Bulgaria
30 April - 7 May 2010

Collared Pratincole, Shabla Lake, Bulgaria, 6 May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)

introduction
In May 2010 I co-guided a short trip to Bulgaria for BirdingBreaks.nl, together with local birder Tihomir ("Tisho") Stefanov from Neophron (the Bulgarian BirdLife partner). All logistics were arranged in advance by these two companies. As last year, it turned out to be an excellent trip, with great birds, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies in a fascinating landscape. Bulgaria is a very varied country, with beautiful mountains, excellent marshes, extensive rural areas and superb migration. Last year we saw an amazing 202 species. To my surprise we equalled that number in 2010. It's not often that over 200 species are recorded in a week's time: not only in Bulgaria, but anywhere in Europe! Nonetheless the list was quite different compared to the one from laste year, with no less than 28 species we didn't see in 2009. That shows the diversity of the avifauna of Bulgaria.

highlights
Ferruginous Ducks, White Pelicans, Imperial Eagle (4), Monk Vulture (1-2), Levant’s Sparrowhawk, Eagle Owl (1), Scops Owls (many heard, but one seen well), Red-throated Pipit (4 in sum plum), Eastern Black-eared Wheatears, Pied Wheatears, Eastern Olivaceous Warblers, Paddyfield Warbler (2), (Eastern) Bonelli’s Warbler (3), Semi-collared Flycatchers, Collared Flycatcher (a male), Rock Nuthatch (2), Wallcreeper (2, at 10 m) and of course the amazing number of species seen. A list of 19 species of reptiles and amphibians was also excellent.

missed birds
Dalmatian Pelican, Eastern Orphean Warbler, Olive Tree Warbler, Masked Shrike (the latter three probably hadn't arrived yet, as other groups missed them as well).

Birding at Kaliakra, Bulgaria, 6 May 2010
(© Vincent van der Spek)

acknowledgements
Thanks to Ed Opperman and Laurens Steijn from BirdingBreaks for asking me to guide this trip. Tisho, thanks for everything again, and Slavi, you're a great and very safe driver. Dorien, Egge, Evert, Gerda, Hans 1, Hans 2, Herman, Ineke, Jan, Maria, Marlies, Michel and Titia are thanked for being so easy on me during the trip. Thanks too, for all the knowlegde on a wide range of subjects shared and for the good laughs. Hopefully we'll see each other again, during another BirdingBreaks tour or somewhere in the field. The Gossip and Beirut killed some time during the hours spent driving. I also had a sentimental Pearl Jam journey during the trip. Thanks (again) Eddie!

timing & weather
We were somewhat early in the season, which is normally good for visible migration. Unfortunately the sea wind was not suitable for large numbers of migrating birds. Several species were obviously scarcer than last year, like Bee-eater and Eastern Olivacious Warbler, of which only small numbers had returned and we e.g. only recorded two Barred Warblers. For Rosy Starling it is definitely too early. On the other hand, we did see 28 species we missed last year (e.g. Red-throated Pipits). Autum is also a very good time to visit the country, especially for migration, though the advantage of spring is that all breeding birds are present (and showy). The weather in May can be great, but it's also the month with the highest amount of rainfall. We had a pleasently warm and sunny trip. When we left the rains started, so we were lucky!

itinerary
We did a loop: from Sofia to the southwest, to the Eastern Rhodopes in the southeast, to Burgas along the east coast, following the coast line to Kaliakra in the northeast and finally back to Sofia through central Bulgaria.

30 April	Flight Amsterdam - Sofia; drive Sofia - Western Rhodopes; birding stop at Rhodopes foothills.
1 May	Morning birding Trigrad (Western Rhodopes); afternoon drive to Madzharovo (Eastern Rhodopes).
2 May	Krunovitza River at two places, Studen Kladenets and night birding at Krumovgrad (Eastern Rhodopes).
3 May	Morning birding at Mazharovo, Eastern Rhodopes. Afternoon drive to Burgas, with birding stops for Imperial Eagle at Topolovgrad and Masked Shrike near Burgas.
4 May	Burgas marshes (incl. two at Antanasovsko, two at Poda and Dolno Ezerovo).
5 May	Transport Burgas - Kavarna, with birding stops at Pomorie (2), Goritza Forest (2), Balchik and Shabla.
6 May	Durankulak, Shabla, Cape Kaliakra, Bolata Valley and Balgarevo.
7 May	Drive from Kaliakra to Sofia, with a birding stops in Albena and at the foothills of the Balkan Mountains.
8 May	Morning flight Sofia - Amsterdam.

