Birdwatching in Bulgaria, tailored trip 8-15 March, recap

In the period March 8-15 a friend and i did a tailored birdwatching trip in Bulgaria and Greece. You can see previous day to day posts but here I shall try to recap all the information with some figures.

My friend came over with the aim to see 8 target species: Dalmatian Pelican, Saker Falcon, Capercaillie, Three-toed Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Pygmy Owl, Rock Partridge and Black Vulture. From all these 8 species we managed to see half of them: Dalmatian Pelican, Pygmy Owl, Rock Partridge and Black Vulture.

We knew in advance that the chance for observing the Saker Falcon was really low and we were aware of it so we were hoping for pure luck. Because of the heavy snow that fell in the last week we couldn't reach the sites for Three-toed Woodpecker. We did try but it was totally impossible. For the Capercaillie it was still early. We know its active lekking is after April 20th but still wanted to try. We visited two lekking sites but there was still no activity there. For the White-backed we were trying every day at several location but had no luck. The birds were not active yet. Moreover at some of  the sites it was snowing. Nevertheless we had fantastic views of the Pygmy Owl, the Dalmatian Pelicans and 7 Black Vultures. The Rock Partridge we only saw in flight.

Having in mind that our target were specific birds we still managed to do a pretty good list of birds counting a total of 126 bird species and 5 species of mammals for 7 day period (see the full checklist at the end of the material). Some of the highlights are the species I mentioned and Bewick's Swan, several Great-spotted Eagles, Sardinian Warbler, Sombre Tit. During the trip the migration had started so we enjoyed over 50 Black Kites, over 100 Common Buzzards, several hundred White Stork, dozens of Black Storks, Eurasian Sparrowhawks, a dozen of Ferruginous Ducks and Garganeys.

In total we have driven 2002 km for this 7 day period. This is more than preliminary planned but it was important to visit all the possible sites to ensure success of the trip. And I think we did it.

Here are a few photos from the trip:

Black Stork © Iordan Hristov

Black Vulture © Iordan Hristov

Black Vulture © Iordan Hristov

Coal Tit © Iordan Hristov

Golden Eagle © Iordan Hristov

Ponor mountains, Bulgaria © Iordan Hristov

Black Kite migration © Iordan Hristov

More photos are available on my day to day posts. See links below:
day 3: Greater-spotted Eagle photo
day 4: Pygmy Owl photo
day 5: Golden Eagle photos
day 7: Black Vulture photos

