| Dave Gosney | Easybirder | 2023 | Paperback | 40 Pages | ISBN: 9781907316630 | £9.50p |

The Publisher’s View:

There’s more to Montenegro than spectacular scenery and more to Herzegovina than the picturesque town of Mostar. This book takes you to fabulous wetlands such as Lake Skadar, Hutovo Blato and Ulcinj salinas and to dramatic mountain areas such as Durmitor, Lovcen and Blidinje so you too can find the key species of this delightful corner of eastern Europe.

Dave Gosney writes: ‘‘Until recently this beautiful area had been neglected by many birders but my recent visit proved that there are lots of good birds to be found: Pygmy Cormorants, Collared Pratincoles and Dalmatian Pelicans on the lakes, eagles, woodpeckers, gamebirds and Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush in the mountains, Sombre Tit, Ortolan Bunting, Rock Nuthatch and Rock Partridge in the hills, Roller and Calandra Lark on the plains and Levant Sparrowhawk and Syrian Woodpecker in the woods. In places the commonest birds are Whiskered Tern, Olivaceous Warbler or Black-eared Wheatear and, outside the breeding season, Red-footed Falcon is numerous and Wallcreeper is possible. And the scenery is unbeatable.” 

Sample pages

Sites covered

Unique features

Compared to other publications covering the same area, this one:

  • Provides the most useful maps – so you can easily find your way to the best bits of wetland, hillside or grasslands
  • Includes GPS co-ordinates to help you find the right turnings, parking spaces or viewing points
  • Highlights the best areas only – and summarises the key attraction in the first paragraph so you can easily decide whether to read on or bother to visit the site
  • Has a map on the inside cover which serves as an index so you can easily find any site in the book
  • Is light and portable (and cheap)
  • Is updated in the free update pageson this website, giving details of what other birders have found at these sites

The Author: Dave Gosney… in his own words: I am the author of the Finding Birds in series of books. My mission is to produce books and DVDs to give you the best possible chance of finding your most wanted birds when you go birding abroad.

Fatbirder View: I’ve reviewed dozens of David’s booklets over the years and have never had a bad word for them… these are no exception. They are perfect little guides for the regions. Succinct, ever up to date, eminently portable and with precise notes on where the sought-after birds can be found. I’ve used them in the field as an adjunct to self-guided trips in Europe and beyond. The idiosyncratic maps are exactly what you need, especially as, these days, you get a GPS co-ordinate too. It’s around forty years since I was in Montenegro and Croatia and I dare say mass tourism has had a toll on biodiversity and modern agriculture has had an impact of bird numbers. Nevertheless, this part of Europe, especially away from the coast, still has a lot of wild places and empty areas where terrain too difficult to farm or build upon has helped preserve the wildlife.

Are those simple tavernas still hugging the coastline offering limited menus of fish fresh from the sea and salad grown out back? Some of those pretty towns with preserved or restored mediaeval architecture still delight. Visiting birders can still enjoy bee-eaters and shrikes, wheatear species and  rock nuthatches and all those ‘everyday birds’ we don’t get to see at home. Dave makes that easy through these super little guides.

Buy this direct from the author HERE

Fatbirder