We stayed in four areas, which are indicated on the map (ignore spot nr. 5, which I visited in previous years).
Download map Bulgaria (printable in Word)

1. Western Rhodopes (Southwest Bulgaria)
There's a big difference between the Western and Eastern Rhodopes. The western part is higher and has a more central European atmosphere, with boreal forests. Here you'll find birds like Dunnock, Firecrest and Dipper (including some brilliant juveniles). There's a very good reason to visit this area: Wallcreeper. It occurs in the relatively touristy and beautiful Trigrad gorge (a.k.a. The Devil's Throat). The location of the nest varies from year to year, but like last year the birds were particularly interested in some crevices just before the tunnel in the gorge. The birds were collecting nesting material at eye-level, no more than 10 m. away from us! The picture of the female was made with a 200 mm lens: that's how close they were. Other birds to look out for include Alpine (big groups in the gorge) and Pallid Swift (in the villages) and we saw are only Grey-headed Woodpecker and Firecrests of the trip here.

Female Wallcreeper, with the nest in the right lower corner, Trigrad, Western Rhodopes, Bulgaria, 1 May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)

Mountain view at Trigrad, Western Rhodopes, Bulgaria, May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)

2. Eastern Rhodopes and Sakar Mountains (South Bulgaria)
The Eastern Rohopes is a typical Mediterranean mountain range. The best areas to watch birds are Madzharovo and Studen Kladenets (2a on the map). Both areas have vulture colonies. At Studen Kladenets, visit both the feeding station and the area around the huge dam. We stayed in the town of Krumovgrad, not far from Studen Kladenets. At night both Little and Scops Owl can be found in the town. After a long search during one night we managed to get good views of a singing Scops Owl.

Krumovitza river, Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria, 2 May 2010
(© Vincent van der Spek)

Madzharovo and Studen Kladenets are excellent for raptors. Both Griffon and Egyptian Vulture breed, while Monk ('Black') Vulture occasionally visits the vulture feeding station at Studen Kladenets. The station was esthablished in the 1990's when the numbers of Griffons were rapidly declining. As a result the Griffons are now on the increase again: the colony at Studen Kladenets that once dissappeared, is now occupied again. However the last couple of years the number of Egyptian Vultures started to decline seriously. The causes are still unknown, but they might be in the wintering areas. We saw Egyptian at the feeding station, near the dam (where we found a nest) and at the vulture colony near Madzharovo. A visit to the feeding station is a real must. Tens of Griffons can be seen, often at close range. We also saw at least two Egyptian Vultures and one or two Monk Vultures. A Black Kite was interested it the carcasses too, and a migrating Honey Buzzard was seen well. Photographers can arrange a trip to a hide near the carcasses.

Levant’s Sparrowhawk breeds in the area, but so does Sparrowhawk. Near Studen Kladenets we saw an excellent male Levant's. Look out for the following species in the entire area: (Eastern) Black-eared Wheatear, Blue Rock-thrush, Rock Nuthatch, Rock Bunting (try the cliffs at the Griffon Vulture colony at Mazdhorovo and the area around the Studen Kladenets dam; we missed the species this year), Eastern Bonelli's Warbler (easy to find in the forest behind the visitor's centre at Mazharovo), Sombre Tit (try the area near the dam at Studen Kladenets; a pair was also seen in the small settlement near the feeding station) and Subalpine, Sardinian and Eastern Orphean Warbler (the scrub around the feeding station at Studen Kladenets is good; we missed the latter species). Black Stork is relatively common in the entire area and we found several nests at the cliffs.

The Krumovitza river is another excellent place for birding and we stopped at two spots: at the bridge near Dzkanka village and at Dolna Kula village, northwest of Krumovgrad. The first spot has a pair of Rollers and there are Kingfishers at the river's edges. A Short-toed Eagle flew by and a Black Stork was fishing in the river. At Dolna Kula you can walk along the river, with cliffs on the other side. We found another Black Stork nest here, but best was probably the occupied nest of a pair of Rock Nuthatches. We also found two old nests here. Tisho found a Chukar that showed well for over ten minutes. More Chukars were heard at the feeding station and the vulture colony at Mazharovo. The Eastern Rhodopes are excellent for herps, too. Try any stream for Common Newt, Yellow-bellied Toad and Marsh Frog. With a little luck Grass and Dice Snakes can be found, as well as Spur-thighed Tortoise. Last year we saw the tortoise in the scrub near the feeding station, this year we found one near a small stream just outside Dolno Kula village. At the same spot we also saw two males Balkan Green Lizard.

Yellow-bellied Toad, adult, Studen Kladenets, Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria, 2 May 2010
(© Vincent van der Spek)

Between the Eastern Rhodopes and Burgas, there's a beautiful hilly countryside (see 2b on the map) with extensive agriculture and rather open natural areas: the little visited Sakar Mountains. As in the Western Rhodopes, population density is low. This area is the spot in Bulgaria for the globally threatened Imperial Eagle. We saw pairs both west (near the village of Hlyalbovo) and east of Topolovgrad. The latter spot is a nesting site (brilliant views), of which I will not post the details (as requested by Neophron). The area was excellent, with e.g. singing Eastern Olivaceous Warbler, two Syrian Woodpeckers and our first Bee-eaters of the trip. Sousliks are the main food source for the eagles. As Sousliks are predated by the Imperial Eagles, some of their burrows are left unoccupied, and this is perfect breeding habitat for the many Isabelline Wheatears in the area. During the drive from Mazharovo to Burgas I saw two groups of migrating White Pelicans and one Short-toed Eagle.

