Birding Bulgaria - Two weeks in the Balkans (2 Viewers)

[John Cantelo]

I've been visiting SW Europe (more specifically Cadiz Province) for years for my fix of continental birding but editing the "Crossbill Guide to the Rhodope Mountains" (i.e. Bulgaria) made me realise how many European lifers awaited me in the east (plus as many 21st century ticks). So in late May, I found myself on a flight that turned left towards Sofia instead of right to Andalucia. My knowledge of the area being seriously lacking and my hearing seriously duff, I booked a two-week break with local specialists Neophron Tours. There were four customers for the first week – Quintin and Lauren, Peter and myself – but for the second week, I was the only client (expensive but cheaper than coming back for a second tour!). Late May-early June is probably later in the year than ideal to explore the area, but I’d already organised my annual spring jaunt to Spain when I booked.

Day 1 - Monday 29th May

The tour started on May 29th with a drive up from Sofia into the Rila National Park some two hours south of the capital. These attractive mountains have an alpine feel with birds to match. Our twin targets for the day were Pygmy Owl and Hazelhen. We climbed up through conifer woodland seeing Nutcrackers (a century tick) en route and stopping several times to look for the owl and other denizens of pine woodlands. Happily, after several stops, we found the owl and had excellent 'scope views of it as it called sitting atop a large pine tree (not that I could hear it myself!). Pygmy Owl and Hazelhen were my two top targets for the trip so it was a relief to seeone of them on the first day. It was a feisty little fellow and well worth the trip alone. However, Hazelhen eluded us.

Shortly thereafter we reached Belmeken Reservoir which was set in an entirely different landscape of open short grass, small bushes and alpine ‘porcupine’ vegetation beyond which snowy mountains loomed. This area had many Wheatears, our first Red-backed Shrikes, Crossbill, Whinchat, Black Redstart and, somewhat surprisingly given the altitude, Susliks. Further down there were more pine woodlands and alpine meadows where Ring Ousels abounded. After fruitlessly searching more woodlands around the Yundola Ski School for Hazelhen, we headed for the nearby Tourist Complex Andela for our overnight stay.

 

[John Cantelo]

Day 2 - Tuesday 30th May

I was up early before breakfast for a short walk and was rewarded with an overdue herp tick, a Fire Salamander in the woods near the tourist complex. There wasn't a huge variety of birds present around Tourist Complex Andela but it was good to see Crag Martin and Pallid Swift (the latter were a surprise as it wasn't the habitat I was used to seeing them in Spain).

Our destination was the track by the Yundola Ski School we’d visited the night before. We quickly had more Nutcrackers, Crested Tit and good views of Black Woodpecker (my first in Europe for decades) followed by a Great-spotted Woodpecker. Then our guide (Dimiter) and a fellow client (Peter), both familiar with the species, heard the thin whistle of a Hazelhen followed by a whirr of wingbeats (I could hear neither ... a theme of this trip!). We searched the foliage and initially found only a couple of Nutcrackers but then a small gamebird flashed across the track and the Hazelhen whistled again from the other side of the track. Happily, Peter quickly located the bird following up with excellent directions that allowed me to get on to it quite quickly. At first, it was half-hidden by leaves but then it delicately walked along a narrow branch and into the open. It was a small grouse with a complex and variegated plumage – grey tones above, bold white lines, darkly barred on the flanks with a warm russet suffusion, a black bib and a neat little crest. I felt incredibly fortunate to get such a good view - most people I know who've seen then have only had a fleetingly in flight. I was atypically quiet after seeing the Pygmy Owl as it was only after seeing my second main target that I felt was able to celebrate! When we returned this way and hour or more later, the bird was in the same area (I actually heard the whirr of its wings as it flew this time), and a second bird flew across the track from the opposite side giving a good, if brief, flight view. Magic!

We walked further along the track reaching an open area, where we had a couple of Yellowhammers and a Willow Tit before plunging into more woodland where we had more Nutcrackers and a couple of Red Squirrels. Back on the road, we enjoyed more views of Crested Tit and Ring Ousel plus Serin and Bullfinch.