Checklist for the trip
Dates: March 8-15, 2014

1	Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis
2	Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus
3	Dalmatian Pelican	Pelecanus crispus
4	Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo
5	Pygmy Cormorant	Phalacrocorax pygmeus
6	Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
7	Great White Egret	Egretta alba
8	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
9	Black Stork	Ciconia nigra
10	White Stork	Ciconia ciconia
11	Spoonbill	Platalea leucorodia
12	Flamingo	Phoenicopterus ruber
13	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor
14	Whooper Swan	Cygnus cygnus
15	Bewick's Swan	Cygnus columbianus bewickii
16	White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons
17	Greylag Goose	Anser anser
18	Shelduck	Tadorna tadorna
19	Wigeon	Anas penelope
20	Gadwall	Anas strepera
21	Teal	Anas crecca
22	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
23	Pintail	Anas acuta
24	Garganey	Anas querquedula
25	Shoveler	Anas clypeata
26	Red-crested Pochard	Netta rufina
27	Pochard	Aythya ferina
28	Ferruginous Duck	Aythya nyroca
29	Tufted Duck	Aythya fuligula
30	Black Vulture	Aegypius monachus
31	Black Kite	Milvus migrans
32	White-tailed Eagle	Haliaeetus albicilla
33	Hen Harrier	Circus cyaneus
34	Marsh Harrier	Circus aeruginosus
35	Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus
36	Goshawk	Accipiter gentilis
37	Buzzard	Buteo buteo incl. buteo and vulpinus
38	Long-legged Buzzard	Buteo rufinus
39	Greater Spotted Eagle	Aquila clanga
40	Imperial Eagle	Aquila heliaca
41	Golden Eagle	Aquila chrysaetos
42	Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus
43	Peregrine	Falco peregrinus
44	Rock Partridge	Alectoris graeca
45	Water Rail	Rallus aquaticus
46	Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
47	Coot	Fulica atra
48	Avocet	Recurvirostra avosetta
49	Lapwing	Vanellus vanellus
50	Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus
51	Black-headed Gull	Larus ridibundus
52	Yellow-legged Gull	Larus  michahellis
53	Caspian Gull	Larus  cachinnans
54	Feral Pigeon	Columba livia domestica
55	Stock Dove	Columba oenas
56	Wood Pigeon	Columba palumbus
57	Collared Dove	Streptopelia decaocto
58	Little Owl	Athene noctua
59	Pygmy Owl	Glaucidium passerinum
60	Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis
61	Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos minor
62	Middle Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos medius
63	Syrian Woodpecker	Dendrocopos syriacus
64	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos major
65	Black Woodpecker	Dryocopus martius
66	Green Woodpecker	Picus viridis
67	Grey-headed Woodpecker	Picus canus
68	Calandra Lark	Melanocorypha calandra
69	Crested Lark	Galerida cristata
70	Woodlark	Lullula arborea
71	Skylark	Alauda arvensis
72	Crag Martin	Hirundo rupestris
73	House Martin	Delichon urbica
74	Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea
75	Meadow Pipit	Anthus pratensis
76	White Wagtail	Motacilla alba
77	Great Grey Shrike	Lanius excubitor
78	Dipper	Cinclus cinclus
79	Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes
80	Dunnock	Prunella modularis
81	Robin	Erithacus rubecula
82	Black Redstart	Phoenicurus ochruros
83	Stonechat	Saxicola rubicola
84	Blackbird	Turdus merula
85	Fieldfare	Turdus pilaris
86	Song Thrush	Turdus philomelos
87	Mistle Thrush	Turdus viscivorus
88	Cetti's Warbler	Cettia cetti
89	Willow Warbler	Phylloscopus trochilus
90	Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita
91	Sardinian Warbler	Sylvia melanocephala
92	Goldcrest	Regulus regulus
93	Long-tailed Tit	Aegithalos caudatus
94	Marsh Tit	Parus palustris
95	Sombre Tit	Parus lugubris
96	Willow Tit	Parus montanus
97	Coal Tit	Parus ater
98	Great Tit	Parus major
99	Blue Tit	Parus caeruleus
100	Nuthatch	Sitta europaea
101	Treecreeper	Certhia familiaris
102	Short-toed Treecreeper	Certhia brachydactyla
103	Corn Bunting	Miliaria calandra
104	Yellowhammer	Emberiza citrinella
105	Rock Bunting	Emberiza cia
106	Cirl Bunting	Emberiza cirlus
107	Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs
108	Brambling	Fringilla montifringilla
109	Serin	Serinus serinus
110	Greenfinch	Carduelis chloris
111	Siskin	Carduelis spinus
112	Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
113	Linnet	Carduelis cannabina
114	Crossbill	Loxia curvirostra
115	Bullfinch	Pyrrhula pyrrhula
116	Hawfinch	Coccothraustes coccothraustes
117	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus
118	Spanish Sparrow	Passer hispaniolensis
119	Tree Sparrow	Passer montanus
120	Starling	Sturnus vulgaris
121	Jay	Garrulus glandarius
122	Magpie	Pica pica
123	Jackdaw	Corvus monedula
124	Rook	Corvus frugilegus
125	Raven	Corvus corax
126	Hooded Crow	Corvus cornix

Mammals seen:
1. Wild Hare Lepus europaeus
2. Balkan Chamois Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica
3. Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
4. Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus
5. Red Deer Cervus elaphus

Bearded Tit photography

The birdwatching trip is over and here i am awake at 5,30 a. m. on Saturday morning. Hm. This early start has to be utilized. I quickly grabbed my camera and off I went to the marshes near Sofia. My main target was the Bearded Tit. There are plenty of birds there so why not try a few shots.