At the agricultural fields near Zlatinitza (east of the town of Bolyarovo) we saw a male Montagu's Harrier. The oak forest west of Bolyarovo is a traditional site for Masked Shrike, though they probably hadn't returned from their wintering grounds yet: we couldn't find any and neither did any of the other tour groups we met during the week.

3. Burgas
This is perhaps the most well-known area to watch birds in Bulgaria. Burgas is a friendly, but not a very pretty city. There are however several good birding areas nearby. The water levels at all spots around Burgas were much higher than usual this year, which greatly reduced the number of waders.

a) Lake Atanasovsko
At the north-western part there are some nice ponds with Little Bittern, Cetti's Warbler and Penduline Tit. Three Collared Pratincoles and a Pygmy Cormorant flew by and in the distance we saw some White Pelicans, but in much lower numbers than last year. Black, Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns were present in good numbers. At the south-western part of the lake, in the outskirts of Burgas, there are salt pans which are excellent for waders. Due to the high water levels, not too many birds were present, though we enjoyed Curlew Sandpipers and Spotted Redshanks in summer plumage. Some Spoonbills flew by.

b) Lake Burgas
No Dalmatian Pelicans this year, but many other birds were present. The best way to check this lake is at a small (and dirty) parking lot along the main road, driving from north to south from Burgas, near the 'B' on the map. Again the Chlidonias terns were present in good numbers, and a large group of White Pelicans was on migration. The number of Little Gulls was excellent, with 100s of birds present. Around ten Black-necked Grebes and some Shovelers were found. A pair of Little Bitterns flew by at very close range. At the southern part of the lake, near a small factory, we found some pools. A highlight of the trip was the Little Tern perched next to a Caspian, something I've never seen before. The difference in size has to be seen to be believed! On the other side of the road we visited Poda again, where we had lunch at the visitor's centre. Best birds included some Squacco Herons and Pygmy Cormorants. Several Dice Snakes, a Blotched Snake ("Eastern Four-lined Snake") and a Tree Frog were found.

Pygmy Cormorant, adult, Poda, Burgas, Bulgaria, 4 May 2010
(© Vincent van der Spek)

c) Dolno Ezerovo (not on the map)
We were told by locals tht near the village of Dolno Ezerovo the flooded meadows provided good birding. We therefore decided to skip Lake Mandra and try this spot instead. Hundreds of Ruff were present, as were a Black-tailed Godwit and dozens of Wood Sandpipers. Goodies included a pair of Ruddy Shelducks, several Pygmy Cormorants ans Squacco Herons, a group of 17 Glossy Ibises, our only Great White Egret of the trip and an excellent Gull-billed Tern. With the latter one in the pocket we saw all eight Bulgarian terns in a day! A distant White-tailed Eagle was only seen by a few lucky ones. Eleven Red-footed Falcons, a large group of White Pelicans and two Black Kites were on migration. A pair of Cattle Egrets was a good record for Bulgaria: they are surprisingly scarce in this country. Many Fire-bellied Toads were heard. An excellent site, which is probably only good when water levels are high.

d) Lake Pomorie
On our way up north, Lake Pomorie (salt water) was visited. The Sandwich Tern colony was excellent again. Nice spot for a short stop, but not a must. Some Lesser Grey Shrikes were seen in the area, too. Sometimes Slender-billed Gulls are present, though we didn't see any here this year.

Sandwich Tern colony at pomorie (with Medierranean Gull), Burgas area, Bulgaria, 5 May 2010
(© Vincent van der Spek)

Travelling from Burgas to the northeast you pass the Balkan Mountains. This area is good for Sombre Tit. Make sure you stop at Goritza Forest. At the higher parts of Goritza forest you'll find park like oak forest. Birds like Wryneck and Barred Warbler can be found here and Hawfinch is common. Here we found nests of Semi-collared Flycatcher and Sombre Tit. Semi-collared Flycatcher is especially easy to find in the lower parts of Goritza. Without any real effort five birds were found within an hour. Another good bird here is Middle Spotted Woodpecker, which is easy to find, too (we found a nest this year). If you can't find the flycatcher, check out the (many) nest boxes.

4. Northern Black Sea coast
The northern coast is simply excellent for birding. It's superb for migration and it has some steppes and excellent lakes. Two birds that only occur very locally in Europe breed here: Pied Wheatear and Paddyfield Warbler. We stayed in the small town of Krapetz (south of Durankulak; also written as Krapac). Best birds at Krapetz were a pair of Pied Wheatears and a female Eider at sea.

