We started the day off at Cape Kaliakra. There had been a sudden change in the weather with a moderate north wind blowing and temperatures plummeting overnight. It more or less put the knackers on vis-mig with only 52 species HERE and not many highlights. Black Stork was new for trip and the Sardinian Warblers (we've had up to 5 on the peninsula) were showing again.
In the afternoon we met up with Pavel at Lake Durankulak and had the usual fun 4 x 4 safari across the reserve. A more respectful 68 species HERE with some nice highlights including Dalmation Pelican, Pygmy Cormorants, Merlin, Purple Herons and a frustrating locustella warbler on the beach that flew out of shin-high vegetation into the reeds at dusk. Pavel had seen the same bird a few days before and it was so close to him feeding on the ground that he couldn't focus his camera on it. Either a Grasshopper Warbler or one of it's more exciting eastern counterparts. The bird of the trip either way as Gropper is a vagrant to the region too.
Ebird trip report HERE
Male Sardinian Warbler- I've not recorded these on previous Spring and Autumn trips in this area. There are several records in the late autumn from the Cape on Ebird and the Birds of the World distribution map show this area as the northern limits of it's range in this region.
Firecrest- a few Goldcrests and a couple of Firecrests
A rather drab Chiffchaff, presumably something along the trisits cline. Didn't hear it call.
A standard Chiffchaff- there were good numbers of these, according to our Ebird trip report we had 128 in total, but despite intensive searching and checking we couldn't find a Yellow-browed. Was hoping sprites might be under-recorded in this region (a Pallas's was caught at Chituc to the north this week and a Dusky was caught at Agigea too while a Radde's was found in Cyrpus) but apart from the one Pavel found and we dipped it really doesn't look like they are numerous on the Black Sea coast from our small soiree. Maybe they really do go further north across the Taiga belt towards north west Europe and Britain and are genuinally rare in Eastern Europe despite the logical presumption.
There were still a few Willow Warblers around. We certainly picked up the tail of the earlier autumn migration with Alpine Swifts (below), Red-backed Shrike, Red-breasted Flys, Common Redstarts, Hoopoe, Nightjar, White and Black Storks, Osprey, Honey Buzzard, Black Kite, Barn Swallows, Tree and Red-throated Pipits amongst the hoards of Chaffinches and late autumn migrants
We had several groups of Alpine Swifts which were always at considerable height implying they were migrating and not feeding
Sparrowhawks were on the move with up to 20 birds
Pygmy Cormorant- as usual they were pretty numerous in the reeds around Durankulak
Ferruginous Duck- the only one we had
Dalmation Pelican- not a bad one to get in this area but they breed on the Danube to the north and winter at Burgas to the south
Quite a bit of wildfowl migration going on offshore with hundreds of Pintail and Shoveler - surpisingly we didn't see any evidence of this off Cape Kaliakra but it was a constant feature from Shabla north implying birds were moving further off shore
Little Rings and Dunlin- was quite surprised to find these plovers presumably wintering birds
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