Wintering Birds of the Balkans Bulgaria Is Situated in South-Eastern Europe
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Bulgaria and the Black Sea Wintering Birds of the Balkans Bulgaria is situated in south-eastern Europe. The country borders Romania to the north where the River Danube forms a natural boundary. The Danube rarely freezes in winter and is therefore an important area for wintering geese. Agriculture is still undeveloped in places. It is in these areas that large numbers of geese over-winter after being forced south by poor weather. Recent tours have produced huge numbers of the internationally-threatened Red-breasted Goose with one visit producing in excess of 30,000 birds. The mild climate of the Black Sea coast is also important for swans, ducks, shorebirds, gulls and raptors. Day 1: Fly to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. If time allows we visit Vitosha Mountain. Dates Species of interest using the coniferous for- Saturday February 12th – Saturday est in winter include Spotted Nutcracker, February 19th 2022 Common Crossbill, Goldcrest and if we are Leader: Simon McLaughlin and fortunate Three-toed Woodpecker. Short Assen Ignatov transfer to a hotel located at the foot of Group size: 7 Vitosha Mountain. Birds: 90-110 Day 2: Transfer to Pomorie, a section of the Burgas lake complex including Mandra fields or through beech woodland looking and Vaya, and a series of active saltpans for Northern Goshawk, woodpeckers, which attract Caspian, Mediterranean, Sombre Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch and Little and Slender-billed Gulls. Great Black- Eurasian Treecreeper. Large flocks of headed Gulls are occasionally observed European Starlings are often pursued by during the late winter months. The lake Peregrine Falcons. Along the coast we may itself has Pygmy Cormorant and a selec- find Black-necked Grebe, Black-throated tion of wildfowl. Depending on the severity Diver and large rafts of Eurasian Coots. of the winter, we may find Whooper and Even during the harsh winter months the Bewick’s Swans. Vaya and Mandra lakes large saltpans of Burgas attract Pied are situated in the Burgas district. Lake Avocet, Eurasian Curlew and Northern Vaya is a brackish to freshwater lake con- Pintail.The pans also hold substantial num- nected to the Black Sea by a canal with a bers of Dalmatian Pelicans and occasional- sluice. The lake has stands of reeds on ly wintering Great White Pelican. three sides which attract Eurasian Bittern, Eurasian Penduline Tit and Bearded Day 4: Today we leave Burgas and travel Reedling. Open areas of water have north to Kavarna for a three-night stay. Our Dalmatian Pelicans. Ducks present include journey takes us along the Black Sea Greater Scaup and White-headed Duck. coast. From the coastal plain north of Lake Mandra is a brackish coastal lake Burgas we climb slowly through oak and attracting GreaterWhite-fronted Geese, beech woods to a small taverna situated in Red-breasted Merganser and Smew. woods around Goritsa. We stop at Goritsa to look for Black, Grey-headed, Great Day 3: Today we visit several areas around Spotted, Middle Spotted and Lesser the coastal port of Burgas. Our first stop at Spotted Woodpeckers. Other woodland an old quarry may provide us with wintering species include Hawfinch, Eurasian Ruddy Shelducks. The rest of the day is Bullfinch, Brambling and Eurasian Siskin. spent driving on roads either with open Villages in the vicinity of Goritsa have the 66 www.birdwatchingbreaks.com ☎ 01381 610495 Bulgaria and the Black Sea Dalmatian Pelicans Photo: Pandion Tours rather localised Syrian Woodpecker. We fields for Red-breasted Geese. Depending also check a traditional site for Eurasian on numbers of wildfowl present, we may Eagle Owl which are actively calling in late also locate reasonable numbers of White- winter. Further north we reach Kavarna, a tailed Eagles and perhaps a hunting town adjacent to high cliffs and the cool Northern Goshawk. We may find parties of Black Sea. Bohemian Waxwings and Great Grey Shrikes. Fields may have hunting Rough- Days 5-7: Lake Shabla is situated near legged Buzzards and, if it is mild, Short- the border with Romania adjacent to the eared Owls. Black Sea. Offshore, birds include Black- throated and Red-throated Divers, Black- Day 8: Transfer to Varna, birding along the necked Grebe, Goosander, Red-breasted road, and then an internal flight back to Merganser and Greater Scaup. The lake is Sofia for onward connections to London important for Red-breasted and Greater where the tour concludes. White-fronted Geese which are usually present in their thousands. In amongst the Prices ’common’ two goose species we search for Taiga and Tundra Bean Geese, Greylag Ground Price: £1,455 Goose and if we are fortunate Lesser Single room: £90 White-fronted Goose. Birds of prey include Deposit: £150 Hen Harrier and Rough-legged Buzzard. *Air Fare: £515 Cape Kaliakra, a steppe-like grassland with adjacent cliffs, juts out into the Black Sea. This holiday is fully inclusive of Passerines are few in winter but we should flights, accommodation, meals, find Calandra Larks and, in the gorge itself, transport, permit fees, guidance, tips Eurasian Eagle Owl. Offshore we have a and taxes. chance of European Shag. Lake Durankulak, a brackish to freshwater Not included: drinks, insurance, coastal lagoon, will be our destination one items of a personal nature. day. There are a few reedbeds which hold Eurasian Bittern, Western Marsh Harrier *Please refer to our terms and and occasionally Moustached Warbler. conditions relating to flights Before reaching Durankulak we will check ☎ 01381 610495 www.birdwatchingbreaks.com 67.