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Bulgaria in Spring
Rhodope Mountains & Black Sea

Wednesday 13 - Friday 22 May 2009 (10 days)

Though now a member of the EU, Bulgaria remains one of the least visited corners of Europe. The birdlife here is outstanding and this beautiful country is rightly recognised as one of the continent's most exciting birding venues. Flanked by the Black Sea to the east and the broad sweep of the mighty River Danube in the north, not only do huge numbers of migrants funnel up through Bulgaria each spring but the abundant birdlife has a definite 'eastern' flavour.

Our tour begins amid the picturesque alpine meadows and conifer-clad slopes of the Rhodope Mountains, close to the Greek frontier. Firecrests, Serins and Pallid Swifts can be found right outside our hotel and we shall make a special effort to find Wallcreeper in a dramatic limestone gorge that's also home to Nutcracker, Alpine Swift and Crag Martin. Aside from the birds, these lovely hills are simply brimming with plants and butterflies.

Moving east into the foothills, we enter a region famed for its birds of prey including Black Vulture, Long-legged Buzzard and Eastern Imperial Eagle. Black Storks nest on the cliffs, with Western Rock Nuthatches nearby; Chukars chuckle as they forage amongst the crags while, on the valley floor, White Storks share their nests with noisy Spanish Sparrows. Heading on towards Burgas, the roadside wires can be peppered with Black-headed Buntings, Bee-eaters and Lesser Grey Shrikes, while extensive oak woodlands are home to regional specialities such as Lesser Spotted Eagle, Masked Shrike, Eastern Orphean, Eastern Bonelli's and Olive-tree Warblers and that lovely songster, Ortolan Bunting.

Of international standing, wetlands along the Black Sea coast hold the promise of White Pelican, Ruddy Shelduck and Pygmy Cormorant. Inland, thickly wooded valleys and rugged limestone hills are the haunt of Levant Sparrowhawk, Middle Spotted Woodpecker and Semi-collared Flycatcher. May also offers exciting opportunities to find migrating waders at the coast, before our route swings back inland, across the rolling steppe of Dobruja, to the fertile valley of the Danube. Here, wonderful Lake Srebarna is a World Heritage Site, of immense importance for its colony of majestic Dalmatian Pelicans. After a final night spent in the pretty wooded hills at Etara, we return to Sofia.

Full of eastern promise (and with some surprisingly good local wines!), this spring tour is sure to surprise and delight. Past highlights have included several species for which Bulgaria generally represents the westernmost limit of their world ranges - among them Pied and Isabelline Wheatears, Paddyfield Warbler and even Rose-coloured Starling.

Price: £ 1,395
Single supp.: £ 95
Deposit: £ 300 per person

The price is per person, and is fully inclusive of scheduled return flights London-Sofia, with meals on-board as appropriate, all accommodation, meals, coach or minibus transport, entrance fees, tips to driver and local guide/s, airport taxes, map, bird checklist and services of the leader/s.

The price excludes travel insurance, drinks and other personal expenses.

This trip will be operated in conjunction with Limosa Holidays.

Leaders: Peter Kennerley & local guide

Itinerary:
Days 1 - 2
We take a morning flight from London to Sofia. We're met on arrival this afternoon by Milen, our local guide, and are soon travelling east through rolling farmland, where the likes of White Stork, Hoopoe, Crested Lark and Red-backed Shrike provide a gentle introduction to Balkan birdlife. Turning south into the lovely Rhodope Mountains, close to the border with northern Greece, the alpine resort of Pamporovo will be our base for a two-night stay.

The conifer-clad slopes at Pamporovo provide a scenic backdrop for a pre-breakfast stroll. Serins 'serinade' us right outside our windows, whilst Firecrest, Crested Tit, Crossbill, Black Redstart and Pallid Swift can also be found around our hotel. A particular highlight of our stay here is the splendid Trigrad gorge, an area that until recent times was out of bounds to both foreigners and Bulgarians alike. Following the course of the fast-flowing river, the spectacular valley gradually narrows into a steep-walled chasm. We have good chances of seeing the elusive Wallcreeper here, flirting its wings like a big crimson-winged butterfly. Crag Martins and Alpine Swifts nest amidst the sheer cliff faces, whilst Dippers bob and flirt by the river way below. As we search the montane meadows above the gorge for the often elusive Nutcracker, Grey-headed Woodpecker and Rock Bunting, we will no doubt be distracted by a number of interesting butterflies including Scarce Swallowtail, Eastern Wood White, Berger's Clouded Yellow and Black-veined White.
Two nights Pamporovo.

Day 3
The eastern Rhodope Mountains are well known as one of Europe's most important regions for birds of prey. We'll be hoping especially for the rare Eastern Imperial Eagle and immense Black Vulture, and the presence of a well-stocked feeding-station attracts Egyptian and Griffon Vultures, too. Black Storks nest on the cliff faces above the Krumovitza River, with Western Rock Nuthatches nearby. Chukars chuckle as they forage amongst the crags alongside handsome Eastern Black-eared Wheatears. In the valley bottom, Bee-eaters, Rollers, Hoopoes, Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes, Cirl and Black-headed Buntings and Golden Orioles add a little glamour to the birding, especially when the delightful songs of both Nightingale and the Woodlark can be heard in the background. There are plenty of species of more subtle attraction too, including Eastern Orphean, Eastern Olivaceous and Barred Warblers and Sombre Tit. Aside from the birds, these lovely mountains are rich in wildflowers and butterflies, including the localised Eastern Festoon. After dinner there will be a chance of spotlighting tiny Scops Owls, which begin to call as darkness falls.
Overnight Krumovgrad

Days 4 - 5
Heading towards Burgas, open cornfields may produce a pair or two of Montagu's Harriers whilst roadside wires can be peppered with Black-headed and Corn Buntings and Lesser Grey Shrikes. The main highway is amazingly traffic-free and passes through surprisingly extensive stretches of oak woodland - a habitat favoured by a number of elusive and sought-after regional specialities including Levant Sparrowhawk, Masked Shrike, Ortolan Bunting and Eastern Orphean, Balkan (Eastern Bonelli's) and Olive-tree Warblers. All being well, we should pick up our first Red-footed Falcons on our approach to Burgas.