On the steep rocks between Balchik and Kavarna, Eagle Owl breeds. We managed to find one adult. Several dead Scheltopusiks were found in this area. We visited the lake at Shabla (or: "Sabiensko Blato"; spot D on the map) twice. On the evening of our arrival in the north we birded at the eastern part. From the dune we had excellent views on the lake. We found three pairs of the globally threatened Ferruginous Duck and our only Slender-billed Gull of the trip. Two males Little Bittern showed really well. In the dunes we found a Tawny Pipit and at sea two migrating Arctic Skuas and a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers were seen. An Oystercatcher was present on the beach: not a common bird in Bulgaria. Next day we visited the grazed steppe-area at the southwestern part of the lake. Again we found Tawny Pipit and a pair of Ferruginous Ducks, as well as a very confiding Collared Pratincole. Quails were calling on both sides of the road.

Cape Kaliakra (A) is the most reliable spot for Pied Wheatear. At the northern part of the tip you'll find the only Shag colony of the country. Alpine Swifts pass by at eye level. Sometimes there are huge falls of passerines at Kaliakra, mostly in autumn. Other birds at the cape include Black-headed Bunting and Red-backed Shrike. I saw the only Common Wall Lizard of the trip here. At the foot of the cape on the eastern side there's a nice valley with some small marshes: Bolata. Best bird around here was a beautiful male Collared Flycatcher on migration. Two hunting Hobby's were a trip exclusive. Just south of Balgarevo (B), a village near Kaliakra, there are some steppes left. Short-toed and Calandra Larks are common here. This is the area to search for Stone-curlew: we found one bird this year, just outside the village.

Paddyfield Warbler, Durankulak Lake, Bulgaria, 6 May 2010
(© Vincent van der Spek)

The highlight of our visit to the north was the excellent Durankulak Lake, near the Romanian border (C on the map). Two Paddyfield Warblers were easily located and they showed well. Three Ferruginous Ducks were seen, as were several Pygmy Cormorants. A highlight were three or four summer plumage Red-throated Pipits that showed really well. Like last year we saw many migrating Sand Martins (100s), with fewer House Martins and Barn Swallows among them (10s). Three mixed groups of White-winged Black and Whiskered Terns passed by (in all 100+ birds), as were two Caspian Terns. Furthermore several Bee-eaters were seen (and sometimes only heard) migrating. There were not many waders present this year, but there was an extremely confiding (exhausted?) Curlew Sand in sum plum. Some Sanderlings were present on the beach. At sea three Harbour Porpoises were seen. Fire-bellied Toad is common here. A little southeast of the lake a female Red-footed Falcon was found along the main road. I'm looking forward to go back to this place next year!

Alpine Swift, Kaliakra, Bulgaria, 6 May 2010
(© Vincent van der Spek)

