The first Albanian field trip of 2016 took place in June. The members of the team were Zoltán Erőss, Zoltán Fehér, Jozef Grego, Maros Grego and Miklós Szekeres. Our primary aim was to find Montenegrina chiasma in the Mt. Dajti (central Albania) and Montenegrina sporadica in the Decan Valley (Kosovo) and Cochlostoma erika near Razëm (northern Albania). And, of course, we tried to collect rock-dwelling and fissure-dwelling terrestrial snails and to take samples in springs in order to find subterranean spring-snails. See details on our blog.
Sampling subterranean hydrobiids in the outflow of the Oko Skakavice Spring near Vušanje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Sampling subterranean hydrobiids in the outflow of the Oko Skakavice Spring near Vušanje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
A cyclist on the newly paved road up to the mountain pass north of Rraps and Starjë villages, in northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
A cyclist on the newly paved road up to the mountain pass north of Rraps and Starjë villages, in northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Grlja Waterfall near Gušinje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Grlja Waterfall near Gušinje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Kir River Gorge near Ura e Shtrenjtë, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Kir River Gorge near Ura e Shtrenjtë, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Sampling cave dwelling snails in the Shpellë e Deleve, near Razëm. Photo: J/M. Grego
Sampling cave dwelling snails in the Shpellë e Deleve, near Razëm. Photo: J/M. Grego
An abandoned farmhouse with a heart-shaped cairn near Razëm, in the Prokletije Mts., northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
An abandoned farmhouse with a heart-shaped cairn near Razëm, in the Prokletije Mts., northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Serpentine road above the Cem River valley, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Serpentine road above the Cem River valley, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Expedition members at Ed's stone, east of Lepushë, along the footpath to the Qafa e Vajushës. Photo: J/M. Grego
Expedition members at Ed's stone, east of Lepushë, along the footpath to the Qafa e Vajushës. Photo: J/M. Grego
Enver Hoxha's programme of "bunkerisation" resulted in the construction of more than 150.000 bunkers in every corner of Albania. Many of them still exist. Photo: J/M. Grego
Enver Hoxha's programme of "bunkerisation" resulted in the construction of more than 150.000 bunkers in every corner of Albania. Many of them still exist. Photo: J/M. Grego
Looking down to the gorge of Grënçar River from the Bashkimi Bridge near Vermosh, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Looking down to the gorge of Grënçar River from the Bashkimi Bridge near Vermosh, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Source of the White Drin River (Drin i Bardhë/Beli Drin) near Novosellë, Kosovo. Photo: Z. Fehér
Source of the White Drin River (Drin i Bardhë/Beli Drin) near Novosellë, Kosovo. Photo: Z. Fehér
A (pseudo) folk art tapestry shot in a restaurant. Liqenat, Kosovo. Photo: Z. Fehér
A (pseudo) folk art tapestry shot in a restaurant. Liqenat, Kosovo. Photo: Z. Fehér
Cattania inflata in the Decan Valley, Kosovo. Photo: Z. Fehér
Cattania inflata in the Decan Valley, Kosovo. Photo: Z. Fehér
View of the mountain range near Qafa e Valbonës as seen from Rragam, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
View of the mountain range near Qafa e Valbonës as seen from Rragam, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Trendy sheeps in the Valbonë Valley, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Trendy sheeps in the Valbonë Valley, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Old house in the Valbonë Valley, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Old house in the Valbonë Valley, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Mt. Pecmarra as seen from the Valbonë Valley, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Mt. Pecmarra as seen from the Valbonë Valley, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Valbonë River, near Bajram Curri, Tropojë district, northeastern Albania, Photo: Z. Fehér
Valbonë River, near Bajram Curri, Tropojë district, northeastern Albania, Photo: Z. Fehér
Burimi i Shoshanit (Shoshan Spring) near Bajram Curri, Tropojë district, northeastern Albania, Photo: Z. Fehér
Burimi i Shoshanit (Shoshan Spring) near Bajram Curri, Tropojë district, northeastern Albania, Photo: Z. Fehér
A house with goose-headed eagle statues in Bajzë, nortwestern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
