Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania and Greece birding trip 24-28.5.2023 (1 Viewer)

[Gerdzhikov]

We spent 5 full days of birdwatching in four Balkan countries – Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Albania and Greece. We used the services of Traventuria. The group consisted of 8 people and a guide/driver. We travelled with the company's van, which was in excellent condition and comfortable for all participants.

Our journey started from Sofia (BG), with the first stop being in the Rupite area in the most south-eastern part of Bulgaria, where we observed Kestrel, Red-backed Shrike, Black-headed Bunting, Lesser Grey Shrike, Great Reed Warbler, Olivaceous Warbler and many others. Then we crossed the borders of the Republic of North Macedonia with a first stop at the rock massif of Demir Kapia, followed by a stop in the village of Tremnik, where we observed a large number of Lesser Kestrels and Blue Rock Thrushes. We continued to the area of the town of Shtip, where we missed the Great Spotted Cuckoo for a minute, but we observed an Eastern Imperial Eagles, a Long-legged Buzzard, a Rock Sparrow, a Common Bee-eater, a Hoopoe and many others. We spent the night in Ochrid, where the accommodation was up to par and the food as well.

The next day we crossed the border with Albania early, heading to the Divjakë-Karavasta National Park, going around the entire national park. Among the species of interest were Great White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Great Flamingo, Shoveler, many species of waders, Zitting Cisticola and many many more species. We ended the day with a coastal sighting where species such as the Slender-billed Gull and Caspian Tern flew directly overhead. We spent the night in a wonderful and comfortable guest house in the village of Narta, and the local restaurant offered us an extremely delicious dinner.

On day 3, after a very pleasant surprise with breakfast on the balcony of each room, we started birdwatching within the confines of the Narta Lagoon. This semi-saline lagoon offered us many species – Oystercatcher, Curlew, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Stone-curlew, Great Flamingo, pelicans, waders, Kentish Plover, Common Lapwing, Short-toed Lark, blue heron, Little Ringed and Ringed Plovers and many more. At noon we continued to the town of Nivica, located high in the Albanian mountains. The gorge is extremely beautiful. Rock ridges and deep canyons present an incredible unknown part of Albania. In this area we have added to the species list species such as Alpine Chough, Sardinian Warbler, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Short-toed Snake-eagle, Golden Eagle, Wryneck, Dunnock and more. Although the weather was not on our side, the area offered us incredible views and memories. We spent the night in a guest house in the area.

This morning we revisited the Nivica gorge, adding a few species to the list and from there we drove towards Greece, stopping for lunch in the town of Gjirokastër, where several Egyptian vultures flew overhead. And a small flock of Red-footed Falcons sent us just before the border. A long transfer in the direction of the city of Thessaloniki follows, and in several places, we stopped to watch birds and added species such as the Coot, Moorhen, Mute Swan, Roller, Pallid Swift and others. We are traveling on the Via Egnatia highway. We spend the night in a small guesthouse south of Axios - Loudias - Aliakmonas National Park.

The last day starts with a bang with a visit to the Axios - Loudias - Aliakmonas National Park, where the birds were so numerous that we didn't want to leave - pelicans, grebes, herons, Glossy Ibis, Shellduck, Stone-curlew, Spur-winged Lapwing, Redshank, Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit. Caspian Tern, Little Tern, Great Reed Warbler, Reed Warbler, Roller, Bee-eater, Marsh Harrier, Penduline Tit and many more. We continued to Kalochori Lagoon where the species were largely repeated, but the birds were so close that it was an absolute pleasure to watch. Our last point of this tour was in the northern parts of Lake Kerkini NP, where we also added several species such as Rose Starling, Levant Sparrowhawk, Cirl Bunting, Little Owl and others. Late at night we returned to Sofia. We ended the trip with a total of 138 observed species. I highly recommend the company's services; they know how to react at any moment and give you pleasure during the observations.

Full bird list during the trip:

