Bulgaria, October 2026, Days six and seven

It's been great living in the caravan for the last couple of days, literally walk out of the door into the action with plenty of vis-mig in the mornings. The first bird I saw yesterday morning as I opened the door was a Goshawk, a huge female, another local patch tick and it appeared later on in the day too. Highlights on the plot and a walk to the steppe HERE included two cracking Hen Harriers quartering the steppe,  8 Black Redstart, Tree Pipit, Red-throated Pipits, Wood Lark and a first-winter Northern Wheatear (that gave me the run around before I confirmed it wasn't something more interesting). The rest of the day yesterday was spent exploring some of the tourist spots for family stuff to do when we return next year with a visit to Albena and lunch at Balchik. 

Today was sadly our last day here and we had to pack up and head to Varna for an overnight at Campus 90 before a early flight tomorrow. The wind had swung round to the west more and despite the rain there was good vis-mig this morning HERE with 61 Rook, 1 Wood Lark, 20 Skylark, 153 (!) Mistle Thrush, 47 Song Thrush, 50 Redwing, 18 Blackbird, 14 Fieldfare, 4 Red-throated Pipit, 189 Chaffinch, 8 Brambling, 18 Hawfinch, 66 Siskin, 10 Yellowhammer, 14 Corn Bunting and a Serin (a patch tick) all moving south in the first couple of hours of the day. 

A great trip, we got loads done. Sadly I didn't get a chance to go to Cape Kaliakra and the rain was quite a challenge but the site is now ready to more or less live on. We celebrated another great family trip with a night out at the Happy in Varna and Jacob experienced his first sushi coma. 

Hen Harrier (above and below) 

I couldn't turn this into anything other than a first-winter Northern Wheatear

It's very difficult to capture vis-mig. Here a flock of Mistle Thrush. 

European Tree Frog- very vocal locally this trip. This one was found by Jacob at Albena.

There are voles everywhere and this Fox was fixated chasing them allowing a close approach

The moth trapping was good again last night, despite the rain, following a couple of lean cold nights. Will update seperately on the moths but here's a couple of lifers from last night. 

Thanks to Holly we now have running water, full electics and gas and toilet working in the caravan so are now officially 'living' there and even cooked our first meal. Holly and Isaac finally braved it and left the guesthouse yesterday for our first family night in our holiday 'home'. The whole plot is lit up at night by the moth traps. Good times. 

Bulgaria, October 2026, Days four and five

On Monday I did a bit of plot birding HERE with the highlight being a long overdue Yellow-browed Warbler for the project which was in Georgi's garden. I picked it up on call and then managed to tape it in and secure a few record shots. There was also a bit of vis-mig with good numbers of Yellowhammers, Hawfinches, Siskins, Bramblings and Chaffinches going over and also 8 Red-throated Pipits. The rest of the day we spent in Varna dropping Dylan off and dining at the Happy. 

Tuesday was a rain day, so we decided to sort out a few things in the caravan. In the afternoon we went to Durankulak to visit Pavel and he took us on beach safari at dusk to see the harrier roost HERE. The roost was increbible with an estimated 120 Marsh Harriers, 33 Hen Harrier and a male Pallid Harrier. There was also a Bittern, Ferruginous Ducks, Pygmy Cormorants and we flushed a Short-eared Owl off the track on the way back. 

Yellow-browed Warbler (above and below), Kamen Bryag. My 307th bird for Bulgaria HERE. Not showing yet on the local Ebird hotspot HERE but looks like the 193rd species for the site. Heard calling several times. 

Male Pallid Harrier at dusk, Durankulak

Incredible scenes at the harrier roost at Durankulak with 154 birds counted. I was at this roost last year in mid-October and we didn't see too many harriers and there were still a massive roost of Barn Swallows of which we didn't see any this year. Seems like a couple of weeks round here makes a very big difference. Considering it's not even peak time of year for this roost (in fact it is very early) it would be very interesting to know what the peak count here is this winter. 

Male Hen Harrier 

Bulgaria, October Half term 2026

After an overnight at Luton airport on Thursday night we arrived in Varna mid-afternon on Friday and collected some supplies, including Dylan and a new strimmer for the week. 

We have then spent the last two days working on the plot, building up the bank of the pond, strimming the meadow and fixing up the caravan. 

