ABSTRACT A holiday by public transport to the Eastern Rhodopes and the Black Sea coast in search for birds and other wildlife. Author Sander Bruylants - [email protected]

BULGARIA LATE SPRING 2019

An independent journey

Introduction

Longing for a holiday I decided to pack my stuff beginning of June. I felt it was time again to discover Europe. Since I don’t want to fly within Europe I decided to make it a journey by train and bus. The south-eastern was uncharted territory for me, so I made for . This country hold some specialties within Europe, like Masked Shrike, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, Olive-tree Warbler, Paddyfield Warbler, …

Also Eleonora’s Falco is possible, which come and hunt in the south. Add some attractive landscapes and other wildlife and I was sold.

I focussed on the Eastern Rhodopes (referred to as Rhodopes from now) since they hold most of my targets and I had heard it’s a very nice place.

The landscape in the Rhodopes is a mixture of rugged rocky areas, rolling hills and plains covered with woodlands and extensive cultivated landscapes. Rivers cross the landscape and artificially made reservoirs can be found. It is a fairly remote area but still rather easy to travel without a car.

Madzharovo is the centre for nature tourism due to the presence of one of the only Griffon colonies in Bulgaria. There is a Nature Conservation Centre which has an exhibition about the area and its inhabitants.

Another gem from the Rhodopes is the Bulgarian Emerald (Somatochlora borisi), this species of dragonfly was discovered in 1999 ( and described in 2001) at the Byala Reka in the south of the Rhodopes.

Itinerary Gent→Munich→Zagreb→Belgrade→→→Studen Kladenets→Madzharovo→→Meden Buk→Levka→ Goritsa→→Sofia→Belgrade→Zagreb→Munich→Gent Logistics I chose to travel by public transport towards and from Bulgaria. In Bulgaria I used both public transport and hitchhiking. Trains A helpful site for train travel is www.seat61.com, well explained which routes you can take by train!

Waiting time for the connection varied.

Train leg Gent-Munich was booked through www.Bahn.de, prices can vary.

Between Munich and Zagreb I took a night train and used the couchette wagon. This was booked through www.oebb.at.

Zagreb-Belgrade was done by train. Tickets need to be purchased in the station. This was a rather slow train and bit smelly. On the way back I opted for the bus. Busses In the Balkans its is easier to take the bus, as trains are often rather slow.

Belgrade-Sofia was done by Florentina bus. This was a good bus with USB sockets. I had a discount if book online.

Sofia-Haskovo was also done by bus and purchased in the station.

In the Rhodopes, busses are scarce and operate mostly early morning. There are busses from Haskovo to Madzharovo and Ivaylovgrad. Possibly also to Studen Kladenets, but can’t recall seeing one.

At the coast busses are frequent.

Burgas-Sofia was done by bus using one of the many private bus compagnies of Bulgaria.

Sofia-Belgrade was done by Eurolines bus, small bus with less space. This bus had better schedules then the Florentina bus.

Belgrade-Zagreb was booked in front. I had to pay extra for the luggage. Accommodation I often camped at random places. In Madzharovo I stayed in a room (2p+bathroom) at the Nature Conservation centre for 50 leva/night.

In Mandritsa I stayed 1 night in a hotel also double bedroom with shared bathroom, for 32 leva + breakfast.

In Burgas I stayed at the A16 Hostel for two nights in a 4 person room. Nice and well equipped hostel. I paid 54 leva in total, but can be cheaper actually, since I used an annulation option through booking.com.

In Sofia I stayed at the Moreto & Caffeto Hostel on my way back for 1 night. About 12 leva for a bed.

In Belgrade I stayed in Hedonist Hostel for 1 night on the way back for about 15 euro. Also a nice hostel. This was booked through hostelworld.com. Maps and literature

Maps I bought an overview map of Bulgaria and a map of the Rhodopes. The Rhodopes map (domino tourist map) contained 88 historical and natural sites with a bit of information.

In the end I mostly used my phone with the maps.me app. All my waypoints were stored in here. Books I got the Crossbill Guide from the Library and took photographs of the most interesting routes.

As bird guide I used the Collin guide. Internet Bird songs of target birds were downloaded from www.xeno-canto.org.

To get myself familiar with good birding locations and species specific sites I made a waypoint map, gathering information from www.ebird.org and www.bulgaria.observation.org. Also some reports from www.cloudbirders.com were used.

