CENTRAL
BALKAN MOUNTAINS TO SOFIA
Unfortunately,
as predicted, it was raining hard and it was blowing a gale when we emerged from the
hotel at 6:30am. So any plans to go birding were curtailed, instead we jumped
onto the bus and set off for Sofia. We drove through thick cloud, mist and rain
for most of the first two hours then as we dropped down from the mountains the
sky cleared and it stopped raining.
Our
carry-out breakfast from the hotel was eaten in a roadside café where a nice
cup of coffee was well appreciated. Our only birding of the morning was done
from the bus when we had to stop at one of the road checks, this took 30 minutes
and luckily we could see some open farmland from the bus. We noted up to 6 Red-backed
Shrikes, a single Lesser Grey Shrike, Common Kestrel, Corn Bunting, Goldfinch
and a perched Long-legged Buzzard, a White Stork was also seen to fly over.
Back on
the road we finished the trip to Sofia airport noting: Whinchat, Common Cuckoo,
Rook, Hooded Crow, Common Buzzard and Crested Lark along the way.
Sadly the
group departed and left myself, Dancho and Martin the driver in the rain
outside the departure building. It had been a great trip with some memorable sightings,
we visited some truly amazing places and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of this
unique Balkan State.
Our total number of species was 200 which was as good as any of the previous trip but would have been 10-20 species higher had it not rained so much.
We had a
few hours now to spare before the next group arrived, I think I may have a lie
down to recuperate!!
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