176
that are distinct from those of other pipits (Tree Pipit A. 
trivialis, Meadow Pipit A. pratensis, Water Pipit A. spinoletta 
or Tawny Pipit A. campestris) present in the area. The birds 
were hiding in the grass and were difficult to observe owing 
to their quick movements and “rodent” type behaviour. 
After some time, however, we were able to observe them 
long enough to establish that they were in the first winter 
plumage as depicted in Collins Field Guide [Mullarney, 
K., Svensson, L., Zetterstöm, D & Grant, P.J. (1999): 
The most complete field guide to the Birds of Britain and 
Europe. − Harper Collins, London]. Unfortunately, we were 
not in position to photograph them. Red-throated Pipits are 
considered accidental and rare species in Croatia [Kralj, 
J. & Radovi}, D. (2002): Rare birds in Croatia. 1st Report 
of the Croatian Rarities Committee. − Larus 48: 73−83; 
Kralj, J. (2005): Rare birds in Croatia. 2nd Report of the 
Croatian Rarities Committee. − Larus 49: 37−51]. Until 
this observation, only 21 individuals had been observed or 
ringed on five occasions in the Mediterranean part of Croatia 
from Pag Island to the Neretva delta. They have never been 
recorded in the continental part of Croatia, including 
Kopa~ki rit Nature Park. This observation is therefore the 
first of this species in this area, making the 294th species on 
the checklist. It is interesting that Red-throated Pipits have 
been regular migrants during spring and autumn in nearby 
Hungary and the Vojvodina region, Serbia, where the senior 
author (J. Mikuska) had a chance to observe them on several 
occasions at Lake Ludasko and Kapetanski rit.
Tomik Adrian, Department of Biology, University of Osijek, Lj. Gaja 6, 
HR−31000 Osijek, Croatia, e−mail: adrian.tomik1@os.htnet.hr  
József Mikuska, Department of Biology, University of Osijek, Lj. Gaja 6, 
HR−31000 Osijek, Croatia, e−mail: amikuska@ffos.hr
Alma Mikuska, Department of Biology, University of Osijek, Lj. Gaja 6, 
HR−31000 Osijek, Croatia, e−mail: amikuska@ffos.hr 
Citronasta pastirica Motacilla citreola
Citrine Wagtail − one observed on 29 Apr 2004 
initially in a bush and eventually in flight above a 
wet meadow at Donje blato (UTM XH75, Kor~ula 
Island, S Dalmatia); the record was confirmed by the 
National Rarities Committee
Dne 29.4.2004 sva obiskala mo~virne travnike Donje blato 
pri mestu Kor~ula na otoku Kor~ula v ju`ni Dalmaciji. Tam 
sva ob prvi mlaki nekje na sredini travnikov na grmovju 
opazila majhno ptico, ki je nisva takoj prepoznala, kljub 
uporabi teleskopa in daljnogleda. Ptica je bila delno zakrita 
z vejami, tako da nama je bila razkrita le prva polovica 
telesa. Bila je rumena po glavi in sedela je na grmu, zato 
sva takoj pomislila na rumenega Emberiza citrinella ali pa 
plotnega strnada Emberiza cirlus. Zaradi posebnega vzorca 
rumene barve na glavi sva obe vrsti strnada izlo~ila. @ivo 
rumeni podbradek se je nadaljeval v polkro`no rumeno ~rto, 
ki se je kon~ala kot rumena nado~esna ~rta s koncem pri 
o~esu. Preostali del glave je bil rumeno rjav. Ptica je najinega 
oprezanja imela o~itno dovolj, in je odletela. V letu sva 
prepoznala zna~ilni let pastirice, kar naju je v kombinaciji z 
rumeno glavo napeljalo na rumeno pastirico Motacilla flava, 
vendar sva potem opazila siv hrbet, kar naj bi govorilo o 
sivi pastirici Motacilla cinerea. Potem ko sva se “posvetovala” 
s Collinsovim priro~nikom za opazovanje ptic, sva izlo~ila 
vse podvrste rumenih pastiric, prav tako siva pastirica nima 
rumene glave. V opazovanem osebku sva tako prepoznala 
citronasto pastirico. Bila je bodisi samec ali samica v zimskem 
perju. Kljub intenzivnemu iskanju in ve~kratnim obiskom 
Donjega blata pa citronaste pastirice nisva ve~ videla. Prav 
zlahka bi se skrila v grmovju ali med mnogimi rumenimi 
pastiricami, ki so ta kraj izkori{~ale kot selitveno postojanko. 
