BULGARIA IN THE WINTER

one of the world’s great bird spectacles

The Red-breasted Goose is considered one  of  the  most  beautiful  birds in the whole  of  Europe,  but  it   is  rare   and difficult to see. For several years we have been trying to set up a tour to see not just the odd one, but almost the whole of the world population, because if we are going to make the effort we want to watch a good number. Is that possible? Our recce to Romania drew a blank despite long drives; it was a real wild goose chase!

We believe we now have the answer along the Dobroudja coastal plain of north-east Bulgaria. We will fly directly to this, their prime gathering area, at the best time of year and enrol plenty of local help to pin them down. With support from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (the RSPB equivalent) and the experienced local birding network we will be able to witness one of birdwatching’s prime spectacles. The fact that there are lots of other good birds available within easy reach will ensure that we enjoy an excellent winter break.

In addition to thousands of the globally threatened Red-breasted Geese, we will also search for the rare Lesser White-fronted Goose amongst the large flocks of White-fronted and Greylag Geese.

On the sheltered inshore waters of the Black Sea we can expect to find divers, up to five species of grebe, Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Mergansers and other wildfowl.

This is a very good time of year for a wide range of raptors and some of the woodland birds are easier to see without leaves on the trees. This holiday aims to provide enjoyment of wonderful winter landscapes, an increasingly rare sight in the UK of late, so do not forget your cameras.

ITINERARY

COASTAL DOBROUDJA

After our arrival in Varna we will go straight to our hotel in Kavarna, which will be our base for the next four nights. From here we will have three full days exploring this low-lying coastal area that is dotted with lakes, reedbeds, small woodland belts, sheltered bays, old-fashioned stubble and winter crop fields - all in all, the perfect wintering grounds for hundreds of thousands of geese. This corner of Bulgaria is a magnet for Red-breasted Geese in winter, and they are drawn here in their thousands. The highest-ever counts have approached 60,000 - in other words almost all the Red-breasted Geese in the world. These small geese are beautifully marked, rare and a privilege to see.

We will watch the sheer spectacle of massed ranks of wild geese flying between their grazing and roosting areas, but also use vantage points to get good views of the family parties feeding, without causing them disturbance.

We will visit lakes at Durankulak and Shabla, where the geese traditionally gather and which consequently attract White-tailed Eagles. Great Black-headed Gull, Great Bittern and the magnificent Greater Spotted Eagle also winter here regularly, and a few Ruddy Shelducks can usually be found.

The more open areas provide hunting opportunities for Rough-legged and Long-legged Buzzards, and it can be interesting to compare the two species.

We will also visit a remaining part of the once vast Great Steppe, on the cliff-top plain at Cape Kaliakra. This special habitat is a winter home to Merlins, occasional Hen Harriers and flocks of Calandra Larks. Peering down the cliffs we will search for Shags of the Mediterranean form, wintering wildfowl and patrolling Peregrine Falcons. That little gem, the Wallcreeper, winters here some years, away from the sites where we always find it in spring. Our local contacts will let us know if there have been any recent sightings.  We will also visit a regular spot for the impressive Eurasian Eagle Owl, as they use the same roosting site all year round.

The sea bays are worth checking for inshore Black-throated and Red-throated Divers plus Great Crested, Red-necked, Slavonian, Black-necked and Little Grebes - a good identification exercise! Red-breasted Mergansers are quite common too, appearing alongside other sea-duck including Smew, Common Goldeneye, and Common and Velvet Scoters.

KAMCHIA

On our fifth day we will drive south along the coast, but with a couple of birdwatching stops. One is a small wetland where Moustached Warbler is regularly found in the reedbeds, and where Pygmy Cormorant is just one of the water birds.

Another is a riverine woodland that has proved good for woodpeckers: it holds Black, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers in some numbers. We should see Syrian Woodpecker several times during the week as it is a common village and garden bird.

In fact many of the woodlands on the coast and in the nearby foothills are good for other birds of interest to us – for instance Hawfinch and Short-toed Treecreeper are both common.

Throughout the week we will check any woodland edges for Green Woodpecker, Sombre Tit and Cirl Bunting, and overhead for Goshawk.

The fields and hedgerows will be worth scanning for all the common winter finches and thrushes, and wetland edges for Penduline Tits.

BOURGAS AREA

The lakes in the Bourgas region are home to a bird diversity and abundance of international importance, which has led to them being designated as Ramsar sites.

We will spend three nights based in the small seaside town of Sarafovo, enabling us to easily reach the best areas.

White-headed Ducks gather at their traditional winter site of Lake Vaya at this time of year, sometimes in surprisingly large numbers for such a rare bird. Dalmatian and a lesser number of White Pelicans are resident here, where the hundreds of wintering Mute Swans are frequently supplemented by flocks of Whoopers and a few Bewick’s.

Birdwatching around Lake Mandra, Pomorie saltpans, Poda Reserve and the more famous Atanassovso wetlands will give us more chances for Great Bittern, Black-crowned Night-herons, Great White Egrets, Ferruginous Ducks, and Bearded and Penduline Tits. There is also the possibility of seeing a Golden Jackal; we have had great views on previous visits.

The gulls on this coast are mostly Caspian, with smaller numbers of Yellow-legged, Slender-billed and Mediterranean Gulls. Raptors can be numerous too, so we will keep an eye out for more White-tailed Eagles, Common, Long-legged and Rough-legged Buzzards, Marsh Harriers, Peregrines and Goshawks.

If that is not enough to keep us entertained we can easily reach the forests of the eastern Balkan Mountains from here, and they hold that specialist of ancient woodland, the White-backed Woodpecker.

On our last day we will head back to Varna for the flight home, birdwatching at choice stops along the route.

PACE

Breakfast will be taken at about 7.30am or 8.00am most mornings, perhaps slightly earlier on a couple of days, to see the morning flights of geese. Basic fitness is all that is required. Birdwatching excursions will be made with short/medium length walks on the flat. Visits to the uplands may involve a little uphill walking at a sensible pace.

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD

Full-board accommodation is provided with four nights in the Hotel Venus in Kavarna, and three nights at the Lazuren Briag Hotel in Sarafovo. All rooms have en suite bathrooms. Packed lunches will be taken some days, with restaurant lunches on others. 

PRICE INCLUDES …..

All birdwatching excursions with expert leader and local guide, full-board accommodation, soft drinks at meal times, return flights, local transport by mini-coach and airport taxes.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED

Our optional travel insurance, payable at the time of booking. Items of a personal nature, alcoholic drinks, laundry.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS

Return flights from London Gatwick to Varna using the scheduled services of British Airways. Outbound flight departs late morning; return flight arrives back early evening. Shuttle flights are available on this tour for £70 return (due at time of booking), from Manchester and other regional airports.

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