събота, 25 май 2013 г.

New birding trip around Bulgaria: 22-30.05.2013

A second trip around Bulgaria commenced a couple of days ago. Pretty busy in the early morning starts and late evenings. Will be adding a few images from the trip now and then.

In the mean time, have a look at my images from last week where I also want to add a few more images.

Here is the first and one of my most favourite for the moment.
Barn Swallow photography
Barn Swallow photography © Iordan Hristov 
© Iordan Hristov 


Masked Shrike photography
Masked Shrike photography © Iordan Hristov
Turtle Dove photography
Turtle Dove photography © Iordan Hristov 
Collared Pratincole © Iordan Hristov 

Night Heron © Iordan Hristov 
Squacco Heron photography
Squacco Heron photography © Iordan Hristov 
Cormorant photography
Cormorant photography © Iordan Hristov 
Dalmatian Pelican photography

Dalmatian Pelican photography © Iordan Hristov 

Dalmatian Pelican photography
Hunting Dalmatian Pelicans © Iordan Hristov 
House Sparrow
House Sparrow © Iordan Hristov 
 Marsh Warbler photography
 Marsh Warbler photography © Iordan Hristov 

Roller photography
Roller photography © Iordan Hristov 

Rose-colored Starling photography
Rose-colored Starling photography © Iordan Hristov 
Bottle-nosed Dolphin
Bottle-nosed Dolphin © Iordan Hristov 
Bottle-nosed Dolphin
Bottle-nosed Dolphin © Iordan Hristov 
Ring Ouzel photography
Ring Ouzel photography © Iordan Hristov 
Wren photography
Wren photography © Iordan Hristov 


More are coming soon...
In the meantime, have a look at the final list of birds we saw during the trip. A fantastic list of 189 bird species for 9 day period in May 2013:
English name Scientific name
1 Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica
2 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
3 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
4 White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
5 Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus
6 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
7 Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis
8 Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus
9 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
10 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
11 Great White Egret Egretta alba
12 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
13 Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
14 Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
15 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
16 Black Stork Ciconia nigra
17 White Stork Ciconia ciconia
18 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
19 Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
20 Mute Swan Cygnus olor
21 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
22 Gadwall Anas strepera
23 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
24 Garganey Anas querquedula
25 Shoveler Anas clypeata
26 Pochard Aythya ferina
27 Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
28 Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
29 White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
30 Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus
31 Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus
32 Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus
33 Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
34 Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
35 Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus
36 Buzzard Buteo buteo
37 Steppe Buzzard Buteo vulpinus
38 Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
39 Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina
40 Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
41 Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
42 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
43 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
44 Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
45 Hobby Falco subbuteo
46 Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae
47 Peregrine Falco peregrinus
48 Chukar Alectoris chukar
49 Partridge Perdix perdix
50 Quail Coturnix coturnix
51 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
52 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
53 Coot Fulica atra
54 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
55 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
56 Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
57 Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus
58 Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
59 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
60 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
61 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
62 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
63 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
64 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
65 Little Stint Calidris minuta
66 Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus
67 Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
68 Little Gull Larus minutus
69 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus
70 Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
71 Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
72 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
73 Little Tern Sterna albifrons
74 Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
75 Yellow-legged Gull Larus  michahellis
76 Feral Pigeon Columba livia
77 Stock Dove Columba oenas
78 Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
79 Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
80 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
81 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
82 Scops Owl Otus scops
83 Eagle Owl Bubo bubo
84 Little Owl Athene noctua
85 Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
86 Pallid Swift Apus pallidus
87 Common Swift Apus apus
88 Bee-eater Merops apiaster
89 Roller Coracias garrulus
90 Hoopoe Upupa epops
91 Wryneck Jynx torquilla
92 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor
93 Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius
94 Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus
95 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
96 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
97 Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra
98 Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla
99 Crested Lark Galerida cristata
100 Woodlark Lullula arborea
101 Skylark Alauda arvensis
102 Sand Martin Riparia riparia
103 Crag Martin Hirundo rupestris
104 Swallow Hirundo rustica
105 Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica
106 House Martin Delichon urbica
107 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
108 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
109 Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris
110 Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis
111 Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta
112 Pied/White Wagtail Motacilla alba
113 Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
114 Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor
115 Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator
116 Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus
117 Dipper Cinclus cinclus
118 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
119 Dunnock Prunella modularis
120 Robin Erithacus rubecula
121 Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
122 Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
123 Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus
124 Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
125 Stonechat Saxicola torquata rubicola
126 Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
127 Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica
128 Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina
129 Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka
130 Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius
131 Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
132 Blackbird Turdus merula
133 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
134 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
135 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti
136 Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides
137 Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola
138 Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris
139 Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
140 Eastern Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais pallida
141 Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum
142 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
143 Eastern Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli
144 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
145 Whitethroat Sylvia communis
146 Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
147 Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria
148 Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris
149 Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans
150 Goldcrest Regulus regulus
151 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
152 Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata
153 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
154 Penduline Tit Remiz pendulinus
155 Marsh Tit Parus palustris
156 Sombre Tit Parus lugubris
157 Coal Tit Parus ater
158 Great Tit Parus major
159 Blue Tit Parus caeruleus
160 Nuthatch Sitta europaea
161 Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria
162 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
163 Short-toed Treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla
164 Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra
165 Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
166 Rock Bunting Emberiza cia
167 Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana
168 Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus
169 Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala
170 Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
171 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
172 Serin Serinus serinus
173 Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
174 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
175 Linnet Carduelis cannabina
176 Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
177 Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
178 Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes
179 House Sparrow Passer domesticus
180 Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis
181 Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
182 Rose-coloured Starling Sturnus roseus
183 Starling Sturnus vulgaris
184 Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
185 Jay Garrulus glandarius
186 Magpie Pica pica
187 Jackdaw Corvus monedula
188 Raven Corvus corax
189 Hooded Crow Corvus cornix




