New birding and photography trip coming up

I have been thinking to do some serious photography for a long time. This would mean lots of images and quite intense clicking of the camera. Well I can't wait for the end of the week. Tomorrow Friday, I will be off to the North Eastern part of Bulgaria where a colleague and I have established a birding a photography cottage.

The birding and photography cottage presents fantastic opportunities for everyone willing to spend some time in peaceful nature. I am looking forward to spend some time in the hides waiting for Golden Jackals, Hawfinches, Woodpeckers, Goshawks and Buzzards. See if this is going to be quite like I expect but anyway, I am quite excited and look forward to this.

The bird photography hides that we manage can be seen here and do not hesitate to drop me a line at:
 info [at] naturetravel [.] eu

Birds of paradise

Maliovitsa, Bulgaria

A Sunday afternoon walk in the Rila mountains about two hours drive from Sofia was rather pleasant. Enjoy these images with lots of snow :)

author: Iordan Hristov © 2013

author: Iordan Hristov © 2013

author: Iordan Hristov © 2013

author: Iordan Hristov © 2013

author: Iordan Hristov © 2013

author: Iordan Hristov © 2013

Garden birds photography

Great Tit photography by Iordan Hristov

Great tit photography by Iordan Hristov

Great tit photography by Iordan Hristov

Blue Tit photography by Iordan Hristov

Saturday photography

A Saturday walk in the nearest park in Sofia, Bulgaria produced these images:

Buzzard photography by Iordan Hristov

Mallard photography by Iordan Hristov

Mallard photography by Iordan Hristov

Moorhen photography by Iordan Hristov

Green Woodpecker photography by Iordan Hristov

Mallard photography by Iordan Hristov

Midwinter waterfowl census in Bulgaria

Here I start my notes for one of the 45 teams of birders that will be out on the field the following 3 days from 11 to 13 of January. I am responsible for a team in Northern central Bulgaria.

Day 1
Sofia - Pravets - Lovetch - Pleven - waterbodies in the area.

The day started with snow, changed into rain and then fog. Good for birds though. My first stop was at Pravets reservoir. There were over 150 mallards and a single wigeon. Fairly poor. My next stop though was at Sopot reservoir. Here the birds were many more. Amongst the highlights are a Goossander, and a few Goldeneyes. There were quite a few mallards, a single Cormorant, and one Great creasted Grebe. The weather was quite miserable with rain and mist.

рибарници при яз. Сопот

Pleven was my next stop. I met with the people from the regional inspectorate of environment and water and off we went birding  :)

We went  to several wetlands around Pleven and called it a day. It was fairly  quiet. A few mallards, common buzzards and great grey shrike. It was quite foggy and the visibility was not great. Quite a few of the wetlands were frozen and quiet.

р. Вит при Студенец

блата Плама

Day 2
Pleven - Gorni Dybnik -Telish - Danube river (Baikal - Somovit)
The day started at 6.30. We did not expect any geese at the wetlands so we didn't start quite early.
It was fairly quiet for birds. There were a few distant ones so once we counted these at the watchpoint started going around the first reservoir. We went along all the watchpoints when we arrived at the SW part. It was full with hunters. They seemed quite desperate to shoot at duck and geese. There were more hunters than birds. There were at least 10 vehicles.

We went passed them and luckily managed to reach a bay of the reservoir where hunters had still not arrived. All the birds were there. The remoteness of the area and difficulty for access ensured safe areas for the birds. The highlights included over 20 Goldeneye, Smew 3, Black throated Diver 2, Mute Swan 30, and many Cormorants, Ducks, Coot, Kestrel, Hen Harrier and many others.

р. Дунав

залез над р. Дунав при Сомовит

Day 3
Pleven - Devetaki - Letnica - Obnova - Pleven
This day was devoted to the rivers in Pleven district. We started off from Osam river

Деветашка пещера

старо корито р. Осъм

chopped tree in a heronry

р. Осъм

"Германски мост"

тръстики в ЗМ Биволаре

Bird photography workshop

Bird photography workshop update. The prominent wildlife photographer and film maker Sergey Panayotov conducted a wildlife video and photography workshop in one of the hides managed by NatureTravel.eu aiming to photograph birds of prey. The results are stunning. He managed to photograph a young Goshawk photography, Rough-legged Buzzard, Hawfinch and several Jays. Images of these beautiful birds are posted in the gallery for the hide which we just updated.

Goshawk photography, author: Sergey Panayotov 2012

If interested in using this hide you are welcome to drop us a line with any questions you may have. In addition to the birds described, other possible visitors are Golden Pheasant and even Golden Jackal and Hen Harrier. We shall keep updating this gallery and let you know for new images.

If you want to see the other images from the gallery please check the gallery here and drop us a line at info@naturetravel.eu