The Sun was up at 6,30 and gently lit up the frosted grass. It was -6 C. Along the way I recorded quite a few Stonechats which were nicely singing. Corn Buntings, Sombre Tits and Skylarks were also announcing their territories. However, they were still not quite in their breeding behaviour and rarely sit still for long.

I arrived at the marsh at about 9 after a few attempts to get some shots of Black Redstart and Corn Buntings. The marsh was very lively. This was a good sign. Parked the car and off I went into a small hide in the middle of the marsh. Wrens were singing here and there. The call of Water rails echoes from different directions. There are at least 3 in this little area.

I arrived in the hide and soon I heard the first call of the Bearded Tit. It wasn't even 5 min when the birds arrived. Click, click. Nice one.

Here are a few shots:

Bearded Tit © Iordan Hristov

Bearded Tit © Iordan Hristov

Bearded Tit © Iordan Hristov

While sitting in the hide I recorded a couple of Marsh Harriers, Great White Egret, Water Rails, a family of Penduline tit and at least 6 Bearded Tits.

The fatigue from the previous days overtook and I felt like going to get some sleep. That would be enough for today.

Stay tuned for the coming recap of the tailored birdwatching trip last week.

Birdwatching in Bulgaria: tailored trip 8-15 March, day 7

Today was the day of birds of prey migration. We didn't start that early but our willingness to go to the vultures' feeding site by Dadia woke us up at about 7 a.m. We had a brief continental breakfast and off we went.

We were the first customers at Dadia visitors' centre for the day. They weren't willing to send the van to the hide straight away so we had to wait for half an hour. In the mean time we logged a couple of birds on the car park. There was a Cirl Bunting and a Syrian Woodpecker. Woodlark was singing out loud.

In 40 min we were in the hide. What a place. Just set the scope and started counting. Two on the top of the rock, three on the other rock and one on the tree. These were all Black Vulture. My friend was really happy to see that many at a time.

Black Vulture by Iordan Hristov

On a tree we had an immature White-tailed Eagle and a Black Vulture. They were pretty identical in size. On a tree nearby there was an immature Greater-spotted Eagle. Later on a juvenile Golden Eagle flied past. Apparently the species is not very regular visitor to the feeding site.

White-tailed Eagle and Black Vulture by Iordan Hristov

Soon groups of Black Kites started coming over. They were followed by quite a few Common Buzzards and a couple of Sparrowhawks and Black Storks. Wow, I love migration. We counted a total of over 50 Black Kites, and more than 60 Common Buzzards.

At certain point the feeding site got empty and the migration stopped so we decided to leave. On the way down to the visitors centre we counted a few more Black Kites and a few Steppe Buzzards. Nice male Sardinian Warbler called just before we arrived at the car park.

It was time to go. We had a long way to go to Sofia which is about 5 hours drive from Dadia so we headed home. This was the end of a great one week journey. I shall write another post with a summary and a checklist of all the birds we saw which are over 150 species I assume.

Birdwatching in Bulgaria: tailored trip 8-15 March, day 6

Today was mainly a travelling day. We did start with some birding around the area of our hotel aiming to find the illusive White-backed Woodpecker. Again our attempts were in vain. We went to checked locations that were known and also tried at some new places but the only woodpeckers we got were Grey-headed, Great-spotted, Lesser spotted and Black. I say the only because our main target was the White-backed. The Grey-headed were really nice. A female stood on a lovely beech tree only about 20 m from us. Really beautiful bird.

After these few attempts we headed to south. It was time for some more weather. We headed to Dadia, Greece where we would aim for the Black Vulture. About 5 hours later we were already watching it. The travel was fairly easy and fast. Upon arrival we were greeted by flocks of White Storks, groups of Common Buzzards and a couple of Black Kites and Black Storks. This is going to be quite a good birding around here in the next day.

We walked around the Dadia village and the Visitor Centre and logged Eastern Imperial Eagle. I gladly found out that my Egyptian Vulture picture was posted on a notice board right in front of the visitors' centre. The day ended with a nice dinner in a local restaurant which served Greek Salad and Octopus.

Egyptian vulture photo on the top by Iordan Hristov

Our intention for tomorrow is to visit the Vulture observatory and spend the morning around the area of the reserve. In the afternoon we shall travel back to Sofia.