Le-teh sva na{tela {tiriin{tirideset (44). Podatek je potrdila 
Nacionalna komisija za redkosti.
Dejan Bordjan, Ulica 8. februarja 50, SI−2204 Milklav`, Slovenija, e−mail: 
dejanonih@email.si
Jernej Polajnar, Ka{ova 15d, SI−3212 Vojnik, Slovenija, e−mail: 
j@biologija.org
^rno~eli srakoper Lanius minor
Lesser Grey Shrike − on 10 Aug 2004, two young 
individuals were spotted in a tree on the edge of a 
stony pasture at Velo blato (UTM WK00, Pag Island, 
W Croatia); every few minutes an adult individual 
appeared
Dne 10.8.2004 sva se odpravila na Velo blato na otoku Pag. 
Tam sva opazovala dva mlada ~rno~ela srakoperja, h katerima 
je vsakih nekaj minut priletel odrasel osebek. Mlada osebka 
sta sedela vrh nizkega drevesa na robu ograjenega kamnitega 
travnika na pobo~ju SV od Velega blata. Zanimivo je, da 
gnezdenje ~rno~elega srakoperja {e ni bilo zabele`eno za 
hrva{ke otoke – razen za otok Krk [Rucner, D. (1998): Ptice 
hrvatske obale Jadrana. – Hrvatski prirodoslovni muzej, 
Ministrstvo razvitka i obnove, Zagreb]. Hranjenje mladih 
pa vsekakor ka`e na mo`no gnezdenje, ~eprav je datum 
nekoliko pozen.
Dejan Bordjan, Ulica 8. februarja 50, SI−2204 Miklav`, Slovenija, e−mail: 
dejanonih@email.si
Ana Vidmar, Polan{kova 8, SI−1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija, e−mail: 
ana_vidmar@email.si
Travni{ki vrabec Passer hispaniolensis
Spanish Sparrow − several observations of Spanish 
Sparrows during the Student Research Camp on 
Kor~ula Island (Dalmatia, W Croatia) in 2004; the 
first observation on 24 Apr 2004 concerned two 
Iz ornitolo{ke bele`nice / From the ornithological notebook
177
Acrocephalus 27 (130/131): 173−181, 2006 
individuals frequenting the area near the village of 
^ara (UTM XH55); on 26 Apr 2004, we saw ten 
individuals in three groups near the town of Lumbarda 
(UTM XH75); on 27 Apr 2004, we observed five 
individuals in Postrana town; our last observation 
made on 28 Apr 2004 comprised forty individuals 
hiding in the bushes near the Vela luka − Cape Privala 
road (UTM XH45)
Med {tudentskim biolo{kim taborom na otoku Kor~uli v 
letu 2004 smo se ve~krat sre~ali s travni{kimi vrabci. Prvi~ 
smo jih opazili dne 24.4.2004 pri naselju ^ara, in sicer dva 
osebka, ki sta se kopala v obcestnem pesku. Dne 26.4.2004 
smo pri naselju Lumbarda opazovali v treh skupinah 
deset osebkov, dne 27.4.2004 pa smo med poslu{anjem 
smrdokavre Upupa epops v naselju Postrana opazili pet 
osebkov, ki so se zadr`evali v bli`ini hi{. Nazadnje smo se 
sre~ali s to vrsto 28.4.2004 pri kalu ob cesti, ki vodi od Vele 
Luke proti rtu Privala. Opazovali smo {tirideset osebkov, ki 
so se skrivali po grmovju.