Trip report

The main goal of this trip was enjoying nature and the landscape. Since I was not that mobile and targets were few, I didn’t went from spot to spot to search for targets.

Figure 1 Overview of all observations made.

Day 1-3: on the way

A short description of traveling towards the Rhodopes by public transport.

I left Gent a bit after noon by train and switched in Brussel-Zuid to an ICE train heading for Frankfurt. These trains are fast, comfy and have Wi-Fi. In Frankfurt I changed to another ICE to Munich. Arrived at 21:10 in Munich I went for a bite and a beer at the Augustiner-keller.

At 23:10 I boarded the couchette of the train to Zagreb. Night trains make traveling easy. After a border control on the train at the Slovenia-Croatian border I arrived around 8 am in Zagreb. It was raining so I hung around the station buying some food and train tickets for the leg towards Belgrade. In Zagreb 4 friends joined who were going to Montenegro.

We arrived in Belgrade around 19h, with about an hour delay. Since my bus to Sofia was at 4:30 am I asked around on couchsurfing if anyone wanted to show me around. A local host picked me up at the station and we dropped my friends at their station. I had a nice evening in an international company and went straight to the bus. The bus was 45 minutes late but arrived on time in Sofia around noon. Here I took the bus to Haskovo, the regional capital. From the bus I saw my only Lesser-spotted Eagles.

Figure 2 Overview map of the river area.

Day 3: entering the Rhodophes

Haskovo is the gateway to the Rhodopes. I started hitching and got a lift to the outskirts of town. Here I was welcomed by Black-headed Buntings, Corn Buntings, Red-backed Shrikes and Eastern Olivaceous Warbler.

I hitched and walked through a nice landscape where agricultural areas and woodlands dominate. By the evening I was east of at the 593. European Turtle Doves, Common Nightingales and Hoopoe were singing and the metallic sound of Hawfinches could be heard from the trees. I took a dirt track and installed myself between the wildflowers on a flat space of the hillslope.

Figure 3 Map of the campsite location

Day 4: Beautiful morning and getting to Studen Kladenets

I woke up just before sunrise in a colourful landscape. A group of Sombre Tits where around and a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was searching for breakfast. I packed my stuff and walked further along the way. In the oak woodlands I found Cirl Bunting and Subalpine Warbler. Booted Eagle and Griffon Vulture soared overhead while I made my way towards Studen Kladenets. In Madjari the first White Stork nests and the Spanish Sparrows underneath appeared. Golden Orioles where singing along the road. I arrived at Studen Kladenets around noon and went to point 5 of route 4 in the Crossbill Guide (41.611001, 25.637774). This site is good for dragonflies with Odalisque, Eastern Spectre and Turkish Goldering. Also there is a breeding couple of Dipper here. I saw an adult and juvenile. Eleonora’s Falcon sometimes hunt along the river so I kept my eyes to the sky but couldn’t find any.

I walked up the riverbed towards the second dam and dropped my stuff there to explore the valley and surroundings. Walking up the slopes a group of Woodlarks was flushed and an Ortolan Bunting was singing. A group of 10 Griffons soared overhead. In the evening I pitched my tent at the dam and at dusk a Nightjar started to sing.

Figure 4 Studen Kladenets region.

Day 5: To the Krumovitsa River

I decided to leave my stuff at my campingsite and pack light for a half day excursion to the Krumovitsa river. According to the Crossbill Guide, this is a good spot for Eleonora’s Falcon. Walked the first part and saw the first Crag Martin of the trip. Got a ride to the village of Potochnitsa and started walking. Just before the road turned (41.601202, 25.677986) it started to look interesting and I decided to check the bushes. Soon I found a singing Sardinian Warbler, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Alpine Swift and Roller. Eastern Olivaceous Warblers were common and suddenly my attention was drawn by a deep crackling sound. It resembled Great Reed Warbler a bit and I knew this had to be an Olive-tree Warbler. I soon after heard another one singing. They turned out to be real skulkers, singing low in the bushes and disappearing when I got close. In the end I only had some flyby views. I made for the river and cooled off in the river. Eastern Olivaceous Warblers were numerous in the bushes and showed rather well. On the banks Little Ringed Plovers with chicks were running around. I found some Balkan Yellow Wagtails along the river and a Black-headed Bunting started to sing. A nice adult male Barred Warbler moved in the bushes and a Kingfisher flew by. But sadly no Eleonora’s. In the afternoon I returned and around the turn heard a Wryneck and saw a Syrian Spotted Woodpecker. I used the bus which was passing by and went back to the stream for dragonflies. Along the stream I found an excellent swimming spot and after a refreshing dive I focused on the Goldenrings flying by. Another Turkish Goldenring was caught. Late afternoon I tried hitchhiking back, but ended up walking mostly. In the end I got a lift and got dropped a bit after Pchelari to make a walk to the river. I camped next to the dirt road.