Since our focus will be the birds of prey that are active later in the day, we don't need to get up as early so the start tomorrow will be at 7,30 a.m.

Birdwatching in Bulgaria: tailored trip 8-15 March, day 5

Day 5 or should I say day and night 5 with an extension into the night. Today we started at 3,30. Our main aim for the day was Capercaillie. We wanted to be at the lekking site at 5 a.m. so we needed to plan accordingly. We grabbed a coffee along the way and got onto a superb 4X4 Lada Niva. This was the car that was going to take us to the lekking site or at least near it. There was still some snow up in the mountains so we needed a 4WD car. The car was coping with the snow and ice with no problems whatsoever. This costed about 12 l  of petrol / 100 km.

At 4.30 am we were at our starting point to the lek. We paced in full silence. The snowflakes were reflecting the light from our head torches and we walked in nice confidence. A "falling star" witnessed our way to the lek. Soon we were there. We switched off the torches It was only us, the tall pine trees and the stars. It was 5 a.m. and still totally dark. We were going to wait for the first calling birds as people usually do at the prime time for lekking. It is now 5,20; 5,30; 5,40; 5,50; 6.00 the time never passes. We started moving around and our local guide was like a statue. This is what the dynamic contemporary life does to people. We can't even stand still for an hour. We can't enjoy Nature. We are not comfortable even with our own thoughts. And that is just for an hour with no computers, internet, facebook, or mobile phones. This was quite a test that can make you think about the way people live in cities and small towns. Not a single call from the birds. Occasional screech of the trees blown from the wind made us hop and think about the Capercaillie call. Could have been?! Soon we started walking aiming to at least flush a bird. No. Not this time. We tried around the lek. Visited a second lek. We walked in the snow with lots of tracks from wild animals. Walked along the tracks where our guide has seen them before but no luck. It was still early in the season. We were aware that the lekking time is about a month later than now but we were still willing to try. This was the only time we had. After a couple of hours walking we decided to give up. We had already spent 7 hours on the field and was just 11.00 a.m. What a morning!

The snow is too much for a Capercaillie. Beautiful morning though

On the way down from the mountains we stopped for a while to enjoy the view of at least 4 Balkan chamois.

Having missed the Three-toed and the White-backed Woodpeckers we wanted to make another attempt for the first species. our guide assured us that the site is not accessible but we still wanted to try. Well, we asked for it. The track was quite snowy, stony, slippery and everything but accessible. We quickly gave up and got off from the car. A big silhouette showed from round the corner. It was the Lord of the Sky: a Golden Eagle. It was really close.

Golden Eagle by Iordan Hristov

After this unsuccessful attempt we decided to try for the White-backed Woodpecker. We walked for about half an hour along a track by a river until we reached a suitable beech forest. Stayed there for a while and...No. Not this time. It was really an unsuccessful day. Every our attempt was doomed.

On the way to the car we saw two Balkan Chamois that were calmly grazing by the river.

After lunch we decided to leave the area. It enough of snow, mountain roads and cold weather. It was time for a little bit of warmth. Soon we were the lowlands where the life was different: Sun.

Along the way we logged a Long-legged Buzzard, Calandra Lark, Syrian Woodpecker, Little Owl, Stonechat and the first for the year Crag Martins.

We arrived in our hotel in the late afternoon to enjoy a deserved rest.

Tomorrow we are trying again for the White-backed Woodpecker and then we travel to Greece where we hope to see Black Vultures and other birds of prey.

Tomorrow's start is 7 a.m. We shall sleep more :)

Birdwatching in Bulgaria: tailored trip 8-15 March, day 4

Today we decided to wake up a bit later than usual. The heavy snow suggested that we might not be able to reach some of the sites tomorrow so there was no point to get up early. Nevertheless we still walk up at 6,30 to get ready for an early breakfast and departure.

As we woke up we realised the snow has covered everything. It was only about 10 cm but was rather nice to see this much snow. Finally. This winter there was very little snow and we wanted it. In this case it wasn't going to help us with our mission to find the birds but it was still nice.

