Spatia Wildlife

A 9 days birding holiday in search of one of the most elusive and difficult to see birds in Europe.

Early spring birding

Saturday 14^th - Sunday 22^nd April 2012

This tour is an excellent opportunity to see some of the most elusive species in this part of Europe. Its main focus will be  few difficult to get species, namely the Hazel Hen, Rock Partridge, Wallcreeper, White-backed  Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Nutcracker and Semi-collared Flycatcher. We will also see many of the European raptors as Bulgaria has all of them but two - Gyr Falcon and Spanish Imperial Eagle are the only ones not found here. The period of our tour coincide with the intensive raptor migration and it is also the beggining of the breeding season for the local pairs so we expect species as Pallid and Montague's harriers, Black Kite, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Goshawk and many more. Other highlights will be many waders in breeding plumage as the Bulgarian Black sea coast is the second major bird migration route in Europe. Here we expect Terek, Broad-billed and Marsh sandpipers, Red-necked Phalarope, Temminck's Stint and many more. The total number of species may well exceed 150 species. We will explore different habitats – from mountain tops and plateaus, dense forests to the wetlands on the sea side.



ITINERARY

DAY 1

Arrival at Sofia airport and short transfer to Vitosha mountain where we will look for Nutcracker, Ring Ouzel, Black Redstart, Black Woodpecker, Water Pipit, Crossbill and many more. Afterwards we will drive to our hotel  where we are based for our first night. Accommodation and dinner.

DAY 2

Drive to Bessapari hills where we will look for Eastern Imperial Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Calandra, Wood, Crested and Short-toed larks, Cirl Bunting, Stone Curlew, Red-rumbed Swallow and many more. Afterwards we will drive to Trigrad gorge having few stops on the way. Arrival in the gorge late in the after noon. Accommodation in the village of Trigrad for one night.

DAY 3

The whole morning we devote on looking for the Wallcreepers. The birds are about to start their breeding season, so beside just seeing them, we also have good chance to observe their courtship as well as to hear the simple but beautiful song of the male. Other birds will be Gray-headed and Black woodpeckers, Rock Bunting, Serin, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Peregrine, Dipper and Grey Wagtail. Rock Partridge is also possible. In the afternoon we will drive to the northern slopes of the Rhodopi mountain and will be based in the village of Mostovo for one night.

DAY 4

Early start and half an hour transfer bring us at the Dobrostan mountain plateau. Here we will search the coniferous forest for Hazel Hen. The local population is quite numerous so we stand a good chance of seeing this most elusive of the European birds. Other birds will be Rock Thrush, Sombre Tit, Crested Tit, Black Woodpecker etc.
In the afternoon we shall drive to the Black Sea coast with several stops on the way where we expect migrating Lesser Spotted Eagles, Black Kite, Pallid Harier, Goshawk, Black Stork, Isabelline Weather and the first shrikes. Accommodation just north of Burgas for the next three nights.

DAY 5

Today we will explore the Burgas wetlands (Atanasovsko, Pomorie, Burgas and Mandra lakes)  in search of both Dalmatian and White pelicans, Pigmy Cormorant, White-tailed Eagle, Slender-billed, Medditeranean, Caspian and Yellow-legged gulls; Caspian, Black, White-winged Black, Whiskered and Little terns and many waders – Terek, Marsh, Broad-billed and Curlew sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Red-necked Phalarope, Temminck's Stint, Kentish Plover etc. Many migrating raptors and passerines including Bearded Reedling, Penduline Tit, Moustached Warbler and many more will be also recorded. 

DAY 6

We head south and short transfer brings us to Strandzha Mountain. Here we will look for the secret White-backed Woodpecker as well as the Semi-collared Flycatcher. Other birds may well include up to seven species of woodpeckers, Hawfinch, Red-breasted and Spotted flycatchers. On the way we will pass two wetlands which will provide good option for more migrants and resident birds – Purple Heron, Ferruginous Duck, Garganey, Glossy Ibis, Spotted Crake and Water Rail. We will also check the sea carefully as we may find Yelkouan shearwaters flying by as well as late Black-throated divers who shall be in full breeding plummage this time of the year. Flocks of Lesser Spotted eagles (up to several hundreds), Steppe and Common buzzards and White storks are flying north.

DAY 7

Today we will make a long transfer westwards (about four and a half hours), but we will brake the journey with several stops on the way for Black Kite, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Goshawk, Isabelline Wheatear, Rock Thrush, Wryneck, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and many more. Arrival in Koprivshtitsa late in the afternoon, where we stay the next two nights.

DAY 8

This is our main site for the Rock Partridge which is another of the most dificult to see birds in Europe and we will pay special attention in order to find it. Birding in the surrounding at our leisure will also provide Rock Thrush, Sombre Tit, Red-rumped Swallow, Black and Common redstarts, Long-legged Buzzard, Raven, Peregrine, Imperial, Golden and Lesser Spotted eagles, Rock Bunting and many more. 

DAY 9

Two hours of driving bring us at Sofia airport, with a couple of stops on the way for some more birding. Departure.

   Northern Wheatear by Dobromir Domuschiev.

   Wryneck by Dobromir Domuschiev.