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...