A house with goose-headed eagle statues in Bajzë, nortwestern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Serpentine road above the Cem River valley, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Serpentine road above the Cem River valley, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
A cyclist on the newly paved road up to the mountain pass north of Rraps and Starjë villages, in northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
A cyclist on the newly paved road up to the mountain pass north of Rraps and Starjë villages, in northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Looking down to the gorge of Grënçar River from the Bashkimi Bridge near Vermosh, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Looking down to the gorge of Grënçar River from the Bashkimi Bridge near Vermosh, northern Albania. Photo: Z. Fehér
Outflow of the Oko Skakavice Spring near Vušanje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Outflow of the Oko Skakavice Spring near Vušanje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Outflow of the Oko Skakavice Spring near Vušanje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Outflow of the Oko Skakavice Spring near Vušanje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Oko Skakavice (Eye of Skakavice) Spring near Vušanje, MontenegroPhoto: Z. Fehér
Oko Skakavice (Eye of Skakavice) Spring near Vušanje, MontenegroPhoto: Z. Fehér
Oko Skakavice (Eye of Skakavice) Spring near Vušanje, MontenegroPhoto: Z. Fehér
Oko Skakavice (Eye of Skakavice) Spring near Vušanje, MontenegroPhoto: Z. Fehér
Crossing a creek near Gušinje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Crossing a creek near Gušinje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Alipašini Spring near Gušinje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Alipašini Spring near Gušinje, Montenegro. Photo: Z. Fehér
Gorge of Millosh Stream in the Valbonë Valley near Dragobi village, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Gorge of Millosh Stream in the Valbonë Valley near Dragobi village, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Gurra e Domgjonit, an artificially built, ca. 10 m deep well near Domgjon village, Mirditë region, Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Gurra e Domgjonit, an artificially built, ca. 10 m deep well near Domgjon village, Mirditë region, Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
A street in Milot, in central Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
A street in Milot, in central Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Expedition members at the mountain pass north of Rraps and Starjë villages, at the type locality of the subterranean gastropod species, Gyralina nopcsai. Photo: J/M. Grego
Expedition members at the mountain pass north of Rraps and Starjë villages, at the type locality of the subterranean gastropod species, Gyralina nopcsai. Photo: J/M. Grego
We have missed that... Photo: M. Grego
We have missed that... Photo: M. Grego
Shpellë e Deleve (Sheep Cave) near Razëm. Photo: J/M. Grego
Shpellë e Deleve (Sheep Cave) near Razëm. Photo: J/M. Grego
Serpentine road above the Cem River valley, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Serpentine road above the Cem River valley, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Expedition members at Ed's stone, east of Lepushë, along the footpath to the Qafa e Vajushës. Photo: J/M. Grego
Expedition members at Ed's stone, east of Lepushë, along the footpath to the Qafa e Vajushës. Photo: J/M. Grego
Looking down to the gorge of Grënçar River from the Bashkimi Bridge near Vermosh, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
Looking down to the gorge of Grënçar River from the Bashkimi Bridge near Vermosh, northern Albania. Photo: J/M. Grego
A rock in the Decan Valley where the enigmatic Montenegrina sporadica was finally found. Photo: M. Szekeres
A rock in the Decan Valley where the enigmatic Montenegrina sporadica was finally found. Photo: M. Szekeres
Floating fractions of the soil samplea are carefully selected in the lab, but Professor Erőss is not the sort of guy who can wait until then. Photo: M. Szekeres
Floating fractions of the soil samplea are carefully selected in the lab, but Professor Erőss is not the sort of guy who can wait until then. Photo: M. Szekeres
Large soil samples are washed and floated in order to increase the concentration of gastropod shells. Washing a soil sample in Gusinje, Montenegro. Photo: M. Szekeres
Large soil samples are washed and floated in order to increase the concentration of gastropod shells. Washing a soil sample in Gusinje, Montenegro. Photo: M. Szekeres
