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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

My jaunt in the hills in Samovodene. (1 Viewer)

Ron Seymour

Well-known member
Bulgaria
I had a very satisfying trek into the local hills yesterday and will probably do the same today. New to my 2018 year list were Barn Swallow(1), Red-rumped Swallow(1), Alpine Swift(3), Crested Lark (4 - this is only the third time that I have seen these birds locally), Lesser Whitethroat(3) and Blackcap(1-female).
This time last year I saw a Booted Eagle and a fine Goshawk; it would be nice to repeat that today! The Crested Larks would appear to be resident here but are only seen very infrequently. I always thought that Crested Larks never strayed too far from their patch - I have seen only one in the UK, at Dungeness (Kent), and more than likely its arrival was ship assisted.
Managed to see a couple of Woodpigeons, at least 5 Black Redstarts and heard my first Cuckoo.

Best wishes

Ron
 
Hi Ron,

Heard my first Cuckoo this morning, plus a superb Short-toed Eagle hunting over Povelianovo Marshes yesterday afternoon!

Chris
 
Hi Chris

Great to hear from you. I am hoping to get lucky with an eagle or two here. Last year I had good views of a pale morph Booted and two Short-toed eagles on what we call our 'river walk'. To be honest I feel very fortunate to have such beautiful walks on my doorstep and am still able to cope with a ten kilometre walk comfortably at my time of life. I did the 'mountain' walk - don't laugh - one of them is still completely covered in snow - today and saw a good passage of Alpine Swifts (dozens of birds) over my village as I came down the hill on my return. Interspersed with these were some House Martins, the odd Barn Swallow and some swift 'species'. Could these have been Common Swifts or were they Pallid Swifts? I would value your thoughts on this. NUTCRACKER has queried my assertion that the three swifts that I saw flying over our local supermarket on 17th March were commons. I did not consider Pallids at the time, although I knew that this was probably much too early for Common Swifts to appear. There does not seem to be any definitive information on the arrival dates of Common Swift in Bulgaria.
I did hear my first Nightingale singing late morning on my mountain walk.

Chris, I was very impressed with the Snow Bunting sighting on your year list. According to the information I have to hand, Snow Buntings are vagrants with less than FIVE seen annually in BG since 1980. Great find!!!

May your days be bird filled!
 
Hi Ron,
Re the Swifts I have posed the question of your birds of the 17th March on Birders Reports and will let you know what answers I get. My first Commons last year were 6th April, and in 2016 29th March so your birds of yesterday could indeed be A. apus (I haven't seen any yet this year!). We don't get Pallids around here, although I believe there is a colony in Burgas so perhaps their range is increasing.

Re the Snow Buntings I can't take any credit, their location was posted on Birders Reports, I simply 'twitched' them a day or two later (they were there in 2017 too)! Lovely little birds and quite confiding!

Good news on the Nightingale, I look forward to hearing their dulcet tones again soon!

Chris
 
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Hi Chris
Thank you for looking into the swifts for me!
Is 'Birders Reports' one of the forums on BirdForum? I would be interested in getting access to interesting sightings in Bulgaria. I will probably get out tomorrow and give our 'country road' walk a go.

Ron
 
Hi Chris

Things have been relatively quiet around here. The Nightingales are back with a vengeance and I heard the mellifluous song of a Golden Oriole on the 20th to be followed by a gorgeous male perched in a tree just the other side of our garden on the 23rd giving 'crippling' views and serenading us as we stood and enjoyed the spectacle.
I took a walk into the hills on 20th April and managed to see two Tree Pipits which were new for our Bulgaria list. I also saw my first Common Whitethroats of the year along side a Kestrel, Common Buzzards, Black Storks, Ravens and a single Lesser Whitethroat to mention a few. Everything has 'greened' up now; it is difficult to believe that only four weeks ago we still had snow on the ground! I may have another 'mountain' walk in the morning - this walk has produced the vast majority of the more exciting species. Last year I had Black Woodpecker, Tawny Pipit, Hobby, Great Grey Shrike, Northern Wheatear, Woodchat Shrike, Ortolan and Black-headed Buntings and a Nightjar on this walk.

Keep me informed of your latest escapades Chris.
Ron
 
Hi Ron,

Similar here, Nightingales everywhere and Summer visitors arriving all the time, Golden Oriole, Hobby, Red-backed Shrike and Collared Pratincole among the most recent!
A couple of Lifers too, Eastern Orphean Warbler among the Barred and Sardinian at Nos Emona and a group of seven Demoiselle Crane up the coast near Durankulak!
Off to the Rila Mountains for Capercaillie amongst others then stopping off in the Eastern Rhodopes on the way back at a Vulture photography hide so fingers crossed!
Hope the mountain walk is productive, do let me know!

All the best,

Chris
 
Hi Chris
Thank you for your reply. I did go for a ramble into the hills today. I saw two male Whinchats on my return (I never think that I am going to ever see anything good on my return!) and these bring my local tally to 94. But perhaps the greatest thrill for me was a female Northern Wheatear on my outward journey. I have only seen one (male) on the Hill Walk and that was on 21st March 2017. So I had this down as a rare visitor to Samovodene. In all I saw nineteen species today but heard a further five species. I imagine that Tree Pipits, Northern Wheatears and Whinchats are only passage migrants in this part of Bulgaria. Thoughts?

