Thursday 6 May
Arrived in Sofia midday and set of for Madžharovo in the Eastern Rahodopes after a torturous journey so far. The early train from Manchester was cancelled meaning a slow bus instead, at Sofia the luggage took ages to come through, the car hire company also took a long time, and the hire car's sat nav took us on the longest tour possible. Once we left the motorway we had to travel many miles over one of the worst roads imaginable, reaching Madžharovo an hour or so later than intended. We were made very welcome at the Vulture Centre by Nusha and had a great evening meal. Birds on the journey, making few stops were. Mute Swan, White Stork, Swallow, House Martin, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Crested Lark, Blackbird, Woodchat Shrike, Starling, Magpie and Jackdaw. While eating our meal outside at dusk a Golden Oriole sang nearby.
Travel Note
If traveling direct from Sofia to Madžharovo leave the motorway at Harmanli (Харманли) and travel southeast to Madžharovo. Do not leave at Lyubimets (Любимец) as the road is almost impassable in places.
Friday 7 May
A cool start down in the gorge where we are staying. Just Robins and Nightingales singing early. From the bridge a Black Stork showed well and a pair of Blue Tits were nesting in a lamppost. Then did a short drive down the gorge, Woodchat and Red-backed Shrike were the only birds until the sun came up. As it warmed up the birds began to sing, Chaffinch and Golden Oriole dominating. More birds now appeared Red-rumped Swallow, a not so White Wagtail, Jay, Raven, Crag Martin and Cuckoo. From mid-morning onwards a few raptors took to the air Egyptian/Griffon Vultures and Buzzards. A stop at a pond up in the mountains found a Great Reed Warbler singing from some rushes. Also Little Owl, Bee-eater, Hoopoe, Wryneck, Goldfinch, Grey Heron and Grey Wagtail.
An early evening walk up to Madžharovo and back, found many of the declining/extinct British species with ease. Turtle Dove, Nightingale, Corn Bunting, House Sparrow, Golden Oriole and Red-backed Shrike. Song Thrush singing back at the centre.
Saturday 8 May
Went up stream in the gorge pre breakfast definite Common Buzzard, Hawfinch, Short-toed Treecreeper. Then went down-stream, much as yesterday plus Cirl Bunting. After breakfast it was off for a circular drive, very warm and difficult to find birds. The following were added to the trip list definite Long-legged Buzzards with rufous tails, Spanish Sparrows by White Stork nests, Whinchat, Mistle Thrush, Little-ringed Plover. A large flock of feeding Great Cormorants on Studen Kladenetz Reservoir. While having our last evening drink a Scops Owl, called very close to us.
Sunday 9 May
Went back to the part of the gorge where the Hawfinch was yesterday to see 3 of them chase a Jay down and across the river. Then went and explored some old tips from the mining that used to occur in the area. A number of Woodlark were found along with the first Great Tit and Mallard. Also around the tips Golden Oriole, Cirl Bunting and Cuckoo. We then left Madžharovo for Sozopol on the Black Sea. At Ivaylovgrad Reservoir Purple Heron flew over, then the first Black Kites. We were recommended a visit to a village called Levka with a visitor centre telling the story of the reintroduction of Lesser Kestrels to Bulgaria. We found a very sleepy village with no obvious visitor centre, but did drop on a Booted Eagle flying over and Tree Sparrows. Giving up on the Lesser Kestrels in the town, it was a pleasant surprise to find 3 in flight over a field just outside the village. This is supposed to be a good area for Eastern Imperial Eagle, no luck with this species, but managed to identify a distant White-tailed Eagle. A Stonechat flushed from beside the road was the only notable Bird en-route until we reached Burgas. Did not have time to watch the wetlands, so it was just a case of what could be identified from the car, which was Yellow-legged Gull and Marsh Harrier.
On our way back to our apartment in the evening, after a meal in Old Sozopol, a Scops Owl was calling from a tree in the park.
Monday 7 May
At first light went to visit a marsh called Lake Alepu to the South of Sozopol, mentioned in Gorman. Only Bird on the water was a Mute Swan. A Little-ringed Plover then showed well next to the road. Then a great surprise when just off the beach two Black-Throated Divers were loafing close inshore, on the sea. A party of Oystercatchers then flew past south. Over the marsh a constant stream of hirundines north included Sand Martin. Managed to pick out my first, on day 5 a Swift. Reed Warblers singing a plenty. Out at sea, in the distance a pod of dolphins kept briefly breaking the surface. Returned to Alepu after breakfast to find a Squacco Heron flying over the reeds. Spent most of the day South of Sozopol exploring woods but only added Great Spotted Woodpecker and two tern species Common and Sandwich off the coast. Late afternoon back at the Alepu 3 Sanderling on the beach and two shearwaters came close inshore. Flock of Sandwich Terns feeding offshore.
