Greetings. I'm interested in seeing the Dalmation Pelicans on Shkodra Lake in May this year. So far I've been able to determine that they are closest to a village called Zogaj in Albania. It is suggested to take a kayak tour from this location but no info on who might do this. Anyone have better info on how to respectfully see these magnificent birds? My best info comes from here:
Dalmatian Pelicans Rock | Birdingplaces
Thanks!
- Todd
I've hired a small boat and boatman at the western end of Shkodra/Skadar Lake in Vizpara, Montenegro. Vizpara lies between the lake and the M2 highway, the entrance being at the P16 access road; a few metres down the short P16 is a sizable car park sharply on your left. You can go to the visitor centre and politely decline a seat on the larger boats to emphasise you want a smaller boat (normally a maximum of 6 people, but the day we went we were the only two aboard). If you Google Shkodra/Skadar Lake, go to satellite view, you can see the information centre in this tiny village.
The small boat goes through the extensive reedbeds for about 1.5km (1 mile) on to the main lake, and then turns left under the road bridge for about 5km, skirting the reedbeds and into places that the larger boats (which tend just to go sightseeing round the main lake) cannot enter. There were about a dozen Dalmatian Pelicans cruising around on the water, but were outnumbered by the Great White Pelicans. Our boatman/guide told us that the main breeding colony on Shkodra/Skadar was in the extensive reedbeds along the north shore - if the birds are active, you could see them well, but if not, they could be out of sight in those reedbeds. Furthermore, they may be site-faithful for a few years, but may move from one year to another. Instead, he always suggests that a few were more likely to be seen in the area we explored after going under the road bridge, but he was always willing to go wherever his passengers insisted.
The small boats have a lightweight arched canopy roof, being made of reeds on the older boats like ours. We were out for about 5 hours in early May - it wasn't expensive, but at least we were out of the sun, but if it's breezy and overcast it can get chilly. I don't know how free the boats are to cross the international border between Albania and Montenegro, the border angling through the main lake, and I've no idea if the Albanians now organise boat tours from their side, but we were advised always to carry our passports while out on the lake, just in case.
When we were at Skadar Lake in 2017, we crossed the bridge by car to visit the National Park Office near 'Viewpoint Skadar', but that doesn't seem come up on Google maps now.
Zogaj in Albania lies on the southern shore 1.5km from the Montenegrin border, but there doesn't appear to be any road connection between the two counties, road access being only from Shkodër town. There's probably a walkable track from Montenegro, past the 'Former Border Post'. There doesn't appear to be much breeding or roosting habitat for pelicans along the Albanian shores of the main lake, although there is some in the long inlet in the northeast corner, but that's a 30km boat trip and 30 km back. However, the pelicans may well gather anywhere to feed.
MJB
