WEDS 3RD OCT - BULGARIA RECCE TRIP DAY 6

Iordan's Cottage all morning then we drove to the Central Balkan Mountains

We got up early and we were both settled in the tower hide at first light, 7am. It was dull and overcast as yesterday was. so the light wasn't too good. We had coffee and fruit to eat so we stayed for a couple of hours. Amazingly we had 10 species perched in the tree right in front of the hide which included the two woodpeckers shown below and also Great Spotted Woodpecker, Common Redstart, Brambling and few common garden species. We also heard or saw: Woodlark, Little Owl, Lesser Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Corn Bunting, Common Pheasant and Corn Bunting,

THE TOWER HIDE IS 9 METERS HIGH

The first two pictures were taken by Iordan as he sat next to me in the tower hide at his cottage, I didn't even get a single picture of either of these two little gems.

Syrian Woodpecker

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

As we left the hide a couple of Hawfinches flew over us and landed right in front of the canopy hide, what a bummer, we could have had some great pictures of them. A Jay did the same thing a few minutes later!

Great Spotted Woodpecker

NOTE THE CHIN STRAP OF THE GREAT SPOTTED JOINS THE BLACK-HEAD MARKINGS AT THE BACK OF THE NECK - AND SEE THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE IN THE SYRIAN SHOWN ABOVE, ALSO NOTE THE RED UNDER BELLY MARKINGS ARE ACTUALLY RED ON THE GREAT SPOTTED AND PINKISH ON THE SYRIAN AND THE MIDDLE SPOTTED.

SONG THRUSH - one of over 50 seen in and around the garden!!!

I know its brown but it is called a Blackbird!

We took a walk along the track at the bottom of the lane, it took us over some rolling hills which had just been harvested, sun flowers were the crop. many Chaffinches were migrating over us, we counted about 100 in 30 minutes. We also saw 5 Eurasian Sparrowhawks doing the sane and a few Common Buzzards, In the scrub there were Willow Warblers. Tree Sparrows, Whinchat, Red-breasted Flycatcher, a single Yellowhammer and a couple of Stonechats.



Unfortunately we had to call it a day at 1pm because we had a long drive ahead of us, so by 2pm we were on our way to the central Balkan Mountains, our leg of the journey.

We arrived after dark and it was pouring with rain, so there was no further birding, except for two Tawny Owls that were calling from the woods next to the hotel.