Trogon Photo Tours

Slovenia Birds and Bears

May 23-June 3, 2023

Photo tour:  Join Jure Novak to photograph the mammals and birds of Slovenia.  Slovenia is one of the best locations to photograph the European Brown Bear and a large number of bird species including Hoopoes, Bee-eaters and Ural Owl.  It also a spectacularly beautiful country for landscapes and Iphone photography, has good food and accommodation options and is very safe.  We will visit different regions of Slovenia each with it's own set of wildlife.  The forest of the Southeast with European Brown Bears, owls and more.  The marsh areas of the Northeast have an abundance of both water birds and flashy species like Bee-eaters and Hoopoes.  We will be photographing mostly from hides, although there are plenty of walking opportunities and landscape photography opportunities if you are so inclined.  There will be wine tasting and other activities organized for the nonphotographer spouses which are included in your tour cost.

Cost and logistics: The cost of this photo tour is $6,250 per photographer, with a single supplement of $700.  The cost for a nonphotographer spouse/companion to attend the workshop is $5,700.  The deposit to reserve your spot is $1,700, with the remaining balance due 90 days prior to the start of the workshop.  Included in the tour cost are lodging, meals, transportation, hide and property use fees, guiding and instruction.  Not included are flights to and from Slovenia.   



Leaders: Jure Novak

Number of participants: Maximum of 6 photographers plus companions. 

Equipment needed:  The longer the lens the more opportunities you will have.  However some of the subjects can be at fairly close range.  The minimum size lens that you would want to have would be 300mm.  For the bears a zoom lens is also important. 

May 23rd - Arrival to Ljubljana, Slovenia, transfer from airport to a 3 or 4 star hotel, dinner.   

May 24th - Transfer by van to the Southeast - Dolenjska region of Slovenia.  Check in to a nice country house.  Afternoon Brown Bear photography session from 3-8 pm.  Accommodation: A nice lodge in the country,

May 25th-27th  We will spend 3 full days photographing Europeant Brown Bears, Red Fox and forest birds here in the Dolenjska region.  The bears and other mammals tend to be most active in the afternoon and evening so it's likely we will be focusing more on birds in the mornings and mammals in the afternoon and evening.  Ural Owls and Woodpeckers are some of the interesting birds. 

May 28th - Morning bird photography session followed by transfer to the Maribor region in the Central Slovenia.  Afternoon bird hide photography for forest birds including Woodpeckers, Tits, and other songbirds.  Sometimes Common Buzzard comes to this blind. Accommodation: A nice hotel in Maribor. 

May 29th - This morning we will go to an area where Little Owls are often active with their young and photograph them from hides.  In the afternoon we will visit the Kingfisher hide where you can also photograph a variety of other water birds.  Accommodation: A nice hotel in Maribor.    

May 30th - This morning we will photograph a variety of waterbirds at a large wetland.  Great Crested Grebes, Mute Swans, Ferruginous Ducks and Little Bitterns are a few of the species we will target.  After lunch we will check out and transfer to the Northeast region of Slovenia where we will be staying at a lodge which is location on a winery.  Afternoon bird photography at the water birds hides which are excellent for Common Kingfisher, Little Bittern and others. Accommodation: a beautiful winery in the country.   

May 31st and June 1st - 2 full days of bird photography in the Northeast of Slovenia including Bee-eaters, Hoopoes, Cuckoos, Woodpeckers and many waterbirds.  Wine tasting is an activity both photographers and spouses can participate in.  Accommodation: Lodge located at a winery. 

June 2nd - Morning bird photography session in the hides followed by transfer back to Ljubjana and a nice hotel near the airport.  Or you can continue on with our Hungary Bird Photography Tour.   

June 3rd - Fly home with a lot of beautiful photos and memories.