BULGARIA - 9 DAY TOUR - DAY 6 - MAY 11TH 2014

TRANSFER FROM BOURGAS TO THE NORTHEAST COAST - WITH STOPS AT POMORIE SALT PANS - EASTERN BALKAN MOUNTAINS - GORITSA OAK WOODLAND - BALCHIK AND KRAPETS.

The good weather returned today at last, it was dry when we went out for a pre-breakfast walk. The bird life wasn't great but we had good views of Olivaceous Warbler, our first Blackcap was seen and we had glimpses of Golden Oriole. A Black Throated Diver was seen distantly on the sea.

After loading up the bus once more we set off, heading northwards towards Verna, our plan was to visit a few places along the way and arrive at Krapets, some 80km north of Varna, in the early evening.

little birds! Little Tern and Little Stint

 Our first stop was just outside of Bourgas where the salt-pans end and swampy ground with overgrown pools is found. We had hoped for views of a recently sighted Short-eared Owl but it did not show. We did see several White Pelicans high in the sky, they were migrating north along the coast. In the pools and meadows we found Squacco Heron, Garganey, Whiskered Terns and many egrets, ducks and herons seen elsewhere on the tour, our first Water Rail was heard frequently and the low fog-horn like call of he Yellow-bellied Toad sounded as though there were lots of Great Bitterns out there.

Slender-billed Gull at Pomorie salt pans

the same bird showing its typical posture

As we got back to the bus the second of our target species showed up as half a dozen Collared Pratincoles took to the sky and began hawking insects high above the marsh, nice birds, a Marsh Harrier was also seen up there.

At Pomorie we stopped to look at the salt pans from the new reserve and visitor's centre, it was very good there, the light was exceptionally good too. Several wader species were seen well these included: Kentish Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstone, Pied Avocet and a few Black-winged Stilts. Terns and gulls sat on posts, a Mediterranean Gull was nice to see and a Slender-billed Gull was even better. Distant White Pelicans would be seen loafing and our second Black-throated Dover showed very well in the morning light.


                                     FOUR PICS OF THE MIGRATING WHITE PELICANS -
                                        CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW

Moving on we travelled further north and turned inland to cross the Balkan Mountains, this is as far east as they go and were just rolling hills rather than mountains. As we gained height we stopped in an open ravine to bird the scrub area, Bee-eaters were attending their nest holes and a pair of Hoopoes had taken one over. A small hamster-like mammal was found in the grass, it was our first sighting of a Souslik,  just before that we saw hundreds of White Pelicans rising on the thermals in order to cross the mountains, there must have been over a thousand of them in three separate groups.

We also saw Cirl Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Red-backed and Woodchat Shrikes, Golden Oriole, Turtle Dove, Hawfinch, Common Buzzard and Marsh Harrier.

Another stop on the top of the mountains produced our first Linnets, also Corn Bunting, Skylark, Whinchat, Ortolan Bunting, Yellowhammer and Lesser Grey Shrike. Several Buzzards appeared over the ridges and we found one with the distinctive markings of the Steppe Buzzard.

 

 

the Souslik

We drove down the north side of the Mountains and stopped for lunch near a town called Goritsa and just afterwards we returned to visit the oak woods on the mountain slopes, this is an area known for sightings of Semi-collared Flycatcher. It didn't take long before we were watching a pair of these lovely Flycatchers and during our search we found Spotted Flycatcher, Eurasian Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and we heard a Green Woodpecker. one unusual sighting was of a Yellowhammer in the middle of the wood, none of us expected that.

male Semi-Collared Flycatcher

We continued our walk and found a pair of Red-backed Shrikes just before we encountered our second target species the Middle Spotted Woodpecker, it showed for several minutes and well enough for all of us to see it in the scope.

After passing through Varna we turned off the main road to visit Balchik where we knew of a site for Eagle Owl, just before we got there we stopped to look at a bird-of-prey circling over the road, it turned out to be a Booted Eagle, another first for the trip. Whilst watching the eagle two Homey Buzzards appeared and then two more eagles came into view. A Lesser Spotted Eagle was identified and the other one turned out to be the much bigger Imperial Eagle, our third for the trip, fantastic.

The Balchik Eagle Owl was all present and correct, so after a quick look we moved on, a couple of Pied Wheatears were seen from the bus as drove further north. Our route was chosen to take in the coastal roads hoping to see Red-footed Falcons on the wires, however none were found. But many other birds were seen, dozens of Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes joined numerous Rollers, Bee-eaters, Yellow Wagtails, larks and Buntings, all of which were seen along the way.

poor record shot of the Eagle Owl

We arrived at our hotel in Krapets at 7pm which was a little later than anticipated, the hotel is situated right on the beach, so we ate our dinner overlooking the gentle waves, how nice to finish the day like that!