lists

birds
1.	Mute Swan	Small numbers in suitable habitat, especially around Burgas.
2.	Common Shelduck	Common in the saline, coastal wetlands.
3.	Ruddy Shelduck	A pair at the flooded meadows near the village of Dolno Ezerovo and a male at Pomorie, both in the Burgas area.
4.	Mallard	Common in suitable habitat.
5.	Gadwall	Common in suitable habitat.
6.	Garganey	Good numbers around Burgas, Shabla and Durankulak Lake; mainly males were seen.
7.	Northern Shoveler	About 20 birds at Burgas Lake.
8.	Eurasian Wigeon	Three at the flooded meadows near the village of Dolno Ezerovo, Burgas and one male at Shable Lake.
9.	Common Pochard	Common in suitable habitat; only seen at the coastal wetlands.
10.	Ferruginous Duck NT	Four pairs at Shabla and three singles at Durankulak Lake.
11.	Tufted Duck	A male at Burgas Lake.
12.	Common Eider	A moulting female-type at sea at Krapetz; a scarce bird here, which mainly exited Tisho!
13.	Red-breasted Merganser	A pair at sea next to Shabla Lake.
14.	Great Crested Grebe	Common in suitable habitat.
15.	Black-necked Grebe	At least eight at Burgas Lake, all in full sum plum.
16.	Little Grebe	Only one pair seen somewhere en route in the Balkan Mountains, in exactly the same marsh where we added the species to our list last year.
17.	White Pelican	Far less common than last year. Two groups (40 and 60) migrating over the eastern part of the Rhodopi Mountains (one group was fast enough to keep on par with the driving bus for 15 minutes!) and less than 120 in the Burgas area. Ten distant birds were seen resting at Antanasovsko and one at Burgas Lake: all other birds were migrating.
18.	Great Cormorant	Common along the coast.
19.	Shag	Cape Kaliakra has the only Bulgarian breeding colony of this species; at least ten birds were seen.
20.	Pygmy Cormorant	A fly-by at Antanasovsko, three at Poda, three at the flooded meadows at Dolno Ezerovo village and three at Durankulak Lake.
21.	Little Bittern	Brief views of one at Atanasovsko Lake, a brilliant fly-by of a pair at Burgas Lake and two males scoped at Shabla Lake.
22.	Black-crowned Night Heron	Small numbers (in all less than ten birds) in the Western Rhodopes (Krunovitza river), Burgas and the Bolata valley.
23.	Squacco Heron	Small numbers in the Burgas area (Poda and the flooded meadows at Dolno Ezerovo) and at Durankulak Lake: in all less than ten birds seen.
24.	Little Egret	Common in suitable habitat.
25.	Cattle Egret	A pair (with the male in full breeding plumage) at the flooded meadows at Dolno Ezerovo village (Burgas area): though increasing, this is a scarce bird in Bulgaria.
26.	Great (White) Egret	One at the flooded meadows near the village of Dolno Ezerovo.
27.	Grey Heron	Common in suitable habitat.
28.	Purple Heron	Small numbers around Burgas, Shabla and Durankulak Lake.
29.	Black Stork	Relatively common in the Eastern Rhodopes, especially around Studen Kladenets (once four adults at a time), where e.g. three nests were found.
30.	White Stork	A common breeder at villages near agricultural areas. Groups were seen migrating at the Eastern Rhodopes and Burgas.
31.	Glossy Ibis	A group of 17 at the flooded meadows near the village of Dolno Ezerovo.
32.	Eurasian Spoonbill	Only three seen, at the southwestern part of Antanasovsko.
33.	Honey Buzzard	The number of migrating Honeys was disappointing: only one bird was seen well, at the feeding station at Studen Kladenets.
34.	Black Kite	One at the feeding station at Studen Kladenets, Eastern Rhodopes and two migrating over Burgas.
35.	White-tailed Eagle	An adult was briefly seen north of Poda, Burgas, near Dolno Ezerovo.
36.	Griffon Vulture	Good numbers at the cliffs at Madzharovo and Studen Kladenets, Eastern Rhodopes. Several birds were seen perched on rocks. Close fly-by's and tens of birds present near the feeding station. Griffon Vulture, Studen Kladenets, Bulgaria, 3 May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)
37.	Monk Vulture	One or maybe two individuals at the feeding station at Studen Kladenets, Eastern Rhodopes. Excellent views of this species we missed last year.
38.	Egyptian Vulture	This species is rapidly declining in Bulgaria; we saw one bird at Madzharovo and three (including one at the nest) at Studen Kladenets.
39.	Eastern Imperial Eagle VU	When we travelled from Madzharovo to Burgas, we saw a pair in the Sakar Mountains, a little west west of Topolovgrad, near the village of Hlyalbovo. Near Topolovgrad we had excellent views of a pair on the nest.
40.	Lesser Spotted Eagle	Surprisingly hard to find this year, with just one pair and a single bird seen en route in the foothills of the Balkan Mountains, while driving back to Sofia on our very last day.
41.	Short-toed Eagle	One at Krunovitza river, near the village of Dzkanka and one en route between the eastern part of the Rhodopi Mountains and the Sakar Mountains.
42.	Marsh Harrier	Common in the coastal wetlands. Migrating birds seen at Student Kladenets (2) and Goritza Forest.