Tuesday 8 May
Back at Alepu at first light. Only a swan on the open water again and that flew off after a while. Sea was a lot rougher than yesterday making it difficult to find much. There was a constant passage of hirundines and many more Swifts than yesterday. Also north bound Bee-eaters and a flock of Yellow Wagtails.
Poda a nature reserve run by the Bulgarian Ornithological Society just to the south of Burgas. Common Tern, Ferruginous Duck, Black winged Stilt, Honey Buzzard, Coot, White-tailed Eagle, Green Woodpecker, Pochard, Great Crested Grebe, Cetti’s Warbler, Gadwall, Shelduck, Dalmatian Pelican and Pygmy Cormorant.
Atanasovsko Salt Pans (South) Avocet, Black headed Gull, Little Egret, Curlew, Whimbrel and Common Sandpiper.
Alepu Great White Egret, 2 Black Storks N.
Wednesday 9 May
Back to Alepu pre breakfast. On the shoreline a Kentish Plover and Grey Plover, 3 Black-Throated Divers were fairly close inshore. A White-winged Black Tern flew along the beach then went inland and fed over the marsh. Again a constant northwards stream of hirundines, swifts and Bee-eaters. A very brief view was had between trees of a ring-tailed harrier, but it had left north before any features could be made out to separate to specific species.
Beglik Tash (Drive north along the beach from the resort of Primorsko). Interesting drive up to this archaeological site past wetlands and through oak woodlands and scrub. Keep getting glimpses of black and white flycatchers, but not for long enough to do positive id's. Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Barred Warbler and confirmed from a photo an immature Goshawk.
We then drove inland spending a while watching a Lesser Spotted Eagle perched totally unconcerned by our presence, at the side of the road. A new bridge over a river between the villages of Yasna polyana and Veselie provided an interesting stop.Golden Oriole, Nightingale, Hawfinch. On a gravel bed in the centre of the river Yellow (Black-headed) Wagtail, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, all chased off by the resident Little-ringed Plover. Overhead Black Kite, Booted Eagle and Black Stork.
Thursday 10 May
Alepu Black-headed Bunting, Lesser Grey Shrike, Short-toed Lark, Hobby, Greenfinch and a couple of White-winged Black Terns feeding out at sea.
Friday 11 May
Left Sozopol north for Kavarna
Atanasovsko Salt Pans (South) Several hundred Curlew Sandpipers, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ringed Plover and a very confiding male Syrian Woodpecker.
Saturday 12 May
Kavarna Lesser Whitethroat in scrub at the back of our apartment.
Nos Kaliarka Pied Wheatear, Northern Wheatear, Hobby, Yelkouan Shearwater, 28 Black necked Grebe, Black throated Diver, Alpine Swifts
Rusalka Steppes Calandra Lark and Whitethroat. A Suslik (European Ground Squirrel) showed well by the side of the road.
Lake Shabla (South) Glossy Ibis, Black necked Grebe, Gargany, Squacco Heron, Great White Egret and many Ferruginous Duck.
Sunday 13 May
Early morning drive around headland to north of Kavarna. Black-headed Bunting, Whitethroat, Lesser Grey Shrike and Linnet
Mid morning Kavana Pied Wheatear, 3 Night Herons flying up the valley and Black Redstart.
Balchik Black-throated Diver next to the beach, where we were having lunch.
Monday 14 May
Nos Kaliarka At dawn. Roller, Pied Wheaters, Alpine Swift, Northern Wheatear, Alpine Swift and Shag.
Botata Marsh in Valley to north of Nos Kaliarka Marsh Harriers, Great Reed Warbler, Cetti’s Warbler and Lesser Grey Shrike.
Shabla Village Sparrowhawk
Shabla Lake South Shoveler and Spotted Flycatcher were added to the list of species seen previously.
South of Shabla Lighthouse Male Montague’s Harrier
Russalka Steppes Tawny Pipit, Spotted Flycatcher, Short-toed Eagle and Woodlark
Tuesday 15 May
Kavarna Went out into the balcony first thing this morning to find a small flock of Palid Swift feeding outside.
Headed to the far north east of Bulgaria to a wetland called Durankulak, this is apparently the main site for Paddyfield Warbler. After listening to this bird’s song on my phone app several times I set off in search of. I was hampered by a strong wind and the noise of many Great and Common Reed Warblers, as well as the usual chorus of frogs. Could not find anything resembling Paddyfield Warbler and had to settle for Lesser Grey Shrike, Squacco Heron, 17 Whiskered Terns flying north and my first and only Savi’s Warbler of the trip.