After some nice sandwiches and coffee we were back on the road. The day was devoted to the Pygmy Owl and Three-toed Woodpecker. Soon we realised that the sites for the latter wouldn't be accessible. Although the road was cleaned up (superficially) there was a vehicle or two that were struggling to climb up a hill. We decided to stop along the road and check different locations for Pygmy Owl. The only response were all species of Tit typical for this area including the most abundant Coal Tit, Crested Tit and Willow Tit. Occasionally we got Great-spotted Woodpecker, Crossbills, Jays and Common Treecreepers.

Coal Tit by Iordan Hristov

In addition to our road transect which substituted my prime sites we walked along some tracks. On the first one we had no luck although there were signs of Pygmy Owl presence judging by the activity of passerines. On the second one the small birds were even louder and more abundant. We have several bits of excitement along here. Unusual call of Great-spotted Woodpecker attracted our attention thinking of something else. Even more exciting was the flight of a huge clumsy bird in the forest that took off from a tree. We like thinking that it was a Capercaillie but we never saw it. It would have been really great.

It was already 3 p.m. and were thinking of going back to the car almost admitting the Pygmy Owl has defeated us. Just as we packed our stuff, we heard the magical call!!! PYGMY OWLLLLLL! We couldn't believe it. After a whole day of walking in vain we finally got a response. In a minute the bird was around. It sat high on a tree looking at us. After gaining some confidence it even approached us a bit but still pretty far for a decent photo. Nevertheless I managed to do this documentary one which would a great memory of this fantastic day.

Pygmy Owl by Iordan Hristov

In the next half an our we were really excited. We returned happy to the car and started towards our next hotel.

The start for tomorrow will be pretty early. The subject of our trip tomorrow is the Capercaillie so we should be up at 3,30. Oh my... my friend thought I was joking when I told him. Well I was not...

Start up tomorrow at 3.30 a.m.

Birdwatching in Bulgaria: tailored trip 8-15 March, day 3

What a day!!! Early start. Long walks, Long driving, Late arrival and ... Early dinner :) The result: 79 bird species, lots of snow, rain and wind. Well this was just today withing about 300 km. You would probably say this is not possible. Well it is.

The alarm rang at about 5.40 a.m. Quickly packed and got on the car for an early start. Our main target for the morning was the White-backed Woodpecker.We stopped for a while to grab a coffee and off we went up to the mountains. At 6,40 people were already jogging along the roads. We arrived at our final destination at about 7.00. It was soo lively. Birds were actively singing. There were Wood Nuthatches, Robins, Wrens and Song Thrushes everywhere. A Middle spotted Woodpecker welcomed us at the car park. We entered a superb forest with huge quantity of deadwood. That's the main reason for the diversity of woodpecker we managed to get.

Dead wood as a habitat for White backed Woodpecker

We walked for a while and had the first Great spotted Woodpecker. Of course every woodpecker was checked. Further on a Grey-headed called. In full alertness we kept walking listening to every single bird call. Short-toed Treecreeper, Black Woodpecker but not our target bird. We spend some time in an area where I have photographed the bird before (see the story here). Soon it started snowing. We kept going towards a beautiful waterfall about 15 m high. Two Dippers were a pleasant surprise by the waterfall.

Waterfall by Iordan Hristov

In a while it wasn't possible to see anything. The snow increased and we decided to go to our next destination. On our way down from the mountains we heard a great activity of some birds and decided to stop hoping for more opportunities for our White-backed Woodpecker. We checked every single drumming bird. The forest was superb. At one single spot we had a Great-spotted, Middle and Lesser spotted and a Grey-headed Woodpecker. While waiting for the birds in the forest a curious Red Fox peaked into our bins to check us.

It was time to go.

In an hour we were at our next destination where we were after Dalmatian Pelicans and hoping for a Saker Falcon. The first were not difficult. A group of about 30 birds fed in the shallow waters of a lake and we quickly ticked them off. It was much more surprising to see the nice diversity of birds and the early arriving summer migrants. We had fantastic views of male Garganeys, Ferruginous Duck, and the first for the year White Stork. A big flock of 100+ House martins flied over while we had our picnic lunch on the bank of the lake. It was even more surprising to see my first Sardinian Warbler. Lovely male was only a couple of meters away from us. The first Spanish Sparrows were also around.