Our next stop was Batak Reservoir but before we got there we had White Stork, Bee-eater and Red-rumped Swallow en route. At the reservoir, we had seven Black Terns and, surprisingly, a distant group of Wigeon. Red-back Shrike proved to be common throughout the country but we had our first taster of just how common they where here with two pairs in rather small area. I also had my first Black-headed Wagtails (a potential split and thus a lifer according to some) and my first Common Rosefinch for over 50 years (and my first bright red adult male). Another highlight was seeing a Chamois, my only mammal lifer of the trip.
, en route.

 

[John Cantelo]

Day 3 - Wednesday 31st May

We swapped drivers today and the replacement, Victor, was a keen birder and naturalist. Our first mission for today was looking for Wallcreeper in the Tigrad Gorge where they nest around a road tunnel near the Devil’s Throat Cave. This is reputed to be one of the easiest sites in Europe to see this iconic species but, unusually, this year they opted to nest elsewhere in the gorge making the chances of success remote. We saw plenty of Alpine Swifts and Crag Martins but, alas no Wallcreepers. It was to be our biggest dip of the trip so it was fortunate that it wasn't a life bird for any of the group.

Cutting our losses, we headed for Krumovgrad making several stops in wooded and alpine settings en route. The star bird being a Goshawk that flew past at eye-level (apparently an increasing bird in Bulgaria due to the rise in the Woodpigeon population).

As we neared Krumovgrad, we turned off the main road to follow a lane to a bridge over a broad river with many shoals and gravel banks for some excellent birding along the River Krumovitsa (a tributary of the Arda). It wasa gorgeous site where Bee-eaters prrupp’d, Hoopoes hoo-poo’d and Turtle Dove purred – a magical soundscape. The tamarisk bushes held a triumvirate of sparrows, House, Spanish and Tree; the first time I’d managed to see all three at the same site. A single Roller showed distantly but later we had a fine performance from a dozen of them cavorting in the sky – my first flock of this exotic species. Despite being a tick, the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler we found in the scrub here was almost an anti-climax as it closely resembles its western cousin. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to the niceties of its plumage details and the distinctions between it and its sibling species but with so many more attractive birds flitting about I neglected to do so. I generally have Black Storks in Spain flying over in small flocks so it was a delight to see one feeding along the river here. The only buntings to be seen were Cirl Buntings but it's always been a particular favourite so I wasn't disappointed that we didn't see any more exotic members of its tribe.

Arriving in Krumovgrad, I opted to go for a walk before supper to explore the nearby trees and scrub finding Lesser Grey Shrike and Syrian Woodpecker– the former my first for forty odd years and the latter my first for over 50.

 

[Andy Adcock]

Has the spelling of Ring Ouzel been changed John?

 

[John Cantelo]

Has the spelling of Ring Ouzel been changed John?

'Ousel' is a well-established, if somewhat antique, alternative spelling of the name. Heaven knows why I used it here - perhaps I read too many old bird books - although I've always rather preferred "Ousel" to "Ouzel"

 

[Andy Adcock]

Bulgaria looks lovely, long intended to visit, like so many other places!

 

[foresttwitcher]

Agree with Andy and looking forward to more of this report.

 

[John Cantelo]

Day 4 - Thursday 1st June

We returned to the Krumovitsa valley again enjoying views of Eastern Olivaceous, Bee-eaters, Cirl Bunting, etc. from the bridge. Moving further along the valley, we found our first Black-headed Bunting (a species I’d only seen once before several decades ago). Exploring the scrub we quickly located an Olive-tree Warbler which proceeded to show surprisingly well in a scrubby hedge. It proved to be a rather more distinctive species than I’d thought with little chance of confusing it with an Eastern Olivaceous (as I'd imagined). It was rather lumbering, its bill was enormous and the pale wing patch more striking than I'd thought. It also seemed to have a particular fondness for Christ's-thorn (Paliurus spina-christi) bushes rather than olive trees. The same bushes held an Eastern Orphean Warbler which was pretty much identical to the Western Orphean (although in later views of the species, I felt that the head was perhaps a shade or two darker). Next up in the same area was a Sombre Tit – the body was pale greyish-brown above and dull off-white below. The colours looked rather washed out and the bird appeared distinctly dishevelled having the appearance of a poorly preserved museum skin! I don’t think I’ve ever seen three lifers in Europe (or perhaps elsewhere) within 10 minutes and no more than 20m apart! The valley also had good numbers of (Eastern) Black-eared Wheatear plus Black Stork, Red-backed Shrike, Black-headed and Cirl Buntings, Bee-eater and Hoopoe. Raptors were well represented with a Black Kite, a dozen or so Griffons, at least 4 Egyptian Vultures, Buzzard and Hobby plus, surprisingly, a female Red-footed Falcon. Another very welcome lifer was a Greek Tortoise.