Although Burgas is a major Black Sea town, its wetlands support a variety of birdlife matched by few other areas in Europe. Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Glossy Ibis and Spoonbill are among the breeding birds, with Black-winged Stilt and Ruddy Shelduck on the lagoons, and the massive shapes of White Pelicans to watch for as they coast overhead. Yellow-legged and Mediterranean Gulls are much in evidence and if we are lucky a lumbering White-tailed Eagle might flap heavily across the lake putting white-winged Ferruginous Ducks to flight.
Two nights Pomorie

Days 6 - 7
We spend the first part of the morning exploring the saltpans at Pomorie. Amidst the flocks of migrating waders which pause on their northbound journeys here, Ruff, Little Stint and Curlew Sandpiper look particularly attractive in full breeding plumage. By searching carefully we might be able to locate something rarer, such as Broad-billed Sandpiper or Red-necked Phalarope.

Leaving Pomorie, we travel north along the Black Sea coast towards Romania. It's a landscape of thickly wooded valleys and rugged limestone hills, the haunt of Lesser Spotted Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Icterine Warbler and other eastern delights. The forests shelter a healthy population of woodpeckers, with Grey-headed and the attractive Middle Spotted among those we could see today. Small numbers of Semi-collared Flycatchers also nest in these woodlands, adding challenge to what promises to be a memorable day.

Lake Durankulak is a mainly brackish lake that lies just a few kilometres south of the Romanian border. Spanish Sparrows breed in the foundations of the immense nests of White Storks, and the fringing reedbeds hold a small population of Paddyfield Warblers, a primarily Asiatic species nesting here at the westernmost limit of its range. Pygmy Cormorants add to the distinctly eastern flavour as we walk beside the lake, and we'll watch for Red-footed Falcons too.

Not far from Kavarna, the dramatic limestone cliffs of Cape Kaliakra are home to dashing Alpine Swifts and the smart Pied Wheatear, the latter yet another species at the westernmost edge of its range. If we are lucky, we might find a fiery-eyed Eagle Owl watching us from a cliff ledge.

Inland, the sky above the rolling steppe is full of glorious lark song, mostly exalted by slowly-flapping Calandra Larks in their bat-like display. This habitat also attracts Isabelline Wheatears and parties of dazzling Rose-coloured Starlings, which occur during their periodic invasions from central Asia. Though their presence remains quite unpredictable, the sight of a flock of these striking black and pink birds would be a treat indeed!
Two nights near Kavarna

Day 8
Heading inland, we cross the rolling, cultivated steppe of the Dobruja to reach the extraordinarily rich valley of the Danube. Here, hemmed by a mosaic of forests, vineyards and steppe, wonderful Lake Srebarna is designated a 'World Heritage Site'. Of special importance for its colony of Dalmatian Pelicans - largest and rarest of the world's seven species of pelican - Srebarna's reedbeds also harbour a rich variety of other wetland birds. Smartly-dressed Black-necked Grebes attend their floating nests, spear-billed Purple Herons stalk fish and frogs in the shallows, and Penduline Tits wheeze asthmatically from the willows against a cacophony of warbler song that features Savi's, Marsh and the raucous Great Reed. As graceful Whiskered Terns and the occasional Black Tern drift back and forth above the open water, the sight of the gorgeous and very localised Large Copper will be an added delight for those who also have an appreciation of butterflies. Our accommodation tonight is at a small, friendly village hotel close by the River Danube and Srebarna lake.
Overnight Vetren

Day 9
We head west through the lush Danube lowlands close to the border with Romania. We'll pause to admire a colony of Bee-eaters and stop by an extensive area of reed-beds (formerly fish-ponds), a favoured haunt of Red-necked Grebe. Swinging south into the mountains, we'll spend our final night amid the lovely forested hills and meadows at Etara.

The museum-village of Etara is a replica of an 18th-century Bulgarian hill village. As we walk the flagged streets and admire the handicrafts being made by traditional methods, we shall also be looking out for Semi-collared Flycatchers, Dippers and Hawfinches which also live here. Not far away we shall make the Sokolski monastery our last port of call. We should find Sombre Tit, along with a range of woodpeckers including Middle Spotted, Lesser Spotted and the magnificent Black - and there is a good chance of hearing Corncrake in the nearby meadow.
Overnight Etara

Day 10
We leave Etara after breakfast and drive direct to Sofia. Bidding farewell to Milen at the airport, we board our afternoon flight back to London.

Accommodation: Comfortable, modern medium-grade hotels. All rooms en suite. Standards are improving rapidly, especially along the popular Black Sea coast. Inland, hotels are still largely off the tourist track, more simple but the best available.

Meals: All included in the price. Breakfasts and dinners at the hotels. Lunches will be usually picnics. Food (and local wine!) is good.

Walking: Easy. Short walks, on mainly good trails over easy-moderate terrain

Numbers: Max. 14 clients