BULGARIA (2) - 9 DAY TOUR - DAY 6 - MAY 20TH 2014

TRANSFER FROM BURGAS TO THE NORTH COAST WITH STOPS AT -  POMERIE SALT PANS - EASTERN BALKAN MOUNTAIN PASS - BALCHIK - KRAPETS

Another transfer day found us moving up the western coast of the Black Sea passing through Varna and up near to the border with Romania. It was another glorious sunny day with a nice temperature od around 25C.

Our first stop was just a few kilometres north of Burgas at a sea-side resort called Pomerie. It was very quiet with just a few species to look at. Common, Little and Sandwich Terns sat on posts with Great Cormorants and on the shoreline we found Black-winged Stilts, Pied Avocet, Little-ringed and Kentish Plover and a single Ruddy Turnstone. Apart from a few Great Crested Grebes we saw nothing out on the water.

Black Winged Stilt at Pomerie

The road northward passes through the eastern range of the Balkan Mountains but they are much lower here and are covered in oak and pine woodlands. We stopped by a stream where high banks hold a large Bee-eater colony and the open bush scrubland that surrounds the stream is good for a number of species.

The Bee-eaters performed well for the cameras as did a Hoopoe that was also nesting in the bank, we also found two species of Wheatear, the Northern and Isabelline both of which were breeding in the rocky banks. We stayed for a couple of hours and even ate our picnic lunch there, it was a very beautiful place with lots of wildlife. During our stay we listed several more species, Little Ringed Plover bred in the shingle along the river and in the woodland we found: Common Cuckoo, Golden Oriole, Hawfinch, Turtle Dove, Olivaceous Warbler, both Yellow and White Wagtails and the sky was always full of hirundines.

The beautiful Bee-eater showed well for us

The hills also offer migrating raptors a chance to catch some thermals, we saw Lesser Spotted Eagles, Short-toed Eagles and a couple of Homey Buzzards. The local population of Buzzards consist mainly of the sub-species vulpinus which is now called the Steppe Buzzard and is treated as a separate species in some texts, one drifted over us a few times whilst we were there.

two shots of the Hoopoe that was also nesting in the Bee-eater bank

Our journey took us over the mountains and down towards Varna but before we got there we stopped in a huge oak woodland to look for a couple of special species. The Semi-collared Flycatcher has a limited range in eastern Europe and Bulgaria forms the western edge of that range. A nest box scheme has proven successful in the area and provided an easy opportunity to observe this species, we saw 2 pairs both of which were feeding young. In the meantime we caught up with our second target species the Middle Spotted Wooecker which was very elusive until we were leaving when one individual showed well. Other species encountered were: Eurasian Nuthatch, Hawfinch, Yellowhammer, Red-backed Shrike, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers.

Isabelline Wheatear

Our last stop was made to the north of Varna near a town called Belchik, we stopped at the roadside to scan some high cliffs for an Eagle Owl. The nest site was visible and as we got there a chick appeared for a short while but only a few of the group saw it. When spent 30 minutes scanning the terrain looking for an adult bird roosting, it was Dancho who found one, the bird was partly obscured by the trunk of a tree but it could be seen.

 

We completed our journey north to Krapets where our hotel was located it was a beautiful site more or less on the beach. We sat outside on the terrace overlooking the sea for dinner, it was magical the colours of the setting sun were extraordinary, the wine with dinner wasn't bad either.