After lunch, we went to a Vulture Feeding Site near Potochnitsa. Once again Red-backed Shrike were numerous but there were also at least half-a-dozen Woodchat Shrikes plus Black Stork, Woodlark, more Black-headed Buntings, Golden Oriole, Roller, Eastern Olivaceous, Eastern Orphean and Olive-tree Warblers. After some difficulty, an Eastern Subalpine Warbler was dug out of the bushes, but the views were brief.

The feeding station produced the goods in the form of Griffon and Egyptian Vultures plus 8+ Black Kites and a Booted Eagle with the bonus of two Honey Buzzards nearby. Non-avian highlights here included an Eastern Green Lizard, two more Greek Tortoises & Fallow Deer.

 

[Owene]

That lizard is beautiful. Great birds too. Really enjoying this write up

 

[3Italianbirders]

Wow. Fantastic stuff, very envious of your adult Rosefinch as we've only seen an immature bird, and of your Pygmy Owl and Hazel Grouse, which we have searched for in all the right places but never seen (although we have heard the Owl a few times).

 

[John Cantelo]

Day 5 - Friday 2nd June

Our destination today was the Horseshoe Bend of the River Arda (Madzharovo) but en route we stopped at a site for Rock Nuthatch. Here we had Crag Martin, Blue Rockthrush, Eastern Subalpine Warbler (a good 'scope view), Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Sombre Tit and a couple of Chukar Partridge – perhaps my first sighting of a truly wild one. Unfortunately, this was another Rock Nuthatch site where the birds failed to perfom show but we had good views of Wild Boar with piglets.

The rugged cliffs at Kovan Kaya on the Horseshoe Bend of the Arda were spectacular but lacked a vital ingredient, Rock Nuthatch (again)! The site had Alpine Swift, Crag Martin, Black Storks (10+), Griffons, Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Blue Rockthrush and Rock Bunting but the stars of the show were two good ‘herps’. Unfortunately, I only saw the back end of a Glass Lizard as it disappeared into the undergrowth but fortunately it’s a fairly distinctive animal. Happily, a couple of Worm Snakes were far more co-operative. They were far smaller than I’d imagined and their resemblance to worms was quite extraordinary. It was certainly the best non-avian tick of the trip. Once again, Red-backed Shrikes proved to be remarkably common inhabiting every parcel of scrub and sometimes, it seemed on every other bush! Nearby we also had Barred Warbler and Eastern Orphean plus a fly-over bonus in the form of a Black Vulture (part of a re-introduction scheme).


In Madzharovo we searched the park unsuccessfully for Scops Owl (evidently bords often roost in the trees here) but we did find Hawfinch and Reinhold's Orchid (Ophrys reinholdii) - unfortunately they were well past their best but apparently one of the few sites for the plant in Bulgaria. After lunch, we drove west out of the town along the River Arda in an unsuccessful search for Semi-collared Flycatcher but we did find a Middle-spotted Woodpecker and a Hermann’s Tortoise. We then headed back towards Krumovgrad via the vulture feeding site. It had many more Egyptian Vultures (12+) and a sprinkling of Griffons. Nearby there were Black-headed Buntings, Red-backed Shrike, etc. I opted to join Peter in a search for Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler which he could hear singing in the distance. I eventually heard the Bonelli’s (and saw a Sombre Tit) but neither of us saw the warbler and our jaunt cost us Golden Jackal which turned up to scavenge the corpse of a cow left for the vultures. Nearby we also had an Eastern Green Lizard.

 

[John Cantelo]

Day 6 - Saturday 3rd June

Leaving Krumovgrad for Burgas meant a long 4+ hour drive to the Black Sea coast but our departure was a little delayed by finding a superb Stag Beetle outside our hotel. Although it wasn't a 'lifer' - I saw a good few as a child in Hampshire - it was my first for many years and, in my view, certainly the best insect sighting of the trip.