Spanish Sparrow by Iordan Hristov

The local highlights were the Greater spotted Eagles which overwinter here. We counted about 6 birds. Pretty much at the end of our visit to the lake bits of excitement suggested a Saker Falcon. It turned out to be a young Peregrine which sat quite close for us to enjoy. We checked every single Buzzard hoping for a Saker, but... no. We even had to witness two Buzzards mating :)

Greater-spotted Eagle by Iordan Hristov

Well this site is really superb. In addition to the birds of prey we had almost all ducks including a nice Red-crested Pochard. A very pleasant surprise was a small group of Bewick's Swans joined by some Whoopers and Flamingos. What can I say. Superb diversity of birds.

We still had a long way to go so we must travel. We had another 200 km to go and it was already 14.00. The weather forecast wasn't promising so we better leave some more time. Just as suggested. On the first mountain pass there was fairly little snow but enough to slow us down and drive with about 30 km / h. On the next pass was even worse. This time we had to be really careful. I was driving even slower to make sure we arrive. Along the way, four Roe Deer were calmly feeding by the road. They were really beautiful.

Roe Deer by Iordan Hristov

Our intention to search for Pygmy Owl failed and we went straight to our hotel where a warm dinner and a beer were waiting for us.

Well, long day, but superb birding. Next days the weather should get better so hopefully we shall fill up the missing birds.

Stay tuned...

New specially tailored birding trip started yesterday: 8-15. March, day 1 and 2

New birdwatching trip started yesterday when a friend arrived from the Netherlands. His specific interest in 8 particular bird species brought him in Bulgaria. He is after Black Vulture, Saker Falcon, Capercaillie, Rock Partridge, Dalmatian Pelican, Pygmy Owl, White-backed Woodpecker and Three-toed Woodpecker. Not the easiest species to get. Especially at this time of year for species like the Capercaillie. I shall try to do my best. I already checked a few of the sites so from here on it would be pure luck.

My guest arrived in the early afternoon and we darted immediately to the first place where I observed the Rock partridge two days ago (described in my previous post). Unfortunately the bad weather didn't made our attempt successful. The rain, snow and wind would put every bird away. Well things like this happen. I had another place in mind and if doesn't work out we can certainly come back here again.

That's exactly what we did. We traveled to that second place but the snow was just too much. Definitely too deep for a Partridge so we had to come back to the first place. We woke up early in the morning to be able to be the spot in a reasonable time but ... no. Too much snow. Nevertheless, the morning was beautiful. Lovely sunshine made the birds active. Song Thrush and Wood Lark songs were echoing in the small mountainous valleys. Bramblings and Hawfinches were some of our morning highlights. We stopped at a spot for White-backed Woodpecker but no luck.

After this early morning outing we traveled back to the Rock Partridge place from the previous day. The beginning of the track was marked by the call of Sombre tit. One of my favourite birds welcomes us so this might be a good sign. We approached the area slowly with no talking whatsoever. And we did it right. The warming sunshine has made a bird to come out and stay quiet in the roots of a tree right in front of us. This time we did it. We saw it. Yes it took off once it saw us but in flight we could see the typical features of the Rock Partridge. It wasn't the best view but it was definitely a Rock Partridge. We stayed in the area for a little while but the bird didn't call or appear.

Well this could be the first tick for the trip. "-1" my guest said. Still a long way to go though. With this in mind we headed to the nearest town for lunch. Out next target bird is White-backed Woodpecker. There are several sites along the road we hope to see it. The weather is pretty miserable again. Snow and wind don't really help. If I was a woodpecker I definitely wouldn't come out of my tree.

Nevertheless, we stopped at several spots. After that we walked along a short path in a beautiful beech forest which is the preferred habitat type by the White-backed Woodpecker. This time there was some response to our waiting. A lovely Middle-spotted Woodpecker came over. So apparently he doesn't mind the weather. It was already 5 p.m. so we had to go. We had another 100 km to go so we headed south.

