BULGARIA NEW DATES. Lower cost and discount price still available
Our previous autumn visits to Bulgaria have given us many unforgettable moments….
Following a huge flock of over 12,000 White Storks gently gliding from one thermal to the next; finding Rock Thrush, Eastern Olivaceous and Barred Warblers and Thrush Nightingale right outside our hotel one morning; seeing an Eleonora’s Falcon catch an Alpine Swift; being distracted by a flock of Levant Sparrowhawks close overhead whilst creeping up on an Olive-tree Warbler; counting migrating Yellow Wagtails as they came in off the sea – they were arriving at over 1000 per hour; to be en route to see Black-eared and Isabelline Wheatears when the call went up “Pallid Harrier” – we saw five males that morning, plus a Saker that flew past our lunchtime restaurant; we could go on.
Perhaps none of these events will be repeated exactly, but eight nights in the right place at the right time will certainly turn up sightings of equal quality.
Local breeding bird numbers peak at this time – high counts of Bee-eaters, Golden Orioles, Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes are the norm. Particularly interesting are the specialities, including Pied Wheatear and Paddyfield Warbler. Lakes attract flights of pelicans and storks, and we expect a good range of waders. Alongside the many common species, Red-necked Phalaropes, and Marsh and Broad-billed Sandpipers regularly appear.
The coast forms a major migratory flyway, from the Ukraine to Turkey, and the Bosphorus crossing point. We can expect Booted, Short-toed and Lesser Spotted Eagles; Honey, Steppe and Long-legged Buzzards and Goshawks whilst keeping an eye out for the scarcer raptors.
In addition to the birds there is plenty of other wildlife, and we have a good chance to see dolphins, Golden Jackal and some of Bulgaria’s 600 species of butterfly. There is a rich culture too, and some very pleasant wines and beers.
Roger will be joined by local professional naturalist Tihomir Stefanov, a council member of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, which we support through this tour.
BOURGAS AREA
We fly directly to Bourgas, and transfer to our nearby hotel. We will be based in the small seaside town of Sarafovo with migrants and Syrian Woodpeckers found close to the hotel. We have a wide choice of reserves and other top sites nearby, including the heronry at Poda, the lakes at Pomorie, Alepu and the Izvaska River. Four nights here will give us ample time to cover all the best areas at a relaxed pace, with a possible visit to the Dyulinski Pass, high up in the eastern Balkans.
The complex of wetlands around Bourgas, including the famous Lake Anatassovo, attracts a huge variety of birds at this time of year. The shallow lakes vary from freshwater to saline and so provide for different bird species. As well as Night, Purple and Squacco Herons, and Dalmatian and White Pelicans, we shall look for Gull-billed and all three marsh terns, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill and Ferruginous Duck. On the reedy fringes we can look for Great Reed, Marsh and Cetti’s Warblers, and both Bearded and Penduline Tits. The gathering flocks of Caspian, Yellow-legged, Slender-billed, Mediterranean and Little Gulls may hold something special such as Great Black-headed Gull.
There are wet meadows, bogs, low hills and oak woodlands in the nearby countryside which are good for a range of other birds including Lesser Spotted Eagle, Hobby, Woodlark and a host of interesting flycatchers and warblers. On Cape Emine we will no doubt bump into Sombre Tit and Rock Bunting whilst searching for Eastern Orphean Warbler and any lingering Olive-tree Warblers. The birds that could possibly turn up at this time, especially from further east, are simply too numerous to list.
This whole area is a magnet for migrants of all sorts, so we can spend some time at the known watch points and wait for the birds to come to us. We may also take a boat trip on one of the lakes.
On day five we will drive north, birdwatching along the way. We will explore the flooded forest and large sand dune complex around the Kamčia river mouth. This area is good for White-tailed Eagle, migrant passerines and resident woodpeckers, including Black, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. By moving bases we see more of the country and gain access to some different reserves and habitats.
Around Karvana the steppe land, rocky headlands and small marshes draw a wide range of birds. Steppe Eagle, Saker Falcon and Pallid Harrier have been seen here on several occasions, joining the regular passage migrants which include Red-footed Falcon, Honey and Steppe Buzzards, and White and Black Storks.
Our stay of three nights here will give us ample time to explore the best birding sites. Both Isabelline and the handsome Pied Wheatear prefer the dry steppe along with Stone Curlew, whereas Red-breasted Flycatcher, warblers, and many other passerines are best looked for in the small wooded valleys. Not to be missed are Lakes Sabla and Durankulak, two bird-rich sites on the coast which hold Little Bittern, Ferruginous Duck, Garganey, plus Savi’s and Paddyfield Warblers.
We will visit the dramatic Cape Kaliakra, where Yelkouan Shearwaters and Bottle-nosed Dolphins are frequently just offshore, and Eleonora’s Falcons patrol the cliffs for tired migrants. The restaurant here does a good lunch!
The dry steppe is dissected by deep narrow valleys. One such is the Bolata Valley, which is home to Pygmy Cormorant, herons and Eurasian Eagle Owl. Rose-coloured Starling often favours this section of the coast, as do Red-necked and Black-necked Grebes.
Partly because of traditional farming methods and partly due to the lack of hunting, lots of species can be easier to see in autumn in Bulgaria than elsewhere, including Goshawks, Turtle Doves, Hawfinches, Common Nightingales, Thrush Nightingales, and Cirl Buntings.
Breakfast will normally be taken at about 7.30 or 8am. Basic fitness is all that is required. Full days will be spent in the field with short/medium length walks. Any uphill sections will be taken at a sensible pace.
Full-board accommodation is provided with the five nights (four plus the last night) at the Lazuren Briag Hotel, Sarafovo, and three nights at the Yanitca Hotel, Karvana. They are good hotels and all rooms have en suite bathrooms. Packed lunches will be taken some days, on others we will have restaurant lunches.
PRICE INCLUDES …..
All birdwatching excursions with expert leader and local naturalist, full-board accommodation, soft drinks at meal times, all entrance fees, local transport by mini-bus, return flight to Varna, and flight and airport taxes.
Cost of travel insurance, payable at the time of booking. Items of a personal nature, alcoholic drinks, laundry.
Return flights from Manchester to Bourgas using the charter services of First Choice. Outbound flight departs in the late evening; return flight arrives back early morning.
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8 nights:
Principal leader:
Local guide:
Maximum group size:
Cost with discount (if you book before 16th June 2008):
Full Cost:
Single supplement:
Deposit:
Insurance premium:
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29th August to 6th Sept. 2008
Roger Barnes
Tihomir Stefanov
12 clients with one leader and a local guide
£1290 per person sharing NEW DATES. Lower cost and discount price still available
£1360 per person sharing
£120
£200
£26 due at time of booking (£39 for age 65 to 69) (£52 for age 70 and over)
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Long-legged Buzzard and Sombre Tit D. Gradinarov
Pygmy Cormorant C Nikolov