We stopped for a break at several locations but unfortunately, I didn’t note exactly where we were and didn’t take any photos by which I could check the location later. Our first stop was in some riverine forest well on the way to Burgas. It was our first site for Masked Shrike and a fine adult male duly obliged much to Peter’s delight as it was the bird he’d most wanted to see. I'd seen a young bird in Kent a few years ago but the adults are really special birds so I was delighted to see one (it was also a century tick). Whilst everyone was admiring the shrike, I spotted a small accipiter flying over. I called out “Accipiter!” and quickly got my binoculars on the bird. It had pale grey upperparts, barring on the tail and, as it turned, a whitish underwing which contrasted with blackish wing tips - a male Levant Sparrowhawk! Another much-wanted lifer and a species that had eluded us in the Krumovitsa valley and several other sites for the species we'd visited. Later, we saw a somewhat bedraggled female accipiter which also proved to be Levant - confess I was somewhat relieved that our first bird was a fine adult male and the female wasn't the only member of the species we saw. Surprisingly these two birds and the Goshawk seen previously were the only Accipters we saw on the trip but as the previous tour hadn’t seen one at all I wasn't going to complain! Other raptors present included Kestrel, two Hobbies and Booted Eagle. There were also a couple of Black Storks, some showy Golden Oriole, Long-tailed Tits, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (my best view), Lesser Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers. The latter was a ‘fly-by’ immature whose identity was confirmed by studying snatched photos.

Our guide specifically asked us not to record the exact location of the small area of steppe we visited for our next stop as it was near an Eastern Imperial Eagle’s nest. The eagle duly obliged by flying over and then conveniently perching on a pylon affording superb ‘scope views - golden nape and light white shoulder markings of this form. For some reason, it never crossed my mind to get a photo and, apart from those of the beetle and a Suslik, I never took any all day. ! The location had plentiful Susliks which probably explains the abundance of larger raptors since we also had a male Montagu’s Harrier, Booted (3), Short-toed & Lesser Spotted Eagles, at least two Common Buzzard and a dark morph Long-legged Buzzard. I was first to spot the Lesser Spotted Eagle, and, despite having little experience of the species was confident of its identity but I admit the bird that was soaring with it threw me somewhat. The penny only dropped when the guide ID'd it as a dark morph Long-legged Buzzard. I'd forgotten that such the dark morph existed! The buzzard was another a century tick (disregarding the cirtensis race which I'd seen in Morrocco but which is now regarded as a form of Buteo buteo). I concentrated largely on the eagle as they drifted over assuming we'd have plenty more opportunities to get to grips with Long-legged Buzzards - I was wrong and this was the only decent view we were to obtain. Hobby and Kestrel raised the total of raptors at this one spot to nine species. I was distracted from watching the raptors by the presence of several Isabelline Wheatears – again my first for decades so it was good to get my ‘eye in’ with this species. Calandra Lark were also present here. This was a fabulous site but we only had an hour or so there rather than the whole day it deserved.

Our final stop after a long drive was a small open woodland where we had another Masked Shrike, a Red-backed Shrike and two Hawfinch. Then it was on to Burgas and another tick ... the Black Sea!

 

[foresttwitcher]

Day 6 - Saturday 3rd June This was a fabulous site and I wish that we'd had only an hour or so there rather than the whole day it deserved.

I presume you meant the other way around John ... or missed the 'hadn't' out!

Very envious of your Olive Tree Warbler, Chukar & Levant Sparrowhawk.

 

[Scridifer]

A great report and some evocative photos John, congrats on the lifers! I'm rather envious of the Fire Salamander and the Worm Snake. You were unfortunate at Trigrad - Dimiter and I were there a week earlier with our respective groups and had cracking views of both birds! Good to hear nobody missed a lifer.

Chris

 

[John Cantelo]

I presume you meant the other way around John ... or missed the 'hadn't' out!

Very envious of your Olive Tree Warbler, Chukar & Levant Sparrowhawk.

You're right, thanks for picking up the error - I've now corrected the sentence

 

[John Cantelo]

A great report and some evocative photos John, congrats on the lifers! I'm rather envious of the Fire Salamander and the Worm Snake. You were unfortunate at Trigrad - Dimiter and I were there a week earlier with our respective groups and had cracking views of both birds! Good to hear nobody missed a lifer.