Figure 5 Observations at the Krumovitsa river area.

Day 6: Streams and cromlech

I woke up with clouded weather and packed my stuff. The road brought me through open land, some White Storks and Corn Buntings kept me company. At a small reservoir I check for dragonflies and found lots of freshly emerged Eastern Willow Spreadwings. As I made for the river oak woodlands started to dominate the landscape and my attention was drawn to a strange Phylloscopus warbler. Soon it started singing and calling making the ID of Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler complete. Multiple individuals where singing from the woods. The plumage was rather dull with no clear green tinges, probably because of wear. A Northern Goshawk flew over as I followed further. I took a sidetrack through the forest to a meadow finding Lax-flowered Orchid and an unidentified species of Somatochlora. I continued along the river and at a little puddle found some Yellow-bellied Toads. At a crossing a Black Stork flew by and a Brown Hawker, Short-toed Eagle and Sombre Tit where seen. It took me a while to find the correct road to return. The map I brought showed a path following the river for a while. But I could not find a trail heading in the good direction. So I took a path at the river crossing and it got me where I wanted to go. The trail on the map is not fully correct. But just after river crossing (41.659182, 25.686718) you can walk up a path with takes you to a clearing. On the way juvenile Great-spotted Woodpeckers showed nicely. Back at the main road I searched for butterflies and found lots of Chapman’s Blue and Southern Festoon.

A bit past Silen I flagged a bus and went to the Cromlech just before Dolni Glavanak. According to the Crossbill Guide the managed Oaklands can produce Masked Shrike, a species high on the wishlist. I heard an Olive-tree Warbler crackling softly and a few Eastern Bonelli’s Warblers, also the first Spotted Flycatchers. There was a shelter which came in handy when some rain showers passed by.

Figure 6 Route and observations near Pchelari.

Day 7: Masked Shrike and relaxing at Madzharovo

I woke up with some fog and went down to the forest. An observation from last year was closer to the road, so I started there. The Olive-tree Warbler was singing from the bushes as was his smaller cousin. I crossed the road to check another oak part and saw something moving in the back, sitting on the lower branches, put it in my bins and yes it was: Masked Shrike! It was rather shy but still gave nice views. I crossed the road again and found the Olive-tree Warbler singing on an open perch, so finally a decent observation of the species.

Figure 7 Route, observations and point at the Cromlech near Dolni Glavanak.

After packing my stuff I decided to take an alternative road to the village following narrow tracks, if any, through some rather thorny bushes. This delivered two more O-t Warblers. I hitched a part of the road to Madzharovo and walked the last kilometre or two. Arrived at the nature conservation centre I informed if there were any free rooms. I got a 2 bed room with a small bathroom for 50 leva/night and dropped my stuff. Since I saw an observation of Semi-collared Flycatcher here from some years ago I went into the forest. I walked the path to the meander but had to go back soon after because of the rain. When the skies cleared I walked towards the town and saw my first Woodchat Shrike, a Barred Warbler was doing songflights. I met a touring guide and asked him about the flycatchers. As I expected, they are rare in these regions and more common near the coast.

After going to the shop I went for a site where S-c Flycatcher has been seen in the past. I found an Eastern Festoon. I walked up a little path and found lots of juvenile Hawfinches. By evening I went for the cliffs at the other side of the river. Welcomed by a singing Blue Rock Thrush I started to scan the slopes an soon found a Western Rock Nuthatch. Griffons were flying around and a group of Alpine Swifts were calling. I stayed in one spot overviewing the meander and enjoying the birdlife around. Black Storks gave a nice show and when a slim falcon flew over the cliffs I was on edge for a moment, but it looked more like a Hobby. Better views were given by the Crag Martins and Red- rumped Swallows breeding at the cliffs. When returning to the centre I found an Ortolan Bunting and heard a Rock Bunting.