сряда, 22 май 2013 г.

Images trip 1, Birdwatching around Bulgaria: 13-21.05

Eastern Bath White
Eastern Bath White © Iordan Hristov
Marsh Warbler
Marsh Warbler © Iordan Hristov
Silver Studded Blue
Silver Studded Blue © Iordan Hristov
Red backed Shrike photography
Red backed Shrike photography © Iordan Hristov
Red-rumped Swallow photography
Red-rumped Swallow photography © Iordan Hristov
Cirl Bunting photography
Cirl Bunting photography © Iordan Hristov
Black Stork photography
Black Stork photography © Iordan Hristov

More images will come soon...

неделя, 19 май 2013 г.

Birding trip 1: 13-21 May - update

After the southern Black sea Coast, we are off to the North. We are fairly short of waders mainly because of the time of the year. On our way to the North we are not going to get any more waders but still decided to stop at the salpans at Pomorie. Not much. Still fairly quiet. A Green Sandpiper was added and that's about it.

We than headed to the Northern Black Sea coast across Diulinski Pass. Amazing picturesque landscape. We added a Steppe Buzzard, Tawny Pipit and enjoyed many Bee-eaters, Black-headed Buntings, and had a pretty good look at Lesser-grey Shrike.

After lunch we had a nicely perched Eagle Owl in its day roosting place. People from the group did enjoy it. Time was ticking away but decided to do a final stop before the hotel.This time our main target were the few Demoiselle Cranes that I saw last week with a group of Norwegians. Well, honestly I didn't expect them to be around but still had to check. The initial check of the place where I saw them proved in vein. However, I decided to change position and had a better look at some neighbouring fields. Well this was the right strategy. Two gorgeous Demoiselle Cranes were just sitting in the fields by the road and packing seeds from the farmland. How beautiful these birds can be. So close. I watched them for several minutes. This is the best view I have ever had. Went around with the idea to photograph them but the results were not very satisfying.

Demoiselle Crane
Demoiselle Crane © Iordan Hristov
It was a good end of the day.

The next dayon the North Eastern Black Sea Coast started pretty early. I decided to wake up and try to photograph the sunrise. Well it was worth it. I set the alarm for 5,30 and luckily I got up with no problem whatsoever. It was fantastic. Birds were singing. I got up right for the time of the sunrise. Didn't even want to lose time in brushing my teeth and dashed out straight away when I saw the sun coming up. What colors! Amazing!

We did a nice little walk around the hotel and ticked of a couple of new birds for the trip: Marsh Warbler and Rook. Lovely sitting Marsh Warbler gave us some opportunities for documentary photos because of the distance.

After that we came back to the hotel and I couldn't resist the swimming pool that was so inviting. Quickly jumped into the pool which was the most refreshing thing ever. Now I can start the day! How Wonderful. Early morning start for the sunrise, a few good birds, lovely refreshment and a gorgeous day coming up. This is work ;)

After breakfast we headed straight to the wetlands for Paddifield Warbler. It wasn't long before we had it. Luckily the weather was just right. It was somewhat special. Everyone was enjoying his time and didn't even wanted to leave that place. We had a Pygmy Cormorant and the first for the year Rose-colloured Starlings. A group of 20 was followed by another one of 5 birds that flied past us north to south. They would be coming from Romania this year in opposed to other years when they might be coming from the south.
Paddifield Warbler photography
Paddifield Warbler photography © Iordan Hristov
The afternoon was devoted to the Cape Kaliakra. We had more cetaceous than birds. Quite a few Bottle nosed Dolphins and Harbour Porpoise were jumping around. They were so active. Amazing.

All these emotions exhausted the guests and we decided to go back to the hotel. Another relaxed swim in the pool prepared me for a lovely dinner which was the end of the day.

петък, 17 май 2013 г.

