Bulgaria Day 12

Today (3rd June) was our second day with Nikolay. We over nighted at a forest lodge near the Sakar Hills and then spent the day in the area checking various spots. I kept Ebird running all day in the general area HERE with 60 species recorded including Olive-tree and Eastern Bonelli's Warbler and Eastern Black-eared Wheatear. 

Nikolay lead us to a nice selection of butterflies, dragonflies and orchids with the highlight being two Bavius Blues at a site they are unrecorded from- a lifer for our guide and only 3 previous observations on 1-Nat for Bulgaria HERE .

Also several other butterfly lifers today. Slowly 'collecting' more of the Bulgarian butterflies, now on 70 species for the country HERE 

Bavius Blue

Tiny Tiger Blue- such a good looking butterfly

Blue Argus

Osiris Blue

Mazarine Blue

Balkan Zephyr Blue

Silver-studded Blue

Orbed Red Underwing Skipper

Oberthur's Grizzled Skipper

Yellow banded Skipper

Lesser-spotted Fritillary

Southern White Admiral (with Nine-spotted Moth in background)

The Odalisque, male (above) and female (below)

Eastern Spectre

Turkish Goldenring 

Southern Darter

Scarce Merveille du Jour was the highlight of the moth trap at the forest lodge

Horned Orchid

Anacamptis palustris elegans

Juvenile Woodlark road casualty . We also had a dead Blotched Snake on the road.