43.	Montagu’s Harrier	Only one hunting male was found at the agricultural fields east of the village of Zlatinitza, while we were on our way from Madzharovo to Burgas. A migrating 2nd cy ringtail at Antanasovsko Lake, Burgas, showed too briefly and was too distant for a positive ID.
44.	Long-legged Buzzard	Seen daily in small numbers in the Eastern Rhodopes. Furthermore at least two pairs present around Kaliakra and a few seen en route.
45.	Common Buzzard	Common, especially in mountainous areas; a few migrating Steppe Buzzards ssp. vulpinus were seen, too, e.g. at Trigrad.
46.	Levant's Sparrow Hawk	Last year's big blank was seen this year, and it was seen well! Not far from the feeding station at Studen Kladenets, Eastern Rhodopes a splendid male was observed.
47.	Sparrowhawk	Small numbers seen in the more mountainous areas.
48.	Kestrel	Common throughout.
49.	Hobby	Two at Bolata valley.
50.	Red-footed Falcon	One of my favourite birds! A group of 11 migrated over Burgas, though unfortunately the light was poor and the birds quite distant. A female was seen well near Durankulak Lake.
51.	Peregrine Falcon	An adult at a nest at the Mazharovo vulture colony.
52.	Chukar	Heard at the feeding station at Student Kladenets and at the vulture colony at Madzhorovo; one seen well near Dolna Kula village, near Krumovgrad.
53.	Common Quail	One bird was heard calling on the first day, in the foothills of the Rhodopi Mountains. Two birds were heard in the fields near Shabla Lake.
54.	Water Rail	Singles heard at Pomorie Lake and Durankulak Lake.
55.	Common Moorhen	Small numbers in suitable habitat.
56.	Eurasian Coot	Small numbers in suitable habitat.
57.	Eurasian Oystercatcher	One on the beach next to Shabla Lake. A scarce bird in Bulgaria.
58.	Pied Avocet	Small numbers along the coast.
59.	Black-winged Stilt	Common in coastal wetlands.
60.	Northern Lapwing	Small numbers in suitable habitat.
61.	Stone-curlew	One bird at the steppes immediately south of Balgarevo, near Kaliakra.
62.	Collared Pratincole	Three adults flew by at Antanasovsko, Burgas area and splendid views of a confiding bird at Shabla Lake.
63.	Little Ringed Plover	Small numbers in suitable habitat.
64.	Kentish Plover	Only one at the southwestern part of Lake Atanasovsko and two at Lake Pomorie, Burgas.
65.	Black-tailed Godwit	One at the flooded meadows near the village of Dolno Ezerovo.
66.	Common Sandpiper	One at Pomorie, Burgas only.
67.	Sanderling	Six along the sandy shores of Durankulak Lake.
68.	Dunlin	Only a few seen at the saltpans at the southwestern part of Lake Atanasovsko, Burgas.
69.	Curlew Sandpiper	Small numbers, including tens in full sum plum at the southwestern part of Lake Atanasovsko, Burgas. A very confiding (probably exhausted) bird moulting to summer plumage was seen at Durankulak Lake. Curlew Sandpiper, adult summer, Durankulak Lake, Bulgaria, 6 May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)
70.	Little Stint	Small numbers in wetlands around Burgas and Durankulak Lake.
71.	Wood Sandpiper	Seen in most, if not all wetlands around Burgas and the northeast.
72.	Common Greenshank	One only, at Pomorie, Burgas.
73.	Spotted Redshank	Around 70 birds at the saltpans at the southwestern part of Lake Atanasovsko, Burgas.
74.	Common Redshank	One only, at Poda.
75.	Ruff	Good numbers in wetlands around Burgas and a few in the northeast.
76.	Arctic Skua (or Parasitic Jaeger)	Two adult birds (pale morph) were seen at see next to Shable Lake, an unexpected bonus for the trip list.
77.	Little Gull	Ca. 700 at Burgas Lake. One of my favourite birds in Europe!
78.	Black-headed Gull	Common along the coast.
79.	Slender-billed Gull	An adult at Shable Lake.
80.	Mediterranean Gull	Small numbers around Burgas and 11 migrating birds at Kaliakra.
81.	Yellow-legged Gull	Common along the coast.
82.	Little Tern	Good numbers along the coast.
83.	Gull-billed Tern	A splendid adult in the flooded meadows near Dolno Ezerovo village, Burgas: we saw all eight Bulgarian terns in a day, which was even new for Tisho.
84.	Sandwich Tern	Common along the coast; the colony at Lake Pomorie was spectacular.
85.	Common Tern	Common in suitable habitat.
86.	Caspian Tern	Excellent views of a bird near Poda (wetland opposite of the road), sitting next to a Little Tern: a spectacular sight! Two birds migrating over Durankulak Lake.
87.	Black Tern	Small numbers around the Burgas wetlands and a few migrating at Durankulak.
88.	White-winged Tern	Another favourite of mine! Small numbers seen at Burgas and three flocks seen migrating at Durankulak Lake (in mixed flocks with Whiskered).
89.	Whiskered Tern	Small numbers at Burgas and three flocks migrating over Durankulak Lake (in mixed flocks with White-winged).
90.	Wood Pigeon	Small numbers were seen in forested areas.
91.	Stock Dove	Only a few seen, all in the south.
92.	Collared Doves	Seen in and around villages; Bulgaria has one of the biggest populations in Europe, though this was not the impression we had during the trip.
93	Turtle Dove	Smaller numbers than last year, though seen daily.
94.	Eurasian Cuckoo	Good numbers seen and heard everywhere.
95.	Eagle Owl	An adult was found at the steep cliffs between Balchik and Kavarna.
