Bulgaria:
Black Sea Coast
Day 7; Sun. 3 Oct Another still, warm and sunny start.
After an 08:00 breakfast we loaded baggage into the vehicle and bade farewell
to our most agreeable hotel with extremely genial host and were on our
way by 09:10. Traveling north a visit was made to Nessebar, an ancient
town on a rocky island connected to the mainland by a man-made causeway.
It was the perfect time for a visit, the days invasion of tourists having
not yet started and shopkeepers just opening up for trade. It was a most
enjoyable experience to wander the narrow streets and see the old architecture,
much of it of wooden construction. And there was even time to sit down
at an open cafe for a leisurely T/coffee. On returning to the vehicle
the visitors were arriving in force, an aged busker in traditional dress
produced wailing sounds from his bag pipes, and the towering form of Pavel
- binoculars directed towards the heavens -stood out above the crowd.
He eagerly greeted us with the latest report on raptor passage so, without
further ado, we headed off up the road for 'Sombre Tit Hill' to hopefully
witness the late morning lift-off of birds from their roosts. A party
of hunters had apparently arrived earlier, so we were advised not to enter
the area where our Sombre Tit had been seen on Day 4. But we didn't need
to leave the parking area because large gatherings of Common Buzzards
and Lesser Spotted Eagles already manifested in the skies all around.
Birds that had roosted locally lifted on the soar and sometimes vanishes
up into the clouds, while others arriving from further north emerged gliding
in lines from patches of cloud. These were by far the best views of the
tour, presenting particularly good opportunity to analyse identifying
features. The accompanying entourage included about 40 Short-toed Eagles,
Marsh Harriers, a single Spotted Eagle and Booted Eagle. Among other birds
there were several Dalmatian Pelicans and a flight of Black Storks.
In a cafe at the location we befriended a tame Roe Deer with a passion
for grapes, before continuing our journey north at 12:30. Reaching the
village of Banja we pulled in for lunch at a roadside cafe, arranging
chairs outside so as not to miss out on passing birdlife. A short way
on we took the road to Irakli, which ultimately leads to Cape Emine. Travel
along the badly pitted road was slow but good for birdwatching. Surrounding
scrub cover was well populated with small passerines, a Middle Spotted
Woodpecker being the first to catch our attention. It flew into a Crab
Apple tree, settling to present us with excellent views as it dined on
the fruit. During a stroll up the road we also saw a Goshawk, Green Woodpecker,
Redstart, Black Redstart, Red-breasted and Spotted Flycatchers, Sombre
Tit, Lesser Whitethroat and, briefly, an Icterine Warbler.
Soon after taking the spur road for the cape a Weasel crossed the track,
darting back and fourth from Bramble cover. A short way on a mammal of
'major' status crossed the track - a Lesser Mole-rat. As the animal is
blind and tailless and rather rectangular in shape, the question of which
is the head and which is the tail only becomes obvious when it moves (bearing
this in mind it would be inadvisable to apply the kiss-of-life to an injured
specimen!). Towards coastal cliffs an eye was kept open for Rock Buntings
(not seen), but three more Sombre Tits - heard as well as seen - were
most worthwhile. A flat-calm sea surface was perfect for sea-watching,
producing several Black-necked Grebes on the water surface and 50 Grey
Herons, five Great Egrets, five Red-breasted Mergansers and a Common Tern
flying by. Of diverse interest we also found Marbled White, Clouded Yellow,
Peacock, Painted Lady and Grayling butterflies. The grand finale to the
day, and indeed the tour, however, manifested in the form of more mammals.
Firstly a Harbour Porpoise was spotted then several others, an estimated
ten in all. Further out three Bottlenose Dolphins appeared, and soon afterwards
three Common Dolphins, the latter occasionally breaching. A single Bottlenose
and three Common Dolphins, one with calf alongside, next appeared very
close to shore. The viewing was exceptional, prolonged and under superb
light and sea conditions.
At 18:00 we departed the cape during the warm light of the evening and
headed for Varna arriving at 20:00. After checking in to our hotel we
went out to a charming restaurants for an excellent last evening meal
together, accompanied by liberal toasts of Rakia to just about every bird,
mammal, person and event we could think of.
Day 8; Mon. 4 Oct. 06:00 reveille, departure for the
airport at 06:30 (arriving 07:00). After bidding our farewells to Pavel
we boarded our flight which took off more or less on time at 08:45, arrival
in Sofia 09:30.
We were duly met there by local bird guide Nyckola, arranged at short
notice by Pavel late last night, who took us up the mountain of Vitosha
about 20 kms south of the city centre. Steadily ascending through mixed
forests we finally arrived at the 6000' level, towards the top of the
conifer zone (mainly spruce). Parking at a skiing centre, largely devoid
of people this time of year, we took a walk along a track in search of
Nutcrackers. The temperature was really quite chilly compared with the
heat at city level. A briefly glimpsed Red Squirrel primed our walk, the
distinctive flight silhouettes of Nutcrackers first showing as we emerged
into a broad open area. Brief fly-by glimpses were soon followed by birds
perched atop spruces. There were in fact a lot of Nutcrackers about. At
the forest fringe a Bullfinch and flock of Crossbills flew in, disclosed
by diagnostic 'chipping' calls. Several minutes of viewing these was followed
by sighting of another Red Squirrel, seen exceptionally well - a distinctly
dark individual compared to those we're familiar with in the UK. Back
at the ski centre Coal Tits, Goldcrests, a Dunnock, two male Black Redstarts
and a Black Woodpecker were seen, and a Raven heard, thereby concluding
a most rewarding and unexpected mornings bird watching - an encore no
less.
Back at the airport for 13:30 we checked in for our scheduled 15:05 flight
which took off at 15:30, arriving at London Heathrow 16:30 thereby concluding
the tour.
Notes/Comments I think we all knew it would be a good tour but it has to be said that it exceeded all expectations on the bird scene, with an outstanding tally of exactly 180 species recorded in seven days. Although we had hoped for a few sightings of nocturnal mammals, of the eleven species seen the three cetaceans on our last afternoon were quite memorable. Red-footed Falcons in their hundreds on power lines, Lesser Spotted Eagles pouring out of the clouds and Lesser Mole-rat (the eagles, and not the Mole-rat, were pouring out of the clouds!) are items s that I personally enjoyed, not forgetting the Sombre Tit which was a new bird for everybody including Cliff - it's always a challenge to find a new bird for Cliff. Just about every day ended with a memorable wildlife event. Wildlife aside, I'm quite sure that locational content, visits to some very special environments, comfortable well-located hotels, good food and good company are collective ingredients that also weigh importantly into final appraisal of the adventure. Ultimately the overall experience could not have been so full and rewarding without the great expertise and tireless efforts of our guide and driver Pavel Simeonov, whose unerring sharp-eyed vigilance ensured that we didn't miss a thing . . . and whose no-nonsense-don't-easily-suffer-fools approach to traffic situations instilled the greatest of confidence.
DAVID KENT
GREAT GLEN WILDLIFE
ADDRESS: SHERREN, HARRAY, ORKNEY KW17 2JU, SCOTLAND UK
TEL 01856 761604
e-mail davidkent@onetel.com