Pag Island, Croatia

Pag is a remarkable Adriatic island, unspoiled for the most part and replete with medieval history and noteworthy for its diversity of habitat types. The eastern approach from the ferry port is austere and almost moonlike in its terrain and absence of vegetation. Limestone karst prevails and is absent of colonising flora.

After crossing a stony saddle moving westward, one is rewarded with a dramatic switch to lush mixed conifer and broadleaf forest, where Stone pine, downy oak, ash and various juniper trees form the canopy. There is also a superabundance of butterflies...more than any of the other 17 countries in Europe i have been to. There is also an understory of diverse woody shrubs and wildflowers, and considerable birdlife. The fauna is punctuated with sightings of the Cat snake and Italian wall lizard.

Moving north on the one main north-south road, one encounters very rocky limestone terrain, but colonised with an assortment of woody shrubs, wildflowers and grasses. A highlight here is the architecturally fascinating pygmy forests, where conifers like Stone pine and juniperus spp. are only one seventh their normal height. One can take a sidetrip to several coastline areas, but there are literally no sand beaches; it is as though the rocky coastal scrub encounters the Adriatic Sea without warning, at an abrupt rocky shoreline.

Near the northern end of the island lies a sizable area of pristine anscient olive dominant forest, with one specimen datng to the year 1 AD, according to the Preserve management. There are centuries old drystone walls distinguishing property rights to pick the wild olive trees. Here there are also taxa that are adapted to the rocky limestone terrain, including certain junipers, ash and oak.

Toward the southern end of the island there is the eponymous village of Pag, where centuries old saltworks and evaporation ponds have altered the mudflats and marshes, yielding the most disturbed habitat. Even in this vicinity there are interesting saline tolerant taxa and expansive coastal landscapes featuring many grass species.

a

Posted on May 22, 2017 11:54 AM by c_michael_hogan c_michael_hogan

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Feral Pigeon (Columba livia var. domestica)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 15, 2017 11:18 AM PDT

Description

Within the Roman ampitheatre

Photos / Sounds

What

Cedars (Genus Cedrus)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 15, 2017 12:13 PM PDT

Description

This conifer stands about fifteen metres high

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 11:20 AM PDT

Description

In a coastal mixed pine oak forest

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

European Cat Snake (Telescopus fallax)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 16, 2017 08:46 PM PDT

Description

Snake moving at evening

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Mediterranean Hartwort (Tordylium apulum)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 08:19 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 08:19 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Dog-Rose (Rosa canina)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 08:23 AM PDT

Description

This thorny shrub was seen along a sunny exposure in the pine oak juniper forest here

Photos / Sounds

What

Mediterranean Spotted Chafer (Oxythyrea funesta)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 08:25 AM PDT

Description

The subject of this observation is the assembly of beetles on the flower. They seem to be doing more than pollinating.

Photos / Sounds

What

Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 08:26 AM PDT

Description

The subject of this obsevation is the caterpillar at lower center image posed on a sidebranch of this thistle

Photos / Sounds

What

Manna Ash (Fraxinus ornus)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 08:37 AM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Nodding Thistle (Carduus nutans)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 08:41 AM PDT

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Holm Oak (Quercus ilex)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 08:32 AM PDT

Description

The subject is the tall oak about fifteen metres high

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Large Crane Flies (Family Tipulidae)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 09:08 AM PDT

Description

Seen dead in the bootom of a drinking glass on the resort patio. /tge gass was ckeab abd dry

Photos / Sounds

What

Italian Thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:15 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:17 PM PDT

Description

This sheep was grazing wild and unattended in the protected olive forest

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Fig (Ficus carica)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:25 PM PDT

Description

This fig tree was one of several seen growing in the wild olive forest. Note the drystone wall is centuries old, when ancient farmers tried to establish property rights.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Italian Arum (Arum italicum)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:28 PM PDT

Description

In bloom under a wild olive tree

Photos / Sounds

What

European White Waterlily (Nymphaea alba)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:35 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Thymes (Genus Thymus)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:37 PM PDT

Description

This small herb in flower is about ten cm high

Photos / Sounds

What

Shield Lichens, Rim Lichens, and Allies (Order Lecanorales)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:37 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:42 PM PDT

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Olive (Olea europaea)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:48 PM PDT

Description

This olive tree has been dated by the Preserve at age approximately 2000 years. It is in bloom today. The trunk circumference at chest height is about twelve metres.

Photos / Sounds

What

Sunburst Lichens, Firedots, and Allies (Family Teloschistaceae)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 12:50 PM PDT

Description

On a boulder

Photos / Sounds

What

Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis siculus)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 01:06 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Animated Oat (Avena sterilis)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 01:35 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Branched Asphodel (Asphodelus ramosus)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 01:39 PM PDT

Description

The subjects of this observation are the dozens of foreground plants, each of which stands only about sixty cm high. There are only a few species well adapted to colonise and thrive on the rocky limestone parts of Pag Island.

Photos / Sounds

What

Japanese Cheesewood (Pittosporum tobira)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 03:39 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Tamarisks (Genus Tamarix)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 03:40 PM PDT

Description

This saltcedar is about ten metres high and is growing near the Adriatic coastline

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Medicks (Genus Medicago)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 03:42 PM PDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Reed (Phragmites australis)

Observer

c_michael_hogan

Date

May 17, 2017 04:02 PM PDT

Comments

No comments yet.

Add a Comment

Sign In or Sign Up to add comments