96.	Little Owl	One heard at Kumovgrad and one seen well during at Balchik village.
97.	Scops Owl	At least five heard and one seen well at Kumovgrad.
98.	Common Swift	Common throughout.
99.	Pallid Swift	Seen in the Western Rhodopes, especially around Trigrad village.
100.	Alpine Swift	Common around cliffs, both in the mountains and along the coast; the ones at Kaliakra showed really well, at eye-level. A few were seen in Sofia. Alpine Swift, Kaliakra, Bulgaria, 6 May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)
101.	Eurasian Hoopoe	A few seen on most days.
102.	European Bee-eater	Still scarce in this time of year. A few were seen near Topolovgrad and around ten migrating birds were found at Durankulak and Shabla Lake, of which a few were perched for some time.
103.	Common Kingfisher	At least three seen at two spots at the Krumovitza river, Eastern Rhodopes (all of them missed by me...).
104.	European Roller	A few seen on most days. A displaying bird was seen at Krumovitza river, near the village of Dzkanka, Eastern Rhodopes.
105.	Eurasian Wryneck	Excellent views of a pair at the small settlement near the feeding station at Studen Kladenets; another one heard at Goritza Forest.
106.	Black Woodpecker	Flying birds seen from the driving bus near Burgas and at the Balkan Mountains.
107.	Green Woodpecker	One seen in the Eastern Rhodopes, near Kumovgrad and two heard at Goritza Forest.
108.	Grey-headed Woodpecker	One bird heard and only seen by a few of us in the Trigrad gorge; another one heard near Madzhorovo.
109.	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Small numbers recorded throughout.
110.	Syrian Woodpecker	Seen at Studen Kladenets (near the dam), Topolovgrad (two) and Shabla.
111.	Middle Spotted Woodpecker	A nest was found at Goritza Forest. The parents were feeding the chicks on a regular basis.
112.	Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	A female seen well at the Baltata Reserve, Albena.
113.	Common Skylark	Commonly seen and heard in agricultural areas.
114.	Crested Lark	Recorded daily, albeit in small numbers.
115	Wood Lark	A singing bird near the vulture feeding station, Studen Kladenets and another one at the vulture colony at Mazdarovo.
116.	Short-toed Lark	Common at the remaining steppes in the northeast, near Balgarevo.
117.	Calandra Larks	Common in meadows and steppe areas throughout.
118.	Sand Martin	Small numbers at the coastal marshes; about 400 birds on migration at Durankulak.
119.	Crag Martin	Good numbers in the Rhodopi Mountains.
120.	Barn Swallow	Good numbers seen daily.
121.	Red-rumped Swallow	Small numbers seen daily.
122.	House Martin	Common throughout.
123.	Tawny Pipit	Only seen around Shabla Lake, with one in the dunes and one or two in the semi-steppe area east of the lake.
124.	Tree Pipit	One near the dam at Studen Kladenets and one at the vulture colony at Mazdhorovo, both in the Eastern Rhodopes.
125.	Red-throated Pipit	Excellent views of at least three birds in summer plumage at Durankulak Lake.
126.	White Wagtail	Seen daily in small numbers.
127.	Black-headed Wagtail	Much scarcer than last year, with only small numbers seen.
	Yellow Wagtail	Several birds on migration at Durankulak Lake and one at the Bolata valley sounded like flava rather than feldegg. A convincing male flava was photographed at Kaliakra.
128.	Grey Wagtail	Common along mountain streams.
129.	Winter Wren	Only a few heard, near Trigrad.
130.	White-throated Dipper	Around ten birds in the western part of the Rhodopes, including six juveniles.
131.	Dunnock	Only one heard during the trip, near Trigrad.
132.	Robin	Regular in suitable habitat.
133.	Common Nightingale	Common in suitable habitat.
134.	Common Redstart	Only one male seen by Titia and Marlies, at Bolata valley.
135.	Black Redstart	Commonly seen and heard, mainly in the south.
136.	Northern Wheatear	Small numbers throughout.
137.	Isabelline Wheatear	A female near Studen Kladenets; common near Topolovgrad; several in the northeast, where good numbers were present at the steppes at Balgarevo village.
138.	(Eastern) Black-eared Wheatear	Small numbers at Studen Kladenets (both at the dam and at the feeding station) and at the vulture colony at Madzharovo.
139.	Pied Wheatear	A pair in the village of Krapetz, next to the hotel and at least five males and two females at Kaliakra.
140.	Whinchat	Only a few seen along the coast.
141.	Common Stonechat	In all about five birds seen en route.
142.	Blue Rockthrush	Two males at the vulture cliff near Madzharovo and another male near the Studen Kladenets dam.
143.	Song Thrush	Small numbers in suitable habitat in the north.
144.	Mistle Thrush	Small numbers in suitable habitat in the south.
145.	Blackbird	Common.
146.	Barred Warbler	This species was obviously much scarcer than last year, with only two birds at the higher, more open part of Goritza Forest.
147.	Blackcap	Common in suitable habitat.
148.	Lesser Whitethroat	Regularly seen and heard.
149.	Common Whitethroat	Common throughout.
