Bulgaria in late June...help please! (1 Viewer)

Steve Dunn said:

I'll be heading to Bulgaria in late June (20th onwards for one week) and will be stopping in the centre of the country near to Dryanovo. I've never been to Bulgaria before (infact I aint been abroad for almost 17 years) and am struggling to find some relevent info for the area i'll be based at. Due to it being a family holiday birding time will be ltd so trips to the coast and southern mountains is unlikely, tho not out of question yet. Does anyone have any information on what sp. are likely to be found in the immeadiate vicinity of Dryanovo at the end of June and/or any good birding sites nearby.

Thanks in advance

Steve

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Steve Dunn said:

I'll be heading to Bulgaria in late June (20th onwards for one week) and will be stopping in the centre of the country near to Dryanovo. I've never been to Bulgaria before (infact I aint been abroad for almost 17 years) and am struggling to find some relevent info for the area i'll be based at. Due to it being a family holiday birding time will be ltd so trips to the coast and southern mountains is unlikely, tho not out of question yet. Does anyone have any information on what sp. are likely to be found in the immeadiate vicinity of Dryanovo at the end of June and/or any good birding sites nearby.

Thanks in advance

Steve

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Steve Dunn said:

Thanks Ed.
The area surrounding our place is quite arable - What species would I expect to find in such habitat in the centre of the country?

Cheers
Steve

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balkantrek said:

Hi Steve!

There is plenty of scope in the region around Dryanovo for both interesting birdwatching and sightseeing. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Just a few kilometres from Dryanovo is the Dryanovski Monastery and BachoKiroCave. Here you will find Alpine Swift, Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Dipper, Grey Wagtail, Nightingale, Marsh Tit, Golden Oriole, Hoopoe.

2. If you drive south via Gabrovo, you can then visit the Etara ethnographic complex. It has a very interesting collection of traditonal old style buildings which now house the workshops of various craftsmen and artisans. Its a very interesting place to visit. A few kilometres further up the road or by a steep trail through some lovely hornbeam woods is the Sokolski Monastery (actually a nunnery) which is very atmospheric and well worth a look. The main road continues climbing south up to the ShipkaPass.This is another good tourist site with interesting historically associations and great views. Whilst visiting these sites you should be able to find a good mix of species including:
Black Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Woodlark, Pallid Swift, Raven, Red-backed Shrike, Red-rumped Swallow, Rock Bunting, Sombre Tit, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree Sparrow, Hawfinch and Dipper. There is a record of a Scarlet Rosefinch from here, although haven’t been able to track it down myself.

3. If you make your way north from Dryanovo you come to Veliko Tarnovo, a very picturesque town with the Tsarevets Fortress, many churches and some picturesque streets and vernacular architecture. Directly north of the town there are also two lovely monasteries to visit, the Preobrazhenski Monastery and Sveta Troitsa Monastery. Both Veliko Tarnovo itself and the monasteries are ringed by some rugged cliffs and escarpments, and these harbour a great mix of birds. Whilst exploring these sites you should be able to find: Black Stork, Egyptian Vulture and Long-legged Buzzard. There are Eagle Owls here too, as well as Alpine Swift, Crag Martin and Red-rumped Swallows. Wooded areas hold Syrian Woodpecker, whilst more scrubby open areas harbour Sombre Tit, Barred Warbler and Hoopoe.

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