Our next targets for tomorrow would be again the White-backed Woodpecker, Dalmatian Pelican and the illusive Saker Falcon. See if we are lucky.

The start for tomorrow is at 6 a.m.

Stay tuned...

Rock Partridge trip in Bulgaria

This time I got him. Regardless of the miserable weather at the start of the day with rain and low temperatures I managed to see the Rock Partridge today. As a part of the preparation for my coming visitor I decided to explore the area around the mountain where Rock Partridges occur. I spoke to several people and everyone was saying that the birds do not appear in bad weather whatsoever. Moreover, it is still quite early in the season for the bird's display. Well, I wanted to see the site and get some more experience with it so I decided to give it a try.

I started fairly late in the morning regardless of any recommendation for Rock Partridge observation for early start. The trip wasn't long and shortly before I arrived at the area the rain stopped. "That's a good sign", I said to myself. Bright sky showed over the mountain tops. "I might be lucky".

Soon I was on the trail to the spot where I knew the birds should be. Big bird turned up in the distance. No it wasn't the Rock Partridge. A Golden Eagle was circling right over the spot where the Partridges should be. He must be searching for a meal. The big bird disappeared for a while but then it just turned up round the hill. It was sooo close. I quickly leaned down to hide myself. The bird didn't seem to have seen me and calmly continued gliding. What a bird! And of course I had left the big lens at home. Why would I need it in this miserable weather. Well the light wasn't good but the bird was so close that it would probably not fit in my frame. It was at eye level which additionally brought the respect which this bird deserves. Beautiful adult! It circled a couple of times and off it went. I didn't really feel any pressure to go further but wanted to have a look at the Rock Partridge spot.

Rock Partridge habitat by Iordan Hristov

In about 10 minutes I was there. Superb view from the top of a hillside revealed a 360 degrees view. Cliffs all around with meadows and scrub. That's what they like. I sat down for a while to enjoy the view. It wasn't a minute when a Rock Partridge called. Yes I know it is still early for them to breed but there it is calling from the bushes. I waited for a bit more but the bird didn't come out. Then I went round the corner to change my location. There it was. Ohh my.. The bird took off noisily only about 30 m away from me and gently glided down the hillside. Well, I got him this time.

Rock Partridge Habitat by Iordan Hristov

With a smile on my face, I happily went down the track towards the car. Several Sombre Tits made the pleasure even bigger.

Well I think this would be the spot. If we are this lucky, the trip will start really well with rather relaxed schedule and travel. Looking forward to its start.

Searching for Pygmy Owls in Bulgaria

The birdwatching trip that is coming up in a couple of days made me do some more surveys for the species requested by my friend. This time it was Pygmy Owl. I new a couple of locations in the Western Rhodope mountains that I wanted to check to make sure the birds are there and I will be prepared for the coming birdwatcher.

We departed on Saturday for a long three-day weekend including our bank holiday on Monday. The trip was fairly short since the area is only about 150 km from Sofia. We arrived in a small place with a couple of guest houses one of which we rented with friends. It had good conditions for a pleasant stay. Nearby were the places that I wanted to visit. Spectacular, old spruce forest that keep the densest population of Pygmy Owl in the country.

Western Rhodope mountains by Iordan Hristov

On Saturday we walked around the area where we were based but on Sunday we went for a walk along a track where I expected to see or hear the Pygmy Owls. The weather was rather miserable. Snow, rain, snow, and more rain. Some strange combination that didn't make birds being very active. However at several location passerines were getting crazy wanting to mob a Pygmy Owl. This would be a good sign that the birds are familiar with their predator call.

Later on in the same afternoon we went to another track where passerines behaved in the same way. This would be quite a good location where I ought to come back next week with my friend. At one of the sites there was a drum from a woodpecker. Rather secretive behaviour made me think it might have been a Three-toed Woodpecker. Regardless of my willingness to confirm, the bird never turned up. Initially it was quietly feeding on a tree trunk in a very dense coniferous forest. When I tried approaching the bird it just disappeared with no sign for direction. Well I shall definitely come back. See what happens next week.