Day 8: Hiking day

I woke up early morning to do the route 7 from the Crossbill Guide. This route is marked with white- yellow stripes. Sometimes rather vague and I think these markings are also used outside of the route, more on that later.

The route starts at (41.63339, 25.85345) and after an open area goes into the forest. Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler was common, as where the Eurasian Nuthatches and Green Woodpeckers. The route is slowly sloping uphill and the forest changes a bit to a more open forest. On the Oaks I found Lattice Brown. The open areas gave nice views over the Arda Valley and on the larger open areas I searched for butterflies, but mainly common species were found. In the more scrub areas Subalpine Warblers, Lesser Whitethroat, Sombre Tit and Ortolan Bunting were singing. Higher up I flushed a Chukar and a Golden Eagle flew overhead. I lunched overseeing the Arda, kept company by an European Green Lizard. A bit after noon I found the Thracian tomb to which this route leads, here a Middle Spotted Woodpecker was singing. After this it went downhill. At open areas I stopped for butterflies with Yellow-banded Skipper and Blue Argus the highlights. I followed the track but got suspicious when it started to bent southwards, which should not be the case! Although I found markings I knew something was wrong. So I decided to just go north. This turned in to quite an adventure trying to make my way through the landscape, which was often not agreeing with my choices! I found markings off and on, to loose them just as easily or seeing how the road was turning to the wrong side. In the end I reached the road and jumped into the river to cool a bit!

Luckily I didn’t have to walk back to town but go a lift, which spared me from another 5 km walk. Arrived at the conservation centre I ordered food and talked a bit with a biologist who came to work at the centre. He advised me to visit the Poda Nature reserve.

Figure 8 Overview map of the Armira-Byala Reka area. Day 9: On my way to the Armira Valley

In the morning I walked around a bit and then decided to start hitchhiking towards Ivaylovgrad. I sat down at the cliffs and waited for cars. Few traffic as always and cars not really fond of stopping. But luckily someone stopped and even dropped me off at the junction to Ivaylovgrad. I was welcomed by Corn, Black-headed and Ortolan Bunting, Woodchat Shrike, Spanish Sparrows and Honey Buzzard. Cars were going really fast and all the sudden a car coming from the other side pulled over and stopped in the middle of the road. “Where are you from” the driver asked, a curious local I thought. Then he asked for my ID card and said he was police. Not showing any markings I asked for his ID, which he showed. Being close to the Greek border patrols get more frequent. After some standard questions about where I was going, doing and having a look at my photos they stopped being a huge danger to the passing traffic and left. Most casual police check ever! Got a lift from a Greek guy, who was more often with his hands of the wheel than on ( but managing it well) to Ivaylovgrad. There had been strong rain showers and even a little mudslide occurred, but now sun was shining again. I bought some supplies and walked towards the Armira Valley. On the way I got 2 more police checks. The dry grasslands, hills, forest and orchards made for a nice landscape and birdwise this was a good site with Isabelline Wheatears rather commonly encountered. Woodchat Shrike was also much more common then previous days. Bee-eaters were calling and 3 Booted Eagles flew around. I went to the river and dropped my stuff. Eastern Spectre, Goldenring sp. and Blue Argus were seen along the water. I returned to the grasslands to enjoy the evening light and bird some more. The B-h Buntings were cooperative and showed rather well in nice light. An Eastern Orphean Warbler showed briefly but good. I enjoyed the evening strolling around, photographing.

Walking back tot the river my attention was drawn by the sound of multiple ravens. They sounded like they were mobbing something and suddenly I herd the deep hoot of an Eurasian Eagle-owl.

Figure 9 Campspot and observations at the Armira river.

Day 10: Roman bridge and onwards to the Byala Reka

I started in the open area with the same species as yesterday and a Stonechat. In the scrubs on the hill I found a singing male Sardinian Warbler. After photographing some swallows collecting mud at a puddle I went to search dragonflies along the Armira river. For this I walked to the Roman bridge (41.51066, 26.08043). Eastern Spectres were flying low over the water, Small Pincertail was commonly seen and a Common Clubtail landed for a moment. I was looking for Balkan Emerald here, but had no luck.

