Day-by-day

  Destination

  Expected birds for the day

1

Meeting point: 14.00 o'clock at Sofia airport Terminal 2.

Departure to the  Rhodope mountains – Trigrad for one night in a two star hotel.

Travel day. Please aim to arrive before the meeting time or on the previous day. Birds that can be seen along the trip for the day include Long-legged Buzzard, Calandra Lark, Isabelline Wheatear, Syrian Woodpecker, Black Redstart, Crag Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, etc.

  2

Morning birding.

Afternoon travel to the Eastern Rhodope mountains with stops along the way to break up the journey.

Accommodation is in a hotel for one night.

Wallcreeper, Pallid Swift, Dipper, Nutcracker, Ring Ouzel, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, Crag Martin, Rock Bunting, Grey Wagtail, etc.

  3

Birding around the area

Afternoon travel to Madzarovo in the Eastern Rhodope mountains– the realm of birds of prey.

Accommodation is in a hotel for one night.

We shall mainly look for the Eastern European specialities: Rock Nuthatch, Blue Rock Thrush, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler, Chukar, Sombre Tit, Scops Owl, Sardinian Warbler, Subalpine Warbler, Orphean Warbler, etc. Also Cirl Bunting, Golden Oriole, Griffon Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Golden Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Levant Sparrowhawk, Black headed Bunting, Hoopoe, Rock Bunting, Wryneck, Syrian Woodpecker, Lesser spotted Woodpecker, Middle spotted Woodpecker, etc.

4

Travel towards the Southern Bulgarian Black sea coast with birding along the way looking mainly for birds of prey. Late arrival to a hotel in a forest about 40km from theBlack seacoast.

Accommodation in a 2 star hotel for one night.

Along the way we shall do several very important stops attempting to see Eastern Imperial Eagle, Orphean Warbler, Olive-tree warbler, Isabelline Wheatear, Olivaceous Warbler, Rollers, Bee-eaters, Icterine Warbler, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Black Kite, Short-toed Eagle, Booted Eagle, Lesser-spotted Eagle, Montagu’s Harrier, etc.

5

Birding around the Bourgas wetlands searching mainly for waterfowl

Early morning woodland birding. Species to see include Semi-collared Flycatcher, Redstart, Black Woodpecker, Middle-spotted Woodpecker, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Wryneck, Sombre Tit. Departure to the coast after breakfast. Birds to see are mainly waterfowl with the highlights being Dalmatian and White Pelicans, Pygmy Cormorant, Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Collared Pratincole, Ruddy Shellduck, Black Tern, White-winged Tern, Whiskered Tern, Slender-billed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Sandwich Tern, Kentish Plover, Glossy Ibis, Purple Heron, Spoonbill, Night Heron, Red-footed Falcon, Penduline Tit, Great White Egret, etc.

 6

Birding around the Bourgas wetlands

 7

Travel to the Northern Black sea coast. Along the way we shall be birding to break up the journey. When we arrive we shall stay in a two star hotel for three nights.

Along the way we shall stop in several woodlands searching for Semi-collared Flycatcher, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Middle-spotted Woodpecker, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Hawfinch, Redstart, etc. We also have a chance of observing Black-headed yellow Wagtail, Lesser-spotted Eagle, Eagle Owl, Calandra Lark, Red-footed Falcon, etc

8

Birding around the Bulgarian North Eastern Black sea coast searching mainly for steppe and coastal birds.

Birds that we can expect include Calandra Lark, Short-toed Lard, Stone Curlew, Pied Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Paddyfield Warbler, Savi’s Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Ferruginous Duck, Mediterranean Shag, Eagle Owl, Rollers, Bee-eaters, etc

  9

Birding around the Bulgarian North Eastern Black sea coast searching mainly for steppe and coastal birds.

10

Last day of the trip devoted mainly to traveling. Driving back to Sofia.

If your flight is from Sofia, please note that there is about 7 hours driving from the location of our last accommodation. The distance to Sofia is about 550 km and it would take more than seven hours. Please plan your flight for the late afternoon (after 1900) or the next day.