Made one last visit to Nos Kaliarka to have a meal in the restaurant, where we encountered very friendly staff. Lots of posing Pied Wheatears, although some of the females have caused identification problems from the photos on returning home. A long sea watch produced a constant northwards passage of exclusively first summer Mediterranean Gulls and regular sightings of Porpoises.
Friday 16 may
Left Kavarna and headed northwest to spend 3 nights beside the Danube, in the city of Ruse
Unremarkable drive to the marsh at Srebarna, despite going on minor roads. Srebarna Marsh is a large site and apart from a great viewpoint from the visitor centre, its very much an explore on foot reserve, through any birds on the open water are always going to be distant. You could see the Pelicans nesting on the distant platforms, apparently most are Dalmatian, apparently White was present. Non-took flight while we were there, so impossible to tell the difference through the heat haze. A walk along the edge of the marsh found the usual birds and the highlight had to be a pair of Rollers on a line together. Driving out of the village of Srebarna I am sure I heard a Serin. Some wet fields just before Ruse had a number of waders including the first Lapwings of the trip and Pheasant.
Thursday 17 May
Rusenski Lom is a spectacular series of valleys/gorges south of Ruse, with a number of churches cut into the rock. We did not go into any of the churches, but the one near Ivanovo gives spectacular views of the gorge and we hoped it would be a good raptor viewpoint. A few hours were spent here but all that passed over was a pair of Kestrels and a Long-legged Buzzard. The rocks held a large population of Common Rock Lizards and down in the valley there was an abundance of Beautiful and Banded Demoiselles. In the afternoon we visited the abandoned medieval village at Cherven. This is a large area atop a hill with sheer rock faces. It was very hot by now and bird activity was low, we were the only visitors there. Birds included Black Stork, Long-legged Buzzard and Alpine Swift, down in the village Wryneck calling and a Marsh Tit. seen and heard.
Friday 18 May
Ruse early morning walk around Mladezhki Park found little other than a female Syrian Woodpecker.
Koshov Went to this village as it apparently had a bird viewing site in the hope of seeing Egyptian Vulture. We parked in the main square and set off along the river, but a number of lose dogs and long dew wet grass was off putting, so we went back to the viewpoint near the rock church at Ivanco. What was presumed to be Grey-headed Woodpecker was calling near the car park. An hour plus was spent in very warm conditions. A few distant buzzard sp. in front of the sun, a Booted Eagle and Alpine Swifts coming very close was our lot for the day. On the way back to the car park, I found a Freyer’s Purple Emperor butterfly
Saturday 19 May
Following heavy overnight rain we left Ruse to travel southwest to the town of Troyan. Despite traveling on minor roads for most of the journey we could add no new birds, with a very poor day for raptors. Highlight was an amicable Balkan Green Lizard on a wall next to our car.
Sunday 20 May
Troyan A pre breakfast walk through woodland to the top of a hill was quiet apart from a brief glimpse of a Nuthatch.
After breakfast, drove as high as we could up into the mountains above the village of Stoynovskoto. Parking by a bridge was a good move, when two Dippers were sighted chasing each over. A walk up through a forest by the stream found no new birds and this set the scene for the rest of the day driving round with plenty of stops.
Monday 21 May
Troyan Early morning walk up the hill through the woods. Found my first Blackcap, then a few more.
Troyan to Sofia. Climbing to 1600 metres over the Troyan Pass through the Central Balkans National Park found a pair of Bullfinches at one stop. Then at one of the last trees at the edge of the treeline, a male Yellowhammer showed. A detour to a large communist era monument, through alpine vegetation found Skylarks to be quite common, a very showy male Ring Ouzel posed just below the monument. Other birds about included a pair of Whinchat, White Wagtail, Swallow, Red Rumped Swallow, and a few Bee-eaters passing over. Walked along a ridge for a kilometre or so, but the only new birds was a couple of partridge which only gave a brief view. Rufus tails being the only identification feature, as they flew off out of site. Probably Rock Partridge up here, but Chukar cannot be ruled out.
Tuesday 22 May
Early morning rain curtailed my planned morning walk through the park/woods next to our hotel in Sofia. So after breakfast it was a case of packing and heading to Sofia airport for the flight back to Manchester. Air traffic controllers in France had gone on strike and this caused a 80 minute delay in departing, coupled with the slow arrival of bags at Manchester, meant we only just managed to catch our pre-booked train back to Sheffield.
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