Late afternoon I went back and got a lift to the next village. From there I walked along many vineyards and saw an Aesculapian Snake cross the road. I stopped at a hairpin (41.450562, 26.137534) to set my tent. According to my map this is a small reserve for Orchids. At dusk 2 Nightjars started to call and later on a Scops Owl and distant Golden Jackals.

Day 11: The Byala Reka

In the morning I searched the grasslands for orchids and found Pyramidal orchid, Balkan Lizard Orchid and Woodcock Bee-orchid. Then I continued walking towards the Byala Reka to search for Bulgarian Emerald. The end goal was to reach Meden Buk, since there are many observations there and this should be a nice part of the river with meanders. Since the road ends at this village and there are only small ones on the way I knew it might be hard to get there. I decided to try for the Emerald at different stops along the river. As soon as I reached the river I searched for an accessible spot and scanned the banks. I found a Somatochlora/ Cordulia flying but was unable to catch it or take decent photographs. This probably was a Bulgarian one, but I wanted a more satisfying observation. A couple of 100 meters further I tried my luck again. I found a shaded arm (41.425, 26.127) of the river and shortly after again a Somatochlora. My photograph skills were not on point enough so I took my net and waited. I caught it and the obvious yellow postclypeus got me really enthusiastic.

Birdwise I had some Eastern Bonelli’s, Nightingales, Little Ringed Plovers and a Kingfisher. I walked further and decided to keep hitchhiking. It worked and I ended up at Meden Buk. At the river I had some Odalisques. I walked along the river seeing Black Stork and found at least 3 Bulgarian Emeralds and a nice swimming spot. While trying to photograph the Emeralds a Common Clubtail landed on my camera. I felt satisfied so decided to head back. My batteries could also use a charge again. Hoping for a lift turned out to be a fools hope, so I walked from village to village. On the way I enjoyed a group of Bee-eaters. Close to Mandritsi I checked maps.me if there was anything in this slightly bigger village. To my surprise there was a hotel. I quickly decided to check it out. I got a room for 32 leva with breakfast and talked a bit with the other guest who where here for kayaking. I had a nice meal and chilled at the hotel.

Day 12: Levka and the Lesser Kestrels

I woke up around 6, my new natural rhythm it seemed. I walked around a bit looking at the House Martins nesting. After breakfast I got a ride from one of the Kayakers to , well on the way to Levka, my next destination. After a bus and a ride I arrived in Levka. This village is known for its Lesser Kestrel colony, established through a reintroduction project. I really wanted to see them around the colony, but had a bit of an over romantic idea about this, no church like depicted in some field guides with good observation opportunities. The colony is a building with multiple nestboxes and poles for them to sit on. When I arrived I saw 2 Lesser Kestrels flying, later on the number would rise. It was very warm so I walked up a dirt road and placed myself in the shadow of a small tree overseeing the village. Lesser Kestrels flew by and suddenly I saw a 2 big raptors, they turned out to be Eastern Imperial Eagles, 1 was even holding a large snake. One of these birds was seen the next day as well, so probably a local couple. I looked for a spot to drop my stuff and walk around a bit. After hiding my stuff at a good campsite it was time for a walk. At the edge of a field I flushed a Calandra Lark. One of my goals was to find Masked Shrike, so I followed the dirt track to a turn in the road where they have been seen in past years (41.855139, 26.263549). No Masked but an Olive-tree Warbler, Eastern Orphean Warbler and Woodchat Shrikes made up for this. In the village I bought something cold to drink and some extra water and returned to my tent after spending some time with the falcons, but the light was not optimal.