Cheers Chris

Ron
 
Hi Ron,

Similar here, Nightingales everywhere and Summer visitors arriving all the time, Golden Oriole, Hobby, Red-backed Shrike and Collared Pratincole among the most recent!
A couple of Lifers too, Eastern Orphean Warbler among the Barred and Sardinian at Nos Emona and a group of seven Demoiselle Crane up the coast near Durankulak!
Off to the Rila Mountains for Capercaillie amongst others then stopping off in the Eastern Rhodopes on the way back at a Vulture photography hide so fingers crossed!
Hope the mountain walk is productive, do let me know!

All the best,

Chris

Let us know how you get on in the mountains, Chris. I think I know where you're hoping to get Capercaillie......

Andrew
 
Hi Chris
Thank you for your reply. I did go for a ramble into the hills today. I saw two male Whinchats on my return (I never think that I am going to ever see anything good on my return!) and these bring my local tally to 94. But perhaps the greatest thrill for me was a female Northern Wheatear on my outward journey. I have only seen one (male) on the Hill Walk and that was on 21st March 2017. So I had this down as a rare visitor to Samovodene. In all I saw nineteen species today but heard a further five species. I imagine that Tree Pipits, Northern Wheatears and Whinchats are only passage migrants in this part of Bulgaria. Thoughts?

Cheers Chris

Ron

Hi Ron,

Not a bad day's work/walk! All three species are breeders here, in varying habitats. Wheatear preferring open stony areas and rocky scree (the bulgarian name Kamenarche translates as something like 'little stone worker'!

Chris
 
Let us know how you get on in the mountains, Chris. I think I know where you're hoping to get Capercaillie......

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

Will do with pleasure! all I know so far is we're meeting one of Mitko from Neophron's guides in Borovets then going up to one of the mountain chalets for two nights! Can't wait!

Chris
 
Hi Chris
I have had the most amazing day's birding here in Samovodene. I took took the hill walk which is doing wonders for my waistline. Chris, today it was evident ( as per your last post to me) that the Shrikes had arrived (either 26th or 27 April) and I saw at least eight Red- backed Shrikes, A lovely Woodchat (female) and a new bird for me here, a Lesser Grey Shrike which I managed to photograph. I love the Shrikes, easily my favorite species. Aguably the most mind blowing experience for me was a male Barred Warbler in full song and displaying. I have seen a few first Winter Barred Warblers in Norfolk but I yearned for the day that I might see the miniature Cuckoo.Today was a fabulous experience for me. The HILL WALK really produces the 'wow' factor for me. The other two walks that I do never seem to offer me the surprises that typify the today's experience.

Best wishes Chris

Let me know if you connect with the Capers.
 
Hi Ron,
What a wonderful day's birding, many thanks for sharing it! Congratulations on the Lesser Grey, still waiting for the first of the year here!
Mini Cuckoo indeed, that yellow eye is really something isn't it!
Just having an early breakfast as I type this then over to the Sofia region and first crack at the Capercaillie this afternoon! I will be in touch!

All the best,

Chris
 
Mini Cuckoo indeed, that yellow eye is really something isn't it!
Chris

Chris Hi,

How regular/frequent are Barred Warbler in your neck of the woods, as that's a bird I'd like to eventually catch up with. An adult bird would certainly eclipse anything I've seen so far in SE.Blighty.

Cheers
 
Chris Hi,

How regular/frequent are Barred Warbler in your neck of the woods, as that's a bird I'd like to eventually catch up with. An adult bird would certainly eclipse anything I've seen so far in SE.Blighty.

Cheers

Hi Ken,
Apologies for the late reply, was incommunuicado in a mountain chalet at 6,500ft in the Rila Mountains for a couple of days!
I would say reasonably common around us and into the eastern Rhodopes.Nos Emona is a good site for them, also Sardinian and any time now Olive-tree.

All the best,

Chris
 
Let me know if you connect with the Capers.

Hi Ron, had an incredible time in the Rila Mountains, apart from the Capercaillie also managed to find a Three-toed Woodpecker (all credit to our guide Vlado)! In a photo hide in the Eastern Rhodopes now with Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, black Kite and sundry Ravens!

All the best,

Chris
 

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Hi Chris
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner. I have just written a message to you but the system did allow me to send it. Annoying! Just wanted to echo andyb39 comments - well done Chris, I am very envious. Crikey you are seeing some great birds! I will send this now and let you know what I have been getting up to here.
 
Congrats on the Capercaillie (is that Pencho?) and the Woodpecker, Chris! Any owls?

Hi Andrew and many thanks! Could be Pencho, I didn't hear anybody refer to it by name! It's the one that has no fear of humans and is kept under surveillance by the park rangers for its (and peoples!) safety! Our ranger was Ivan and our guide Vlado from Neophron.
Vlado tried desperately hard for both Pygmy and Tengmalm's but although we heard three of the latter we didn't see any! Every cloud has a silver lining though as it was before breakfast the last day on our final search for owls that the Three-toed showed up!

Chris
 
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