EASTERN RHODOPES - WITH STOPS AT SMOYLEN - KARDZHALI - KRUMOVGRAD
Most of the day was spent travelling from west to east through the Rhodope Mountain range, the scenery was terrific and contrasting, we started in the steep sided gorges of the west where pine forest dominate and finished in the rolling hills of the east where open deciduous woodland and alpine meadows are found. Both sides were just as beautiful as one another in their own unique way.
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| it's over there! |
Before we started travelling we took a pre-breakfast walk around the village of Yagodina which is such a beautiful and tranquil place. It was overcast with the temperatures around 2-5C so fleeces and jackets were called for. We saw plenty of birds most of which could have been seen in an English country garden with the exception of Black Redstart, White 0Wagtail, Hooded Crow, Yellowhammer and Tree Sparrow. What was also nice to see was the Bullfinch and Coal Tit, Wren, Dunnock and a Common Buzzard.
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| my first Yellowhammer this year |
After breakfast we set off to visit the famous Trigrad Gorge giving us the only opportunity of seeing the Wallcreeper. We arrived as the sun began to illuminate one side of this awesome gorge, sheer cliffs of limestone towered above us giving us neck-ache looking for this prized bird. Lots of Crag and House Martins distracted us somewhat and for 20 minutes all we saw were the martins and a nest with baby Ravens bursting to get out almost ready to fledge. Then the enigmatic prized bird appeared and showed well for a short while, time enough for us all to see it in the scope.
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| in the Trigrad Gorge looking at the Wallcreeper |
As we drove back down the gorge after our wonderful encounter with the 'creeper we saw Dipper and Grey Wagtail in the river and we heard a Black Woodpecker call.
The next two hours were spent negotiating the winding roads up through the western range of the Rhodope, we stopped in the ski resort area to look for other species. We found Goldcrest, Black Redstart, White Wagtail, Jay and three Ring Ouzels appeared briefly.
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| Balkan Chamois |
At Smoylen we had lunch on a nice terrace overlooking part of the town and when we visited a bank in the town we saw Pallid Swift, Red-rumped Swallow and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk. Back in the bus and a little later some of group saw a Black Woodpecker fly over the road as we drove through wooded hillsides.
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| crocus species |
Our next stop was in the next town called Kardzhali, we made a brief stop to stretch our legs near a reservoir and saw Pygmy Cormorant fly 00over. Another hour in the bus and we stopped for the last time in the hills just west of Krumovgrad. As soon as we got out of the bus we found a Goshawk circling above us and performing its flight display. Then we spent an hour finding all kinds of species which included: Golden Oriole, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrikes, Common Cuckoo, Turtle Dove and several common finches.
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| one of the many shrikes seen today - Red-backed Shrike |
We finally arrived at our hotel at Krumovgrad, there wasn't time to go birding, after we had settled into our rooms we went straight down for dinner, I must say that the food in Bulgaria this year seems so much better than last year.
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