Day 13: Levka and the flycatcher

The day started with a beautiful sunrise, Hoopoe and Olive-tree Warbler. I planned to go back to the turn to bird. At the cemetery I saw a juvenile Syrian Woodpecker and a bit further I was stopped by a small black and white bird flying across the road. This was definitely too small for a shrike and after lifting my bins, it became clear it was a Ficedula flycatcher. The observation was to brief to 100% ID it, but here and now this should be Semi-collared Flycatcher. This was one of my targets so I started checking all the bushes in the vicinity, sadly no luck. As a consolation price I found Balkan Emerald. These flycatchers are more often found along streams in more mesophilic forests. So my plan was to get down to the river and check the willows over there. I went to the turn and descended through the orchard. At the river I found willow and alders and some thickets with high bird activity. Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, Golden Orioles, Olive-tree Warbler, Sombre Tit were singing and all the sudden I found a Masked Shrike perched in a tree. I enjoyed the views of this magnificent bird for a while and went on along the river. Now and then a Black Stork flew by. I was almost about to head back for the road when I caught some movement in the corner of my eye. A black and white bird perched high up! It was not a very convincing individual with no apparent semi-collar, rather small primary patch but a clear white band on the median coverts connected to the wing patch. It got me a bit confused but apparently it is not unusual to look like this, especially for first-winters, which this was. I had also brief views of a female type and another male being chased off by the first-winter male.

I went further along the river and encountered some more Masked Shrikes. Back at my tent some rain showers past by so I chilled a bit in the tent. Late afternoon I packed and got back to the road to try hitchhiking further east to a site where S-c Flycatchers was recently seen. But no luck, I ended up pitching my tent along the road.

Figure 10 Camp and observations in Levka Figure 11 Overview of the Black Sea area. Most to the north the Gorica forest, central pointers the lake and lower ones the Poda reserve. Day 14: Change of plans and the Black Sea coast

I got up very early to catch the bus, but or I was just to late, or the bus was. This will remain a mystery since a car pulled over and gave me a ride. I was still planning to go to for the Flycatcher until my ride offered to take me to Burgas since she was going there. I decided to change my plan and try my luck at Gorica forest, the classical spot for Semi-collared Flycatcher.

I arrived somewhere before noon in Burgas and got dropped off at a bus stop between 2 of the Burgas lakes. This resulted in Cetti’s Warbler, Black-crowned Night Heron, Pygmy Cormorant, Little Egret, Glossy Ibis and Great White Pelican.

My plan was to go to Gorica forest, so I figured that a bus going to Varna would be the best choice. The bus took me to the western bus station (Zapad), where most busses leave for Varna. A friendly guy who spoke English helped me out and asked how I could get to Gorica. It turned out there are at least 2 villages called that way. But when I showed on the map he agreed that a bus to Varna would work. He told me which platform to go and the departure time. I ate something while waiting and went to the platform. The bus turned out to be a small one, so don’t wait for a regular size bus to arrive. The driver asked if I was going to Gorica, word had spread fast it seemed. On the way I saw Black-winged Stilts and Avocets at the saltpans. The driver dropped me of at the zoo, from which I walked further along the road. I took a forest track to get off the road which went about parallel to it. When I came at the track ( 42.918987, 27.812410) leading into the forest I went south until a sidetrack (42.914439, 27.801598). In this area there are a lot of nestboxes where Semi-collared Flycatchers breed. I knew breeding season was probably over, but hoped for some lingering individuals. I walked through the forest and noted a Wood Warbler singing, some Spotted Flycatchers moved around and all the sudden I found a male Semi-collared Flycatcher. A brief view but a good one and also a more typical individual. I roamed around and found a Middle Spotted Woodpecker. Otherwise the forest was rather quiet. I sat myself down and read some more in my book.

Another interesting thing to search for are Forest Dormice. I checked some nestboxes carefully and found a Forest Dormouse sleeping in its nest.

During the day some rather irritating flies had bothered me on the open track, but became less abundant in the forest. During evening mosquitos took over and I pitched my inner tent as a mosquito net.

Day 15: Pomorie lake and Burgas

I was woken around 6 by some locals moving around. Apparently I had pitched my tent next to a marked tree which they wanted to cut. So I cleaned up fast and went back to the road. Here I got a lift from a Bulgarian guy who started to speak Dutch to me when he learned I was from Belgium! What a surprise.

Another guy dropped me off at a gas station south of Acheloy. I walked to the beach and followed this south to the saltpans.

The seaside brought a welcoming new array of species. I stopped at the saltpans and took my time to scan a bit. Little Tern and Sandwich Tern were following the coast and in between the many Black- headed Gulls I picked out some Slender-billed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls. As end of June is a rather dull period for waders I mainly saw some breeding birds like Stilts, Avocets, Redshanks and Kentish Plovers. Twice a Whiskered Tern flew by and on sea I found small groups of Red-necked Grebes and a Black Sea Bottlenose Dolphin. To my surprise I found a winter plumage Black- throated Diver not far off the coast. I didn’t expect them to linger this long. Going more south the saltpans made way for open water with lots of Mute Swans and a Common Tern colony. This stretch of land also held a lot of Painted Ladies.

