Day 1-2, Sun, Mon 14-15 June 2026   Deliblato Sands NP

Arrival at Belgrade Airport, from where a short drive of around 50km takes us to Deliblato Sands nature reserve, only 40km from the Romanian border. Mostly wooded by now (pine, birch and false acacia), the sands are still 35 km long and 11 km wide, a unique habitat, referred to as the “Pannonian or European Sahara”. Key species here include the endemic and rare local subspecies of Zephyr Blue, and the habitat in general is simply stunning.

We will explore the Deliblatsko Sands and at the nearby areas.  Deliblato is a UNESCO World Heritage site originally formed in the ice age and covering some 35,000 hectares.  It has a rich flora of some 900 species and is considered one of the most important centres of biodiversity in all of Europe.  Birds include Imperial Eagle, Steppe Falcon and, nearer the Danube, Pygmy Cormorant.  It is a prime butterfly area of Serbia with 88 species recorded.  Aside from Zephyr Blues, Cardinals are often plentiful here and, if we are lucky, we may see some late Southern Festoons.

Overnight in Vrsac

Day 3-4, Tue, Wed 16-17 June   Iron gates NP

 After breakfast, we continue along slow roads towards the Djerdap Gorge National Park, internationally known as Iron Gates after its old Roman name Porta Ferea. The Park stretches along the right bank of the Danube River from the well-preserved 15th century 9-tower Golubac Castle to the Iron Gates Dam near the town of Kladovo.  The Danube represents the border between Serbia and Romania and the two countries share responsibility for this huge, protected area.  The gorge cuts through the Carpathian Mountains for over 100 kms with cliffs rising to 300m in places.

We will have a full day butterflying along the dirt roads through the dense deciduous forests of the National Park which extends to 64,000 hectares.  Habitats here include a large lake, exposed limestone cliffs and broad-leaved deciduous woods. We will be looking for Freyer’s Purple Emperor, Camberwell Beauty, Lattice Brown, Lesser Lattice Brown, Tufted Marbled Skipper, Orbed Red-underwing Skipper, Eastern Festoon, Hairstreaks, Turquoise Blue, Amandas Blue, Russian Heath and Balkan Marbled White in the area. This is a great area to watch out for Golden and Short-toed Eagles. Black Stork Rock Partridge are amongst some of the specialist birds and 104 species of butterfly have been recorded.  The scenery is spectacular and the whole area has been classed by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.  Possible Chamois sighting!

Overnight in Donji Milanovic

Day 5-8, Thur, Fri, Sat 18-21 June     Stara Planina NP

 This morning, we visit Mt Stoll, exploring the open grassland and scrub habitats. In the afternoon we continue to the world-famous butterfly haven of Stara Planina, where our hotel is surrounded by butterfly-filled flower meadows. This is the most mountainous region of Serbia which is close to the Bulgaria border and 116 species of butterfly have been recorded here, together with 200+ species of birds and some 30 mammals.

Three full day’s butterflying in different and remote parts of Stara Planina, looking for the famous False Comma, also False Eros Blue and Lesser Lattice Brown.  Other target species include Balkan White, Northern Wall Brown, Russian Heath, Eastern Large Heath, Bulgarian-, Almond-eyed and Bright-eyed Ringlets, Geranium and Mountain Argus, Amandas Blue, Balkan Copper, Hungarian and Common Glider, Emperors, Freyer’s and Bog Fritillary.

Overnight Stara Planina Resort

Day 8, Sun, 22 June

Morning at Stara Planina, then drive back to Belgrade (4.5 hrs non-stop). Fly out tonight, or overnight and fly out on 23rd

Mallow Skipper

Marbled Skipper

Tufted Marbled Skipper

Orbed Red Under Skipper

Safflower Skipper

Yellow-banded Skipper

Grizzled Skipper

Large Chequered Skipper

Chequered Skipper

Essex Skipper

Small Skipper

Lulworth Skipper

Large Skipper

Southern Festoon

Eastern Festoon

Apollo

Common Swallowtail

Scarce Swallowtail

Wood White

Orange Tip

Black-veined White

Large White

Green-veined White

Small White

Southern Small White

Balkan G-v White

Eastern Bath White

Clouded Yellow

Berger’s Clouded Yellow

Brimstone

Small Copper

Sooty Copper

Large Copper

Scarce Copper

Purple Shot Copper

Lesser Fiery Copper

Balkan Copper

Purple Hairstreak

Green Hairstreak

Blue-spot Hairstreak

White-letter Hairstreak

Ilex Hairstreak

Sloe Hairstreak

Long-tailed Blue

Small Blue

Short-tailed Blue

Holly Blue

Eastern Baton Blue

Chequered Blue

Green-underside Blue

Large Blue

Alcon Blue

Balkan Zephyr Blue

Silver-studded Blue

Idas Blue

Reverdin’s Blue

Blue Argus

Brown Argus

Mazarine Blue

Amanda’s Blue

Turquoise Blue

Chapman’s Blue

Common Blue

False Eros Blue

Meleager’s Blue

Anomalous Blue

Silver-washed Fritillary

Cardinal

Dark Green Fritillary

High Brown Fritillary

Niobe Fritillary

Queen of Spain

Lesser Marbled Fritillary

Marbled Fritillary

Twin-spot Fritillary

Bog Fritillary

Pearl-bordered Fritillary

Weaver’s Fritillary

Knapweed Fritillary

Glanville Fritillary

Lesser Spotted Fritillary

Spotted Fritillary

False Heath Fritillary

Heath Fritillary

Nickerl’s Fritillary

Freyer’s Fritillary

Red Admiral

Painted Lady

Peacock

Small Tortoiseshell

Comma

Large Tortoiseshell

False Comma

Camberwell Beauty

Map

White Admiral

Southern White Admiral

Poplar Admiral

Purple Emperor

Lesser Purple Emperor

Freyer’s Purple Emperor

Common Glider

Hungarian Glider

Speckled Wood

Large Wall Brown

Northern Wall Brown

Wall Brown

Lattice Brown

Lesser Lattice Brown

Ringlet

Meadow Brown

Small Heath

Chestnut Heath

Pearly Heath

Russian Heath

Eastern Large Heath

Large Ringlet

Woodland Ringlet

Bright-eyed Ringlet

Almond-eyed Ringlet

Bulgarian Ringlet

Marbled White

Balkan Marbled White

Great Sooty Satyr

Great Banded Grayling

Eastern Rock Grayling

The 2025 trip report will be published here soon