Balkan tour 24-28.5.2023​
	English name	24.5​	25.5​	26.5​	27.5​	28.5​
1​	Great Crested Grebe	​	V​	​	V​	V​
2​	Little Grebe	​	​	​	​	V​
3​	Great White Pelican	​	​	​	​	V​
4​	Dalmatiаn Pelican	​	V​	V​	​	V​
5​	Great Cormorant	V​	​	​	​	V​
6​	Pygmy Сormorant	​	V​	V​	V​	V​
7​	Black-crowned Night-heron	​	​	​	​	V​
8​	Squacco Heron	​	V​	​	​	V​
9​	Cattle Egret	​	​	​	​	V​
10​	Little Egret	​	V​	V​	​	V​
11​	Grey Heron	V​	​	​	V​	V​
12​	Purple Heron	​	​	​	​	V​
13​	Eurasian Spoonbill	​	V​	​	​	V​
14​	Glossy Ibis	​	V​	​	​	​
15​	White Stork	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
16​	Black Stork	V​	​	​	​	V​
17​	Greater Flamingo	​	V​	V​	​	V​
18​	Mute Swan	​	V​	​	​	V​
19​	Common Shelduck	​	V​	V​	​	V​
20​	Mallard	​	V​	V​	V​	V​
21​	Honey Buzzard	​	V​	​	​	​
22​	Levant Sparrowhawk	V​	​	​	​	​
23​	Common Buzzard	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
24​	Long-legged Buzzard	V​	​	​	​	​
25​	Imperial Eagle	V​	​	​	​	​
26​	Golden Eagle	V​	​	​	​	​
27​	Short-toed Snake-eagle	V​	​	​	V​	​
28​	Egyptian Vulture	V​	​	​	V​	​
29​	Western Marsh-harrier	​	V​	​	​	V​
30​	Common Kestrel	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
31​	Lesser Kestrel	V​	​	​	​	​
32​	Red-footed Falcon	​	​	​	V​	​
33​	Grey Partridge	V​	​	​	​	​
34​	Common Moorhen	V​	V​	​	​	​
35​	Common Coot	​	V​	V​	V​	V​
36​	Oystercatcher	​	V​	​	​	V​
37​	Kentish Plover	​	V​	V​	​	​
38​	Spur-winged Lapwing	​	​	​	​	V​
39​	Curlew Sandpiper	​	​	​	​	V​
40​	Ruff	​	V​	​	​	V​
41​	Redshank	​	​	​	​	V​
42​	Wood Sandpiper	​	​	V​	​	​
43​	Black-tailed Godwit	​	V​	​	​	​
44​	Curlew	​	V​	​	​	V​
45​	Black-winged Stilt	​	V​	V​	​	V​
46​	Avocet	​	​	V​	​	V​
47​	Stone-curlew	​	​	V​	​	V​
48​	Collared Pratincole	​	​	V​	​	​
49​	Mediterranean Gull	​	V​	​	​	V​
50​	Black-headed Gull	​	​	​	​	V​
51​	Slender-billed Gull	​	​	V​	​	V​
52​	Yellow-legged Gull	V​	V​	​	V​	V​
53​	Black Tern	​	​	​	​	V​
54​	Gull-billed Tern	​	​	​	​	V​
55​	Caspian Tern	​	​	V​	​	V​
56​	Common Tern	​	V​	V​	​	V​
57​	Little Tern	​	V​	V​	​	V​
58​	Wood Pigeon	V​	​	V​	V​	V​
59​	Rock Dove	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
60​	Collared Dove	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
61​	Turtle Dove	V​	V​	V​	V​	​
62​	Cuckoo	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
63​	Scops Owl	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
64​	Little Owl	​	V​	​	​	V​
65​	Barn Owl	​	V​	​	​	​
66​	Swift	V​	V​	​	​	V​
67​	Alpine Swift	V​	V​	V​	​	V​
68​	Roller	V​	V​	​	V​	V​
69​	Hoopoe	V​	V​	V​	​	V​
70​	Bee-eater	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
71​	Kingfisher	​	​	​	​	V​
72​	Wryneck	​	​	​	V​	​
73​	Green Woodpecker	V​	​	​	​	​
74​	Black Woodpecker	V​	​	​	​	​
75​	Great Spotted Woodpecker	V​	V​	​	​	​
76​	Syrian (Spotted) Woodpecker	​	​	​	V​	​
77​	House Martin	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
78​	Barn Swallow	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
79​	Red-rumped Swallow	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
80​	Crag Martin	V​	​	V​	V​	​
81​	Short-toed Lark	​	V​	V​	​	​
82​	Crested Lark	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
83​	Skylark	​	V​	V​	​	​
84​	Woodlark	​	​	​	V​	​
85​	Tawny Pipit	​	V​	V​	​	​
86​	Yellow Wagtail	​	V​	V​	​	V​
87​	Grey Wagtail	​	​	V​	V​	​
88​	White Wagtail	V​	V​	O​	V​	​
89​	Red-backed Shrike	V​	V​	V​	V​	​
90​	Woodchat Shrike	​	​	​	V​	V​
91​	Lesser Grey Shrike	V​	​	​	​	​
92​	Golden Oriole	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
93​	Starling	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
94​	Rose-coloured Starling	V​	​	​	​	V​
95​	Jay	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
96​	Magpie	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
97​	Alpine Chough	​	​	V​	V​	​
98​	Jackdaw	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
99​	Rook	V​	​	​	V​	​
100​	Hooded Crow	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
101​	Raven	V​	​	V​	V​	​
102​	Dunnock	​	​	V​	​	​
103​	Cetti`s Warbler	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
104​	Savi`s Warbler	​	​	V​	​	V​
105​	Marsh Warbler	​	V​	​	​	​
106​	Zitting Cisticola	​	V​	​	​	​
107​	Great Reed Warbler	V​	V​	V​	​	V​
108​	Reed Warbler	​	​	​	​	V​
109​	Olivaceous Warbler	V​	V​	​	V​	V​
110​	Blackcap	​	​	V​	V​	​
111​	Subalpine Warbler	​	​	V​	V​	​
112​	Whitethroat	V​	​	V​	V​	​
113​	Chiffchaff	​	​	​	​	​
114​	Spotted Flycatcher	V​	​	​	​	​
115​	Whinchat	​	V​	​	​	​
116​	Stonechat	​	​	V​	V​	​
117​	Wheatear	​	V​	V​	V​	V​
118​	Black-eared Wheatear	V​	​	V​	V​	​
119​	Blue Rock Thrush	V​	​	​	​	​
120​	Black Redstart	V​	​	​	​	​
121​	Robin	​	​	V​	V​	​
122​	Nightingale	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
123​	Blackbird	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
124​	Song Thrush	V​	​	V​	​	​
125​	Great Tit	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
126​	Penduline Tit	​	​	​	​	V​
127​	House Sparrow	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
128​	Spanish Sparrow	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
129​	Tree Sparrow	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
130​	Rock Sparrow	V​	​	​	​	​
131​	Chaffinch	V​	V​	V​	​	V​
132​	Serin	​	​	​	V​	​
133​	Greenfinch	V​	V​	V​	V​	​
134​	Goldfinch	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
135​	Linnet	V​	V​	V​	V​	​
136​	Corn Bunting	V​	V​	V​	V​	V​
137​	Cirl Bunting	V​	​	V​	V​	​
138​	Black-headed Bunting	V​	​	​	​	​
		70​	75​	73​	62​	82​