After eating something I went to a seawatch spot (42.555680, 27.651795) to try my luck over sea. I had bumped onto a fishing route for Sandwich Terns as many birds flew by with fish in their bill, on the way to a colony.

After this I took the bus towards the South Bus Station, which was very close the A16 hostel where I planned on staying for the remaining two nights. I walked around a bit and went to the beach.

Day 16: Poda nature centre

For my last full day I decided to go the Poda Nature Centre, just south of Burgas. I took a bus from the south bus station at 8, which passes by the centre.

On arriving I saw a Black-crowned Night Heron sitting on the bank of the canal. Poda is a reserve with extensive reed beds and a mixed heron colony together with some Gloss Ibises and Spoonbills. They have very friendly staff and the rooftop is accessible if you pay a small fee.

Common Terns are nesting and Great Reed Warbler is common. There are some hides across the reserve but I mainly walked on the main path. A Squacco Heron showed shortly and a very confident juvenile Marsh Harrier showed well in a bush. It was getting very hot so I decided to just sit on the roof of the visitor centre and look around. A group of about 10 Dalmatian Pelicans started soaring overhead and later on got company of some Great White Pelicans. I showed them to some school kids visiting the centre and after a while a group of 30 Great Whites passed by. The heat was making me feel lazy so I took the bus back to Burgas and went to the beach. Pygmy Cormorant passed by while swimming. I chilled in the hostel and later on went back to the beach with some other travellers. Around the corner of the hostel there was also a nice bar, called papa beer, with a good variety of craft beers, which we paid a visit. This was the end of the birding part, now only the way back to Belgium remained.

Day 17: going to Sofia

Today I went to Sofia by bus. The timetable was a bit off in the hostel so I missed the 11:10 bus. Instead I took the 12:30. It was a rather comfy bus and on the way I saw some nice flocks of White Storks and 3 Collared Pratincoles. Arrived in Sofia I took tram 6 to Ivan Vasov, which was close to the Moreto and Cafetto Hostel I booked through Hostelworld. I went into town to eat something and enjoyed the Swifts and Alpine Swifts flying around.

Day 18: To Belgrade

Taking it slow I took a small eurolines buss to Belgrade arriving somewhere after noon. I went to the Hedonist hostel to stay the night, mostly chilling with other travellers and in the evening I met with someone from the inbound journey.

Day 19: To Zagreb and back on the sleeper to Munich

Around noon I took a bus to Zagreb, this provided to be a much faster way to get there compared to the train. In Zagreb I had a layover of 2 hours so I left my stuff in one of the spacious lockers in the station and went to a nice vegan restaurant. In the evening I boarded the train to Munich, after the 2 border controls I felt sound asleep.

Day 20: End of the trip

Arriving early morning in Munich I hung around the station waiting for the train. The journey was a bit different than on the inbound way, but I arrived in the afternoon at Aachen Hbf, from where I hitched to the Botrange in Belgium where some friends were on a weekend.

Annotated checklist

From 28/05/2019 till 16/06/2019

Observations can be found at www.bulgaria.observation.org

Mute Swan Cygnus olor

Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna

Gadwall Mareca strepera

Mallard Anas platyrhynchos

Common Pochard Aythya ferina Vulnerable (VU)

Chukar Partridge Alectoris chukar

Flushed 1 along hike west of Madzharovo, heard around Studen Kladenets.

Common Quail Coturnix coturnix

Black-throated Loon Gavia arctica

1 individual in winter plumage at Pomore lake (on sea).

Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena multiples at sea

Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

Black Stork Ciconia nigra

Common in Rhodopes

White Stork Ciconia ciconia

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

1 flyover at Burgas, 1 at Poda reserve.

Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Seen flying south of Burgas and Poda

Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides

1 at Poda

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Purple Heron Ardea purpurea

3 seen at Poda. Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus about 10 seen at Poda.

Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus Vulnerable (VU) about 10 seen at Poda.

Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus fairly common around Burgas.

Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus Endangered (EN)

Multiple seen around Arda river.

European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus

Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus

Seen in vicinity of Studen Kladenets and Madzharovo.

