TRIGRAD GORGE - EASTERN RHODOPE MOUNTAINS WITH STOPS AT SMOLYAN - KARDZALI - MILANOVO AND MADZAROVO
Our first full day began at 6:30am, it was dull, overcast and little drops of rain fell from time to time. Around the hotel grounds we quickly picked up a few species: White Wagtail, Black Redstart, Chaffinch and a Jay were seen and a Grey-headed Woodpecker called. At the river we all saw Dipper very well, a Grey Wagtail sang from a fence and then a BLACK WOODPECKER called and promptly flew over the the top of us, good result! A Black Stork did the same but was much lower and it did not call of course!
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| the view from my hotel room |
We walked along the lane towards a small village, bird song rang out everywhere, but it was limited to the species already named with the addition of Blackcap, Greenfinch and Blackbird. One highlight of the walk was the hirundines, at one puddle we saw Crag Martin, House Martin, Barn Swallow and Red-rumped Swallow all collecting mud, a lovely sight. We searched for the NUTCRACKER but never found one!
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| looking into the gorge from the car park at the 'DEVIL'S THROAT' CAVE ENTRANCE |
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| ON THE HUNT FOR WALLCREEPER |
After breakfast we drove up into the Trigrad Gorge to look for Wallcreeper, our first stop was at a known nest site for this species but none showed up. We did see Coal Tit, Peregrine Falcon, Raven and we heard Song Thrush and Wren. Driving a little further we parked near the entrance to the 'DEVIL'S THROAT' CAVE where we immediately found a WALLCREEPER, great but only I saw it!! Hoverer, over the next hour we all enjoyed some fabulous views of, at least 3 birds, as they flew across the gorge and flitted about on the rock face. Sometimes they were quite low and easy to see and other times they went quite high. We also located a Raven's nest which had 5 very noisy chicks in it and we found two perched Peregrines.
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| view of the Trigrad Gorge |
We then set off for the long jouney to the Eastern Rhodope Mountains some 200km away, we made a couple of planned stops and several impromptu ones. We also stopped for lunch at Smolyan and had a coffee break at Kardzali.
During our first two stops we search again for NUTCRAKER but never had a glimpse of one and only recorded a couple of new species. But later in the afternoon we made a couple of nice birding stops where we added quite a few new birds. The best of which was about 30km from Madzarovo, on a ridge which overlooked miles of farmland and woods we fpound some good species. Red-backed, Lesser-grey and Woodchat Shrikes, Common Cuckoo (3 heard, 1 seen), Common Nightingale, Corn Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Hoopoe, Hawfinch (several sightings), Golden Oriole (calling only) and Turtle Dove. In the sky we saw Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Booted Eagle and Raven.
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| THE VERY COMMON RED BACKED SHRIKE |
Other birds seen on the journey included: White Stork, Common Buzzard, Isabelline Wheatear, Tree Sparrow, Spanish Sparrow and lots of common birds.
After dinner at our hotel at Madzarovo we heard Scop's owl calling before we went off to bed.
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