150.	Sardinian Warbler	A male seen well at the hill at the vulture feeding station, Studen Kladenets.
151.	Subalpine Warbler	A male seen at the hill at the vulture feeding station, Studen Kladenets.
152.	Cetti’s Warbler	Common along the coast. Some birds showed well.
153.	Savi’s Warbler	A few heard in the Burgas area; birds seen at Shabla Lake and Durankulak (scope views of a ringed bird).
154.	Sedge Warbler	Surprisingly little seen, with only a few birds seen and heard at Pomorie, Durankulak Lake and Shabla.
155.	Reed Warbler	Small numbers in coastal marshes, including a ringed bird at Durankulak.
156.	Paddyfield Warbler	Excellent views of a pair, with the singing male being very showy. A probable third bird was not seen well enough for a safe ID.
157.	Great Reed Warbler	Common along the coast, but fewer birds than last year.
158.	Eastern Olivaceous Warbler	Not as many as last year. Excellent scope views near Topolovgrad and at least three at Pomorie, Burgas.
159.	Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler	Two seen very well and one more heard singing behind the visitor's centre at Studen Kladenets.
160.	Chiffchaff	Several heard and seen at various places, but not common.
161.	Goldcrest	Two near Trigrad.
162.	Firecrest	Commonly heard and a few seen around Trigrad.
163.	Spotted Flycatcher	Only a few, all in the northeast.
164.	Collared Flycatcher	An excellent male was seen at the Bolata valley, though unfortunately it was a leader-only.
165.	Semi-collared Flycatcher	A pair and a nest found at the more open part of Goritza forest; at least three pairs (with four females) at the traditional site in Goritza; several seen and heard at the Baltata Reserve, Albena.
166.	Great Tit	Common throughout.
167.	Blue Tit	Small numbers throughout.
168.	Coal Tit	Several in the western part of the Rhodopes, around Trigrad.
169.	Marsh Tit	A pair at Trigrad.
170.	Sombre Tit	A pair seen well next to the small settlement at Studen Kladenets; another bird near the dam at Studen Kladenets; a nest with an adult bird found in the higher, more open parts of Goritza Forest.
171.	Long-tailed Tit	Several in the south and at the Baltata Reserve, Albena. A nest with chicks was found at Student Kladenets.
172.	Penduline Tit	Several in the Burgas area, including a splendid nest building male at Pomorie.
173.	Eurasian Nuthatch	Several in Goritza Forest.
174.	Rock Nuthatch	Distant, but good scope views near the village of Dolna Kula, Eastern Rhodopes, where a pair was found at a nest (I only saw one bird myself); two more old nests were found at this cliff.
175.	Wallcreeper	Cracking views of a pair at Trigrad gorge, sometimes as close as 10 m! As last year the pair was mostly seen right before the tunnel. Voted bird of the trip.
176.	Short-toed Treecreeper	Small numbers in suitable habitat (forests).
177.	Red-backed Shrike	Common throughout.
178.	Woodchat Shrike	Small numbers throughout. Woodchat Shrike, male, Studen Kladenets, Bulgaria, 3 May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)
179.	Lesser Grey Shrike	One at Studen Kladenets, two near Pomorie and about five birds in the northeast.
180.	Common Magpie	Seen daily in small numbers.
181.	Eurasian Jay	Seen in small numbers throughout, mainly in forested areas.
182.	Jackdaw	Common throughout.
183.	Rook	One near Sofia airport and a colony seen en route.
184.	Hooded Crow	Small numbers seen daily.
185.	Common Raven	Small numbers seen in the mountainous areas.
186.	Common Starling	Common throughout.
187.	Golden Oriole	Golden Orioles were seen and heard daily. Best observation was of four birds perched in an open field (!) near Shabla.
188.	House Sparrow	Good numbers seen daily in urban areas.
189.	Tree Sparrow	Small numbers seen daily.
190.	Spanish Sparrow	Seen on most days, but local. Moves around in flocks.
191.	Chaffinch	Common in forests.
192.	Linnet	Only seen in the southern part of the country, in very small numbers.
193.	Serin	Small numbers seen only in the western part of the Rhodopi Mountains, mainly around Trigrad.
194.	European Goldfinch	Common throughout.
195.	European Greenfinch	Seen throughout, but local.
196.	Hawfinch	Small numbers in open forests throughout. Common at the higher part of Goritza Forest.
197.	Reed Bunting	The very interesting, large-billed ssp. caspia occurs in Bulgaria. Surprisingly scarce this year, with only a few seen in the northeast.
198.	Ortolan Bunting	Two singing birds - of which one was seen - near Studen Kladenets.
199.	Yellowhammer	Two seen and one heard at the higher, more open part of Goritza Forest.
200.	Cirl Bunting	Small numbers in the Eastern Rhodopes.
201.	Black-headed Bunting	Far less common than last year, with only small numbers seen throughout, e.g. at Kaliakra. Black-headed Bunting, male, Kaliakra, Bulgaria, 6 May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)
202.	Corn Bunting	Common throughout.
	out of competition:
	Feral Pigeon	Common in urban areas.

 

 

NB during the trip several unidentified bats were seen

Grass Snake, 2nd cy, Studen Kladenets, Bulgaria, 2 May 2010 (© Vincent van der Spek)