Bulgaria - The Rhodope Mountains & Black Sea Coast
Sunday 3rd to Wednesday 13th May 2009
AA9002
Although
ornithologically Bulgaria is most famous as a winter destination for the
breathtaking spectacle of its Red-breasted Geese, it is also an exceptional
venue in spring. Blessed with enviously diverse landscapes that range from
bare mountain slopes to alpine meadows, forests, riverine gorges and coastal
wetlands, unsurprisingly, its birdlife is rich and varied. Raptors feature
prominently with Eurasian Black Vulture, White-tailed, Eastern Imperial
and Lesser Spotted Eagles, Long-legged Buzzard and Levant Sparrowhawk among
the more enticing. The gorgeous Wallcreeper is an exciting prospect in the
magnificent Trigrad Gorge and eastern European specialities include Paddyfield,
Olive-tree and Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers, Sombre Tit, Western Rock Nuthatch
and Masked Shrike. Add to this the impressive assemblages of wetland birds
in the coastal marshes and the mix is a recipe for a memorable birding experience.
Day 1: Early morning flight from London
to Sofia and transfer to our hotel in the Rila Mountains.
Overnight - near Rila Monastery.
Day 2: An early start is required
if our chance to see the inconspicuous Hazel Grouse has any hope of success.
Rila National Park is a mountainous region, indeed Rila is the highest
mountain in the Balkan peninsular, and hosts such forest and alpine meadow
species as Black Woodpecker, Ring Ouzel, Firecrest, Spotted Nutcracker and
Common Crossbill. In the afternoon we will travel east to the Western Rhodopes.
Overnight - Western Rhodopes.
Day 3: The Rhodopes are delightful
mountains close to the border with northern Greece. At
their western end they comprise pine-clad hills cut by streams and rivers
that have produced deep gorges. One such, the dramatic Trigrad Gorge is
a traditional site for breeding Wallcreepers. It also holds Grey-headed
and Black Woodpeckers, Alpine Swift, Eurasian Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow
and Rock Bunting. An afternoon drive will take us to the Eastern Rhodopes.
Overnight - Eastern Rhodopes.
Days 4 & 5: The Eastern Rhodopes
are more rugged with jagged peaks, impressive cliff-faces and thinly-vegetated
rocky slopes. Black Storks nest on the cliffs but the most exciting feature
of our two-day stay is likely to be our visit to a vulture feeding station
where large numbers of Eurasian Griffon Vultures gather. Eurasian Black
and Egyptian Vultures together with Black Kites are usually present while
White-tailed and Eastern Imperial Eagles sometimes drop in. Other key species
here include Chukar, Booted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Eurasian Scops Owl,
Pallid Swift, Red-rumped Swallow, Blue Rock Thrush, Black-eared Wheatear,
Eastern
Olivaceous, Orphean, Sardinian and Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers, Western Rock
Nuthatch, Sombre Tit and Black-headed Bunting.
Overnights - Eastern Rhodopes.
Day 6: We drive to the southern
Black Sea coast via the Sakar Mountains which are the stronghold in Bulgaria
for Eastern Imperial Eagle and also support populations of Levant Sparrowhawk,
Olive-tree and Orphean Warblers and Masked Shrike.
Overnight - Sarafovo.
Days 7 & 8: On one of the days we
shall concentrate on the wetlands around Bourgas. The flagship species of
the area are undoubtedly the White and Dalmatian Pelicans but the freshwater
lakes, saline lagoons and salt pans form one of Europe’s key wetland sites
and attract a whole host of species. Ruddy Shelduck, Pygmy Cormorant, Black-crowned
Night Heron, Squacco and Purple Herons, Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Stilt,
Collared Pratincole, Marsh Sandpiper, Slender-billed Gull, White-winged
Tern, Savi’s, Marsh and Great Reed Warblers and Penduline Tit are all possible
here. By contrast, a visit to the Strandja Mountains will be made where
woodpeckers, including White-backed, are target species along with White-tailed,
Booted, Short-toed and Lesser Spotted Eagles.
Overnights - Sarafovo.
Days 9 & 10: Moving northwards to
coastal Dobrudja, close to the border with Romania, we shall visit the oak
forests of Goritza and riverine woodland around Baltata. Woodpeckers feature
well and include Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and Lesser Spotted. The latter
woodlands are an important breeding location for Semi-collared Flycatcher.
Lakes Shabla and Durankulak offer the chance of Ferruginous Duck, Red-footed
Falcon and Lesser Grey Shrike and are one of the few breeding sites in Europe
for Paddyfield Warbler. In some years Rosy Starlings are present.
Overnights - Kavarna or nearby.
Day 11: There may be time for some morning birding before departing for Varna for our flight to Sofia and onward to London.