Wildlife photography, Bulgaria

Birds and wildlife photography along the Danube river

Rollers and Bee-eaters -NEW-

Sunday 27th May - Sunday 3rd June 2012


This bird and wildlife photography tour is focused on two of the most colorful European birds – the Roller and the Bee-eater. The tour dates coincide with the beginning of the breeding season when the birds are still working on the nesting holes, the males are feeding the females and the pairs are mating. Our tour is designed for keen photographers who want to spend more time with their subject and get the maximum of it, rather than chasing bigger numbers of species.  For the entire holiday we will be based in one hotel in the town of Tutrakan (NE Bulgaria), photographing in the adjacent area and avoiding long transfers and packing and unpacking. In the surroundings there are several big colonies of Bee-eaters and each of them has several pairs of Rollers so our main targets are very plentiful here.

However, this part of Bulgaria has a variety of different habitats and vast biodiversity. The area combines riverside marshlands with dry scrubby places, forests, as well as sandy habitats. It  offers enough opportunities for bird photography and beside our main targets we are going to have options for other birds such as Hoopoe, Black-headed Bunting, Red-backed shrike, Wryneck, Syrian and Grey-headed woodpeckers, Common Redstart and Ruddy Shelduck. The European ground squirrel – the Suslick is common at one of the sites we will visit, so there will be plenty of options to photograph this cute rodent.

The diversity of marshlands in the area provides excellent options for wetland birds and depends on the water level we may have possibilities for marsh terns, Penduline Tit, Great Reed Warbler, Purple and Squacco herons.

The biodiversity in the area will also provide opportunities for macro photography – this is one of the richest dragonfly places in Bulgaria. Many butterflies and other insects will be available too, as well as some orchids.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival at Varna airport followed by three hours transfer that bring us to the fishermen town of Tutrakan, where we will stay during the holiday. Our main sites for the next days will be few marshlands, close to Danube river and the adjacent territories. Depending on the arrival time we can have an afternoon session here or check the various sites in the area in order to become familiar with the settings and the various opportunities.

Days 2 to 6

We will have six full days of bird and wildlife photography in the area. Early starts are recommended in order to get the best light in the morning, additionally that is the period when the birds are in the peak of their activities. End of May and beginning of June it already gets hotter in Bulgaria and midday isn’t particularly productive, except in case of overcast weather which is also possible. Best strategy is to have siestas, followed by long afternoon sessions to take advantage of the evening light too.

Day 8

Depending on your departure flight, we can have an early session in the morning, then pack up and three and a half hours transfer will bring us at Varna airport for your flight back home. Departure.

Note: This tour is also possible to start/end from Sofia airport too.