Short-toed Snake Eagle Circaetus gallicus about 5 seen during trip. Studen Kladenets, Armira, Levka.

Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina

Surprisingly only seen from the bus between Sofia and Haskovo.

Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus

Fairly common, mainly light morphs.

Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca Vulnerable (VU)

2 seen at Levka, seen same adult on multiple days. Probably a local couple.

Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos

1 while hiking west of Madzharovo

Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis

Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus

Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus

1 seen around Levka.

Black Kite Milvus migrans fairly common

Common Buzzard Buteo buteo

Water Rail Rallus aquaticus

Eurasian Coot Fulica atra Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta

Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus Near-threatened (NT)

Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius

Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus

Common Redshank Tringa totanus

Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola

3 seen from the bus to Sofia (42.211, 24.446).

Slender-billed Gull Chroicocephalus genei

Seen a couple among the Black-headed Gulls at Pomorie Sandpans.

Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Mediterranean Gull Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis

Little Tern Sternula albifrons

Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida

1 summer and 1 winter plumage at Pomorie Lake.

Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus

European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur Vulnerable (VU)

Still common!

Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto

Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Eurasian Scops Owl Otus scops

Heard only at multiple locations

Eurasian Eagle-Owl Bubo bubo

Heard only. 1 individual mobbed by Ravens at Armira river.

Little Owl Athene noctua

European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus

Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba

Seen around Studen Kladenets, Madzharovo, Sofia and Belgrade. Common Swift Apus apus

Pallid Swift Apus pallidus

2 at Madjari.

European Roller Coracias garrulus

1 between Studen Kladenets and Krumovitsa river (41.601, 25.678)

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis

European Bee-eater Merops apiaster

Eurasian Hoopoe Upupa epops

.Common, more often heard,

Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla

Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes medius

Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus

1 seen at Krumovitsa river and 1 juvenile at Levka cemetery.

Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major

Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius

European Green Woodpecker Picus viridis

Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni

Around colony in Levka (41.871, 26.258)

Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus

Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo

Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

Common from Madzharovo eastwards.

Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus

1 at the Cromlech near Donl Glavanak (41.686, 25.809) and multiple along the river near Levka (41.853, 26.269).

Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus

Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Magpie Pica pica

Western Jackdaw Coloeus monedula

Rook Corvus frugilegus Hooded Crow Corvus cornix

Northern Raven Corvus corax

Sombre Tit Poecile lugubris

Fairly common in the Rhodopes.

Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus

Great Tit Parus major

Woodlark Lullula arborea

Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis

Crested Lark Galerida cristata

Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra

Seen around Levka ( 41.864, 26.261).

Sand Martin Riparia riparia

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica

Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris

Common House Martin Delichon urbicum

Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica

Common.

Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti

Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix

1 at Gorica forest

Eastern Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus orientalis

Fairly common in wooded areas in the Rhodopes

Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita

Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus

Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Iduna pallida

Common.

Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum

Multiple seen. (41.601, 25.678), near the Cromlech (3), Armira (41.429, 26.127 ), Levka (multiple along river). Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla

Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria

1 at Krumovitsa river and 1 male at Madzharovo (41.636, 25.866)

Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca

Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris fairly common around Armira and Levka.

Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis

Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans ssp albistriata

Fairly common in Rhodopes.

Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala

2 at Krumovitsa (41.601, 25.678) and at Armira.

Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea

Western Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer

On the cliffs near Madzharovo (41.654, 25.872)

Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla

Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Common Blackbird Turdus merula

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos

Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata

European Robin Erithacus rubecula

Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos

Semicollared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata

3 along river near Levka (41.861, 26.273). 1 along nestboxes (42.913, 27.805).

Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

At the cliffs near Madzharovo.

European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe

Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina Fairly common at Armira.

White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus

House Sparrow Passer domesticus

Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis

Often seen underneath White Stork nests in Rhodopes.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus

Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava ssp feldegg

Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea

White Wagtail Motacilla alba

Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris

Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis

Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs

Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes

European Greenfinch Chloris chloris

Common Linnet Linaria cannabina

European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis

Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra

Common.

Rock Bunting Emberiza cia

2 around Madzharovo, cliffs and hike.

Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana

Multiple seen, Studen Kladenets, Cliffs and hike near Madzharovo, Yvaylovgrad.

Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus

Fairly common.

Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala

Fairly common to common. Especialy east of Madzharovo.

Total number of birds: 149