Birding trip 1: May 13-21

Long days in the field make the writing on the blog a challenge. Wonderful landscapes, amazing intimate moments with nature, lots of travelling and bi mileage. That's what exhausts me pleasantly in the last couple of days. We started off from the Western Rhodopes where we were after Wallcreepers and birds of the conifer forests. We than moved into the mediterranean habitats of Eastern Rhodopes. Here we spend a day searching for Blue Rock Thrush, Subalpine Warbler, Eastern Orpean Warbler, Olive Tree Warbler, Sombre Tit, Rock Bunting, Black-headed Bunting, Vultures and Eagles. We saw them all. The only birds that we dipped on were the Rock Nuthatch and Chukar. Hope we'll see them next time.

Looking at a Booted Eagle © Iordan Hristov
Further along we moved into the rolling hills of Sakar mountains searching for Eastern Imperial Eagle. Two pairs of these gorgeous and majestic birds made our day. What can a person want: picnic lunch out in the field and displaying Eastern Imperial Eagles. Along the road Montagu's Harrier will make us to suddenly stop and add up a few other species.

Masked Shrike 
After these mountainous areas we move into the coast: waterfowl. Pelicans, Ibises, Herons. We have got them all. We are short of waders but that's the season time. A raft in a lake by Bourgas had a group of both Dalmatian and White Pelicans. A flock of 700+ White Pelicans made the morning adventure even more exciting. The hot temperatures were rather suitable for a couple of ice cream stops along the  road. Yes, people do need a break now and than.

What a trip...

понеделник, 13 май 2013 г.

New birding trip around Bulgaria starts from today: Day 1- May 13-21

With the start of the week starts a new birding trip around Bulgaria. A group of 14 British Birders arrived in the late morning just before noon to enjoy our birds. After a brief stop at a gas station we hit the road to Trigrad where we were aiming at seeing one of the most wanted birds: the Wallcreeper. But that would be for tomorrow.

To break up the journey we stopped in a small town to get some lunch and off we went just outside Pazardzik where we stopped in an abandoned quarry. It was great. We just took our lunch there and had our picnic while watching birds. We enjoyed lots of Calandra and Crested Larks. Brits appreciate them every time they see these lovely birds. A surprise for me was when someone shouted out a Stone Curlew. Well this was a real surprise. I have been coming here for over five years and have never seen any at this site. So, pretty good imput to my list for the site. Other than it we also had a low flying Lon-legged Buzzard with prey in its talons, a very distant Peregrine which was playing with its prey, a pair of Northern Wheatear, Tawny Pipit and the lovely and favourite to many people Black-headed Bunting.
Iordan Hristov
Bessapari Hills, copyright: Iordan Hristov
In an hour we hit the road again to our hotel for the night just before Trigrad. The road to the gorge was pretty winding and only a few Crag Martins, Red-Rumped Swallow and Grey Wagtails kept me awake. Anyway I only had about 50% audience because some of the people in the bus had an early morning start from the UK.

We arrive in our hotel at 17.00 waiting four our trout for dinner. Weather is pretty miserable with some serious rain. Hope it will stop for tomorrow or we shall dip on the Wallcreeper.

Stay tuned for more news on the trip.

неделя, 12 май 2013 г.

New find in my bird survey plot: Semi-collared Flycatcher

Every may for a couple of years now I conduct regular monitoring of a survey plot 1km2 in size. In between all the assignment I managed to find some time and do it again.

All seemed normal.The difference were a few more wrynecks, not that many Corn Buntings, Shrikes and Skylarks. That's not good. Common birds are in decline. However there is some positive new: new find in my survey plot: Semi-collared Flycatcher. For 9 years in a row it is the first time it. The more surprising thing is that was not one or two birds but 5 birds. Two pairs and a male.

What a change this makes. What a Wonderful day!

Semi-collared Flycatcher photography
Semi-collared Flycatcher photography (male), copyright: Iordan Hristov
Semi-collared Flycatcher photography
Semi-collared Flycatcher photography (female), copyright: Iordan Hristov

The first BirdID trip for Western Palearctic in Bulgaria finished with a great success

The first BirdID trip for birds of Western Palearctic in Bulgaria is over. The results are superb. Over 220 species for 10 days travelling around Bulgaria. In total 9 participants from Norway joined the trip willing to learn how to identify the birds of Bulgaria.

We saw a great variety of common and rare birds. Amongst the highlights of the trip are Demoiselle's Crane, Terek Sandpiper, Broar-billed Sandpiper, Red-footed Falcon, Masked Shrike, Olive-tree Warbler, Eastern Imperial Eagle and many others. The Wallcreeper is nominated for a bird of the trip by most of the participants. A full checklist is coming soon.

"It was an excellent trip", "This is one of my best trips" suggested some of the participants. We are happy to show the beauties of Bulgaria and hope that more people will join for the years to come. The group was led by Iordan Hristov (myself) and co-leader Boris Belchev. You can see detailed posts by my colleague on his personal blog here.

Pied Wheatear photography
Pied Wheatear photography © Iordan Hristov
More images are coming soon.