different weeks, two in May and one in September, discovering there an amazing variety of wildlife!

The warm season around the Paneveggio – Pale di San Martino Natural Park

The Paneveggio and Pale di San Martino Natural Park shows an amazing collection of beauties, going from the best alpine flora, to a selection of butterflies, mammals and birds typical of the Dolomites, everything flavored by the unmistakable shape of the Cimon della Pala (3,184 m), the “Matterhorn of the Dolomites”.

Birds, bears, butterflies and blooms with the arrival of spring in Slovenia

This year I led two different Naturetrek tours, one in May and one in June, in the south-western corner of Slovenia, following directly the arrival of spring, going from the left of the last snow, to the end of hibernation time for bears, to the bloom of meadows covered by innumerable flowers.

Photographing butterflies and flowers in the peaceful meadows of the Velebit (Croatia)

The Velebit range, part of the Dinaric Alps, separates two different worlds: the Adriatic sea coast, with Mediterranean and Balkan strong influences, and the interior Croatia, with much more continental features.

Leading butterfly-watching tours in the Paklenica National Park (Croatia)

During the June of the last two years, I had the great pleasure to lead, together with Josip Ledinšćak, Naturetrek butterfly-watching tours in Croatia, so I had the possibility to admire the Paklenica N. P. in perhaps the best time of the year, when insects, flowers, reptiles and birds show their best.

Summer at Plitvice with its butterflies, dragonflies and other wildlife (Croatia)

The Plitvice lakes (“Plitvička jezera“) are the most popular natural heritage in Croatia and they can be particularly crowded in summer time. Despite this, the least wildlife keeps showing with the wonderful colors of butterflies, moths and dragonflies, plus nice reptiles and amphibians.

Spring flowers hiking to the Rifugio Sassobianco (Dolomites)

In one of the few spare days among the tours, at the beginning of June, I went hiking to the Rifugio Sassobianco (1,840 m. a.s.l.), in the municipality of San Tomaso Agordino (BL), where I enjoyed the richness of Dolomites spring blooms.

The colors of spring in Sicily

I spent two weeks in south-eastern Sicily leading 2 different groups, for Naturetrek, mainly focused on birding, but I couldn’t avoid to be rapt by the beauty of the flora, the reptiles and the insects I saw.