Bulgaria, June 2025, Days Six and Seven

We spent the last two days of this trip in the Kamen Bryag area. Yesterday we started the day at Cape Kaliakra and then did the Balgarevo Steppe before heading back to Kamen Bryag and birding the steppe. In the evening I spent a wonderful dusk sitting by our pond watching the birds coming down to drink.

Today we first did the moths and the plot - there were 2 Green Sandpipers on our pond!. We then checked out Shabla Tusla before visiting Pavel at Durankulak and then it was time to head back home.

Alpine Swift at the Cape

Juvenile Isaballine Wheatear on the Steppe

Short-toed Lark on the Steppe

Male (above) and female (below) Black-headed Bunting

Red-rumped Swallows and House Martins

Lesser Grey Shrike

Turtle Doves by the pond

Corn Bunting at the pond

Golden Orioles near the pond

Barn Swallow in the pond. Great to see the hirundines coming down to drink and in the evening we watched the local Nightjars coming down to drink too- amazing sight! 

Bulgaria June 2025, Days Four and Five

We spent the last couple of days in Burgas with Dylan and Anton doing a bit of herping and birding. We mainly seached the Anasavoska area HERE and visited the ringing station this morning too.

A few photo highlights below.

Lesser Spotted Eagle- on the way back to Kamen Bryag

Dalmation Pelicans

Ruddy Shelducks with Common Shelduck

Adult summer Little Gull 

Stone Curlew- on the Balgarevo steppe on the way to Burgas

Bulgaria June 2025, Day Three

The plan today was to work on the plot, get the meadow strimmed and complete the pond by laying stones around the edge. As usual things didn't go to the plan, the water level in the pond had not dropped enough and the strimmer broke down again and it looks like will need to buy a new strimmer. In the afternoon we went to view a local caravan for sale which if the sale goes through will move onto our plot. 

Highlight of the day was a Laughing Dove at Balgerevo (a Bulgarian rarity but they bred locally last year for the first time) that flew over the road and then landed on a nearby roof- photo to come from Kojak. While we were trying to relocate the Laughing Dove, Anton and Dylan did a bit of herping and caught a nice Caspian Whip Snake. Unfortunately we are finding quite a few dead Caspians on the road, hopefully indicating a large local population. We also had a young Grass Snake which we released on the plot pond. While the boys were herping, Kojak and I did a bit of birding and had Short-toed and Booted Eagle, 12 Turtle Doves and White Stork. 

A few new moths last night (will post seperately on that later). 

I've been sleeping at night with the window open listening to the Nightingales which were joined last night by a churring Nightjar and Quails migrating overhead. Very dreamy sounds to fall asleep to.   

Finally managed to get a decent view of a Hoopoe this year after them being my Spring jinx bird

Female Pied Wheatear

Short-toed Eagle- another indication of good local snake populations

Booted Eagle

Caspian Whip Snake 

Eastern Grass Snake

The next stage of the pond creation is creating the stone edge- we moved this lot into position ready for final laying down when the water level has reduced a bit

Bulgaria June 2025, Day Two

It was mainly a faffing day today as we were supposed to be working on the plot but when we went to Kavarna to pick up the strimmer, that had been in for repairs since October- it still wasn't ready. We also had to order some stones for the pond and arrange delivery for tomorrow and then by the time the strimmer was ready to pick up most of the day had passed.

However the moth trap was brilliant this morning and Kojak and I got out and did a bit of birding and Kojak, Dylan and I had a walk round the steppe this evening. Birding highlights today included Quails singing on the Steppe, 4 Gull-billed Tern going south and a couple of nice close Red-footed Falcons. Ebird list HERE.

As we got out the cars by the guesthouse Anton spotted a stunning Horn-nosed Viper which was another highlight of the day. 

Hopefully tomorrow will be more productive work wise! The stimmer broke down this evening after 10 mins so need to take that back so not a great start already.

Have updated the plot's moths and butterflies i-naturalist project HERE . Now on 345 species for the plot. Project ebird hotspot now on 174 species HERE. We've added Gull-billed Tern, Mallard and Pygmy Cormorant to the hotspot list this trip so far. 

Giant Peacock Moth- great to get this on the project plot list

Orache moth

Pale Shoulder

Cardinal

Pale-shouldered Cloud

Synaphe moldavica

Calandra Lark

Golden Oriole

Horn-nosed Viper (above and below) 

Bulgaria June 2025 Day One

Our Spring trip to the Bulgaria project was delayed this year so Kojak and I arrived yesterday and Dylan and Anton arrived today for a week of conservation work, birding and herping.

Before the guys arrived Kojak and I did some birding round the village and filled up the wildlife pond and this evening we birded the steppe and set up the moth trap. 

Even though it's officially summer seems like there's still a few migrants around. Ebird list HERE. Highlights included 5 Red-footed Falcon, a flock of Pygmy Cormorant flying north (the first site record), Short-toed Eagle. Marsh Warbler singing at our plot and a Rose-coloured Starling over the steppe (the first time I've had one here). 

Background to this project HERE

One of our Turtle Doves on the plot 

Marsh Harrier being mobbed by the local Golden Orioles 

Black-headed Bunting 

Female Red-footed Falcon

Calandra Lark

Pied Wheatear

We had to fill up the pond. We last filled it in Octoebr. When we arrived the local Swallows were drinking from it and through the day we saw Hawfinch, Collared and Turtle Doves, Jay, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch, Linnet and Corn Bunting come down to drink - so its working as planned. It's also full of tadpoles and water beetles so seems to be colonising well. We missed the Spring migration this year so would have been interesting to know what migrants visited.