Second national BirdID training: day 4 - the end

The last day of the training was planned for the conifer forest. We collected tents and gear and down we went to a lovely track in the middle of a coniferous forest. En route we had more Nutcrackers, Bullfinches, Crossbills, Wren, Blackcap, Great-spotted Woodpecker and a group of 20+ Pallid Swifts that have bread under the gutter of a chalet by the car park.

The track was fairly quiet. There were many flowers and some butterflies but birds weren't abundant. Still, we managed to get a Dipper, Grey Wagtail, a high flying Black Stork and lots of wild strawberries that distracted the participants from my talks.

Dactylorhiza cordigera, copyright Iordan Hristov

Dactylorhiza saccifera, copyright Iordan Hristov

Lilium martagon, copyright Iordan Hristov 

Well that was it. The second national training is over. Participants were glad to be in a different habitat and be out again. They definitely appreciate this training and look for the next trip in autumn.

We saw a total of 44 species listed below:
1.White Stork
2.Black Stork
3.Golden Eagle
4.Common Buzzard
5.Eurasian Sparrowhawk
6.Kestrel
7.Wood Pigeon
8.Pallid Swift
9.Hoopoe
10.Great spotted Woodpecker
11.Skylark
12.Crested Lark
13.Crag Martin
14.Barn Swallow
15.House Martin
16.Water Pipit
17.White Wagtail
18.Grey Wagtail
19.Wren
20.Dipper
21.Dunnock
22.Alpine Accentor
23.Robin
24.Black Redstart
25.Mistle Thrush
26.Blackbird
27.Ring Ouzel
28.Blackcap
29.Chiffchaff
30.Coal Tit
31.Crested Tit
32.Wood Nuthatch
33.Red-backed Shrike
34.Jay
35.Nutcracker
36.Alpine Chough
37.Raven
38.Common Starling
39.Common Chaffinch
40.Goldfinch
41.Siskin
42.Bullfinch
43.Crossbill
44.Corn Bunting
45.Lesser spotted Eagle
46.Whinchat
47.Greenfinch

Second national BirdID training: day 3

Day 3 from the training was under risk of heavy rain too. Today our group was larger since more people joined for the weekend. Today we wanted to go to a mountain shelter next to a lake called "Strashno ezero". Literary translated the name of the lake means "the scary lake". The reason for this name is the high risk of thunders that occur in that area. Apparently there is a lot of ore in the cliffs around that attract the thunders.

The first part of the route was even steeper than on the previous day. However, the part after that was nice to walk and quite a few birds turned up. There were more of my favourite Alpine Accentors. At a place we had quite a few juveniles.

Alpine Accentor juv, copyright Iordan Hristov

Further along we had Water Pipits and Siskins, which people appreciated.

Water Pipit, copyright Iordan Hristov

There were also a few orchids ...

Pseudorchis albida, copyright Iordan Hristov

Saxifraga rotundifolia, copyright Iordan Hristov

and again more superb landscapes.

Second national BirdID training: day 2

We woke up at 6 a.m. After the intense survey last week in Norway it was time to search for birds again. This time i wanted to show them to the participants in the BirdId training that I lead for the Bulgarian Society for the protection of birds and the Nord-Trondelag University college.

We wanted to make the route from Maliovitsa chalet to the peak with the same name. This was going to be the direction with no necessity to reach the peak. What I wanted most is to see and show some alpine birds.

Before breakfast we enjoyed the first sunlight and the Crossbills which were still around the chalet before people have started moving about.

Crossbill, copyright Iordan Hristov

The trail followed a picturesque valley surrounded by peaks. Lush meadows were home of the endemic Rila primrose Primula deorum. This pretty flower was everywhere.

Rila Primrose Primula deorum, copyright Iordan Hristov

Rila Primrose Primula deorum, copyright Iordan Hristov

Other than it we enjoyed at least five Balkan chamois that were calmly grazing on the top of the hills on the edge of the valley.

Balkan Chamois, copyright Iordan Hristov

The scenery was superb.

Rila mountains, copyright Iordan Hristov

Soon we had one of our target birds: Alpine Accentor. It is in severe decline and I am really worried about the fortune of this bird. Together with all the other alpine species it is understudied and we don't know why is the species disappearing.

Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris, copyright Iordan Hristov

Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris, copyright Iordan Hristov

Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris, copyright Iordan Hristov

We managed to reach the hill top but a gust of winds and dark clouds took over. Heavy rain was coming and we decided to go back to the chalet. Some of the group members really regretted that they couldn't climb up to the peak but our choice was wiser. A tourist passing by told us a site for the superb Wallcreeper but we had to give it up.

As it usually happens, once we got to the chalet Sun came out. Never mind, an hour later the heavy rain was back we managed to stay dry. That's the weather like in the mountains.

The second national BirdID training in Bulgaria starts today: day 1

The second national BirdID training starts today. It is organised by the Bulgarian society for the protection of birds and the Nord-Trondelag University College HiNT. The training is a part of the project for common bird monitoring and aims at preparing new participants in the monitoring scheme.

The second national training will be implemented in Rila mountains and will focus on mountainous birds. Before heading up to the mountains a small group of us decided to do some photography down in the lowlands. Birds weren't very active so we focused on butterflies and orchids. We did see a few Whinchats, Hoopoe, a pair of Lesser spotted Eagle and some Common Buzzards but the weren't very tame so we couldn't take many pictures.

It was getting warm and soon we decided to head up to the mountains. Not before we had lunch in a small restaurant in a village called Govedartsi. It was fairly difficult to find a place in the middle of the week but we managed anyway.

On the way up to the mountains we walked along a nice little road in a pine forest where we saw some Crested Tit, Nutcrackers and Crossbills. Butterflies weren't very abundant but some presented good opportunities.

Crossbill, copyright Iordan Hristov

Balkan Copper Lycaena candens, copyright Iordan Hristov

It was time to head up to the mountains. We packed our stuff and got ready for an hour and a half trek up a mountain trail. The heavy backpacks didn't let us do a lot of birding. Nevertheless we got a very distant Golden Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, more Nutcrackers and Crossbills and Bullfinches.

distant Golden Eagle

Soon we arrived in the mountain chalet at 1960 m above the sea level right on the edge of the tree line. Here we were going to be based for the nest three nights. After a refreshing drink we grabbed the cameras and binoculars and dashed around. Right in front of the chalet we saw a Ring Ouzel, Dunnock, which here is primarily a mountainous bird, Crossbills, Nutcrackers and Black Redstarts.

Dunnock is primarily a mountainous bird breeding in the dwarf pine, copyright Iordan Hristov

The sunset light nicely lit the surrounding summits...

view from the Chalet