Bulgaria in Spring

Raptor Hides, Wetlands and much more...

The subtle rosy hues of the attractive White Pelican are illuminated by the spring sunshine (János Oláh)

Sunday 22nd April - Sunday 29th April 2012
(8 days)
Leader: János Oláh
Group Size Limit: 5

Potential photographic highlights:

• Hide photography for vultures and other raptors
• Eastern Rhodopes scenery and flower photography
• White Pelicans on the Black Sea wetlands
• Opportunities to photograph other breeding and migrating species including Squacco, and Purple Herons, White-winged and Whiskered Terns, Kingfisher and Ortolan Bunting
• Delightful Souslik photography
• Semi-collared Flycatcher photography, a rare European species

 
This eight-day tour, focuses on the rich bird diversity and the beautiful scenery of the Eastern Rhodope Mountain and the Bourgas wetlands.

Our photographic action will begin in the Eastern Rhodopes Mountains, located in southern Bulgaria close to the border with Greece. The region hosts exceptional biodiversity – a result of the meeting of the Mediterranean and continental climates. Here, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds has feeding stations for raptors, and our photographic adventure will begin photographing from different hides where birds of prey come to feed on the carcasses put out for them. Here we will hope for plenty of activity from the hides, with potential species including three species of vultures – Griffon Vulture, Black Vulture and Egyptian Vulture as well as the possibility of other species which visit less regularly such as Eastern Imperial Eagle, White-tailed Eagle an Black Kite. An occasional Wolf or Red Fox may turn up at the feeding table too!
 
For the second part of the trip we will be based in Bourgas, a town on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast. On the way we will stop for a photo-session in the Sakar Hills using our fixed hide with a drinking pool for passerines, which we hope will include the rare and attractive Semi-collared Flycatcher, and we could also photograph Isabelline Wheatear and European Souslik from tent-hides.
 
The main focus in the area of the Bourgas wetlands will be the White Pelicans which are resident in the area, as well as herons, egrets and other shore-birds. From our hide we will have excellent opportunities to photograph White Pelican, Squacco, Black-crowned Night and Purple Herons, Little Egret, Common Kingfisher and Great Reed and Cetti’s Warblers and, if luck is on our side, Golden Jackal and Common Otter too. In the surrounding area we will spend some time stalking other species, depending on what is desired, but possibilities include Common, Sandwich, White-winged, Black and Whiskered Terns, whilst in the shallow lagoons we will have good chances to photograph shorebirds such as Marsh and Curlew Sandpipers (both in fine breeding plumage), herons and other wading birds by using tent-hides and camouflage covers. The breeding  Penduline Tit is another good target to photograph in this area.?

Itinerary

Day 1  The tour begins this afternoon at Sofia, from where we will transfer to the Eastern Rhodopes for a four nights stay.

Days 2 - 4  We will have three full days of photography allowing us to enjoy a variety of subjects in the Rhodope Mountains. The exact programme will be determined by the available subjects and the desires of the photographers, though everyone will have ample opportunity to enjoy the main focus: raptor hides for vultures.

Day 5  Drive to Bourgas on the southern Bulgarian coast, via the Sakar Hills for a three nights stay.
 
Days 6 -7  Two full days of photography around the Bourgas wetlands allowing us to enjoy a variety of subjects. We will use hides as well as stalking certain species if desired.
 
Day 8  Today we will return to Sofia.
 
Accommodation & Road Transport: The hotel is of a good standard. Road transport is by minibus and roads are good.

Walking: The walking effort is mostly easy to throughout, though there may be one or two slightly harder walks.

Climate: Many days are warm, dry and sunny, but cool, overcast weather with some rain is not unusual.

 

The globally threatened Black Vulture is an attractive visitor to the feeding stations (Mladen Vasilev)

It's possible to see three species of vultures at the feeding station, Egyptian, Black and Griffon Vultures (Mladen Vasilev)

The impressive Griffon Vulture is the most frequent visitor (Mladen Vasilev)

They (Griffon Vultures) often appear in good numbers (Mladen Vasilev)

The delightful European Sousliks are always photogenic (János Oláh)

As are the striking White Pelicans (János Oláh)