Chris

Knowing that doesn't make it any easier! Our guide (a young chap called Dimitar rather than Dimiter) told us that the birds were atypically tricky this year but whether that means you were lucky or we were unlucky I'm not so sure! Perhaps the difference was that the young had fledged by the time we arrived.

 

[Scridifer]

you were lucky or we were unlucky I'm not so sure!

As with most birding a degree of both!

Chris

 

[John Cantelo]

Day 7 - Sunday 4th June

I enjoyed a brilliant start to the day in Burgas when I took a pre-breakfast breather on my hotel room’s balcony. Almost immediately, I noticed a distant falcon purposefully heading my way. I had expected a Peregrine or perhaps a Hobby but one look through my binoculars told me that the bird had longer wings and tail than either. As it approached, I could see that it had white cheeks, a prominent moustache, that the body was rusty coloured and streaked below and the underwings dark – an Eleonora’s Falcon! All that time watching Eleonora's Falcon at Worth (Kent) almost exactly a year ago had paid off!

Our first stop today was Pomorie Lake - Pumping Station Area (as it is called on e-Bird), a rather unprepossessing place accessed via a small scrapyard but is a top spot in the area for waders. However, it provided our first views of Kentish Plover, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Lapwing, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Greenshank, Med Gull, Little (numerous), Common and Gull-billed Terns, Spoonbill, a variety of wildfowl (inc. Pochard, Teal & Garganey) and best of all Pygmy Cormorant. The latter were very distant but as they were another century tick I wasn't about to complain. Happily a second stop at the Salt Museum in Pomorie gave me far better views of Pygmy Cormorant (I even remembered I had my camera). Gull-billed Tern were also present here and could be conveniently compared with Sandwich Terns.

Our next stop was a nondescript sand pits nearby where, shortly after our arrival, our only Whiskered Tern (4) of the trip flew over. Also present were Roller, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Pygmy Cormorant, a nesting Hobby and Penduline Tit (the target of our visit). The latter posed well atop a reed stem but, typically, it was only when it flew off that I remembered I still had my camera with me. I also had another ‘herp’ tick here, Balkan Green Lizard (too fast to get a photo).

From here we went on to the southern shore of Lake Mandrensko. As we drew up a small party of pelicans dropped in and, although most were Great White Pelican, one was clearly different, a Dalmatian Pelican. It's the only time, I think, I’ve managed to get two lifers in Europe for the price of one glance! Approaching the shoreline of the lake we had good views of both pelicans. I confess that, having seen Great White Pelicans many times before in captivity seeing wild birds didn't give me the 'buzz' I'd expected so I rather concentrated on the fewer Dalmatian Pelicans. Large white birds were clearly in fashion here as we also had Mute Swan, Great White and Little Egrets. Nearby we explored the channel of the Mandrensko River finding 3 more Pygmy Cormorants, 5 Squacco Heron, a Night Heron and a Booted Eagle.


Heading back towards Burgas we dropped off two of the guests at their hotel but continued to a small reserve at Atanasovsko lake. Here our wader list was boosted by Ruff, Curlew and at least 15 Marsh Sandpipers whilst wildfowl included 8+ Garganey, 6+ Shoveler and no less than 22 Ruddy Shelduck (the latter were a surprise as I’d forgotten that they were possible here).



The open areas here had Black-headed Wagtail whilst the bushes had the ubiquitous Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. Regrettably, it was now time for Peter to leave. His superb birding skills had been a huge asset on the trip. He had also quickly realised that my deafness meant I struggled to hear both the birds and often directions to where they were. Instead of ignoring the fact as some might, he constantly went out of his way to make sure I got on to all the birds. During the next week, I keenly missed his sharp eyes and ears, his kindness and his cheerful camaraderie.

 

[James Lowther]

. You were unfortunate at Trigrad - Dimiter and I were there a week earlier with our respective groups and had cracking views of both birds! Good to hear nobody missed a lifer.

Last year I missed them on my first attempt in the afternoon then they showed brilliantly the following morning
James

 

[John Cantelo]

Of course, Peter wasn't the only friend I made on this trip. More to follow anon!