Dejan Bordjan, Ulica 8. februarja 50, SI−2204 Miklav`, Slovenija, e−mail: 
dejanonih@email.si
Bosna in Hercegovina / Bosnia and 
Herzegovina
Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
Rde~a lastovka − najdeni dve gnezdi: 29.10.2006 pri 
vasi Raji}i v dolini Dre`nice (UTM YJ12 Z od Mostarja) 
ter v jami Velika pe}ina (UTM YH38, J od Blagaja)
More than 20 years ago, S. Obratil gave an overview of 
the area inhabited by the Red-rumped Swallow in Bosnia 
and Herzegovina [Obratil (1982): Areal lastavice pe}inske 
Hirundo daurica rufala Temm. U SR Bosni i Hercegovini. − 
Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja, Prirodne nauke, nova serija, 21: 
173−182], in which he referred to four localities: the western 
part of Popovo polje, Hutovo blato, the Bregava valley 
upstream from Stolac and near the town of Gornja Grabovica 
on the Mostar − Sarajevo road. Now we can add two more 
localities to this list. The first is a small cave above the village 
of Raji}i in the Dre`nica valley (northwest from Mostar) 
(UTM YJ12) along the road leading to Mala ^vrsnica, which 
we visited on 29 Oct 2006. The second is Velika pe}ina, not 
far from Izvor Bunice (UTM YH38) south from Blagaj near 
Mostar, which we explored on 5 Nov 2006. In both caves, 
only nests were found, without the presence of birds, which is 
normal for that time of the year.
Jasminko Mulaomerovi}, B. Zenuni 6, BA−71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, e−mail: jasminko.mulaomerovic@bhtelecom.ba
Ilhan Dervovi}, Viso~kih brigada 36, BA−71300, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
e−mail: vidravisoko@gmail.com 
Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria
Skalni plezal~ek − 1 osebek opa`en dne 27.8.2006 
na gori ^vrsnici (UTM YJ12, S Hercegovina)
After some of the rare genuine mountaineers in Bosnia 
and Herzegovina, led by Faruk Zahirovi} and Zdravko 
Ra{tegorec, made the first bivouac in Zakamenica (UTM 
YJ12, N Herzegovina) under the cliff called Veliki kuk on Mt 
^vrsnica and set up some ropes to secure the path, the valley 
of Grabovica became one of the most visited places of this 
mountain. On 27 Aug 2006, Kenan Pa{i}, Ilhan Dervovi} 
and I went there to shoot some material for a documentary 
that had been in the making for almost three years. The visit 
to the left canyon (towards the entries to the alpinist routes) 
was rewarded with a Wallcreeper, spotted on a rock on 
the left side above the first metal steps. The ornithological 
literature of Bosnia and Herzegovina [Obratil, S. (1966): 
Pregled istra`ivanja ornitofaune Bosne i Hercegovine (I 
dio). – Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja Bosne i Hercegovine u 
Sarajevu, Prirodne nauke, nova serija V: 191−268] makes no 
mention of this bird on Mt ^vrsnica.
Jasminko Mulaomerovi}, B. Zenuni 6, BA−71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, e−mail: jasminko.mulaomerovic@bhtelecom.ba
Alpine Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus
Planinska kavka – jata 375 osebkov opa`ena dne 
29.10.2006 nad Malo ^vrsnico (UTM YJ12, SZ od 
Mostarja)
During our speleological explorations implemented in the 
last few years we have been intensively noting down all 
information on the occurrence and nesting of Alpine Cough 
on the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These are 
mostly smaller flocks nesting in certain pits and caves. The 
excursion to the valley of Dre`nica (north−west of Mostar) 
on 29 Oct 2006 and the ascent along the old shepherd road 
towards Mala ^vrsnica led us to the “bench” at Borovi rat. 
From one side, an unforgettable view of the ^vrsnica valley 
and Mt ^abulja opens up, while from the other side the 
peaks of Krst and Srednji rat (UTM YJ12) of Mala ^vrsnica 
are to be seen. Exactly above this second peak, a flock of 
Alpine Choughs appeared at the end of the day. Thanks to 
the photograph, I was able to count 375 birds. Besides me, 
Ilhan Dervovi} and Salko Lali}, a local man from Gornja 
Dre`nica, were there to see the unusual sight. 
Jasminko Mulaomerovi}, B. Zenuni 6, BA−71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and 
Herzegovina, e−mail: jasminko.mulaomerovic@bhtelecom.ba