I managed to get in a bit of plot birding this morning HERE and also had the moth trap on last night. Birding highlights including Hen Harrier over the plot, good numbers of Hawfinches and Bramblings, Barn Owl over the road last night on the way back from the Mopko and a couple of Red-throated Pipits going over.

Juv Hen Harrier over the plot

Hawfinch in the plot

Flounced Chestnut was the highlight in the moth trap. All recent observations HERE. 

Jacob found this European Mantis while we were working on the meadow . Also lots of voles in the meadow and a couple of rats had decided to hibernate in our caravan gas cupboard and our tool box

The meadow before (above) and after (below) . We haven't been able to cut this for a couple of years due to mechanical problems but a new Husqvana stimmer has now saved the day. The aim is to generate a more species rich meadow. 

We've raised the level of the pond with the use of some sand bag bunds (above and below) 

The caravan is no almost liveable - our first 'dinner'. We have still been staying in the nearby Mamoza guesthouse while getting it all ready. Tomorrow Jacob and I move in! 

20 years of Corvo Birding, 2005-2024: Dutch Birding

Our new paper, 20 years of Corvo Birding, 2005-2024, with myself, David Monticelli, Vincent Legrand, Pierre-andre Crochet and Paul Dufour is published in the latest issue of Dutch Birding.  

Paddyfield Pipit Note Published Etc

I'm a bit behind with uploading published papers from this year so have added our note to Research Gate on the Paddyfield Pipit, a first for Oman that was published in the last issue of Dutch Birding. 

Full text can be read or downloaded HERE

Paddyfield Pipit on Masirah Island,Oman, in November 2025

Next up is our note on the first record of Lesser Striped Swallow for the Western Palearctic from Kuwait last year HERE

Lesser Striped Swallow at Al-Abraq, Kuwait in May 2025

We have a major paper published this month in Dutch Birding on 20 years of Corvo Birding which is exclusive to Dutch Birding readers at the moment so treat yourself to a subscription of Dutch Birding- the international journal of Western Palearctic birds - the literature epicentre of WP birding HERE. 

Easterlies

Vagrants and scarce migrants are bombarding the east coast with Rufous-tailed Robin, Black-faced Bunting, Isabelline Wheatear, Red-flanked Bluetail and loads more at Spurn yesterday and other vagrants elsewhere along the North sea coastline.

Meanwhile round here it's a long way from the action. There have been tens of thousands of Redwings on the move across the country (including along the east-west North and South Downs flyways)  but the best I could muster here was 31 over the garden on a Sunday morning skywatch HERE. Also had the autumn's first Fieldfare that day and my first 1000+ Woodpigeon day this autumn. 

Yesterday there wasn't even much in the way of garden vis-mig and it got down to 5 C at night in the north east airflow so nothing noteworthy in the moth trap either. A visit to Church Norton in the afternoon wasn't much better HERE with an increase in Brent Geese being the main observation. 

Today the north east wind was accompanied by heavy rain so with limited options I decided to do Selsey Bill from Hillfield Road carpark using the van as a hide. Mass migration was picked up over the North Sea from radars last night and indeed there was some passage of waterfowl off the bill HERE with 21 Brents, 5 Greylags, 5 Shelduck, 44 Wigeon, 38 Pintail, 277 Teal, 3 Common Scoter and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers mainly moving east. There was also a Red-throated Diver offshore and a few incoming passerines including a very frustrating probable Lapland Bunting that failed to call and also my camera wouldn't focus on it in the rain. 

With the rain still persisting I then went to Ferry hide to get some shelter there HERE. An increase in duck numbers there too with the first flock of Shoveler for the winter and more Wigeon too. 

A few more moths last night as the cloud keept the temperature a bit higher but nothing that noteworthy.

So basically the only fallout from this easterly invasion was the probable Lap Bunt - and we blew that too. The south coast in autumn is really not the place to be based- fortunately we are off to Bulgaria on Thursday. 

Juvenile Red-throated Diver (above and below) 

Ducks on the move in the murk 

Red-breasted Mergansers

Sandwich Tern

Green Brindled Crescent 

Back at the lodge and pigs on the wing

Unfortunately since I got back from Scilly I've been stuck working but I did manage to do a couple of hours vis-migging in the garden today HERE. It was actually pretty good with the first significant Woodpigeon movement of the year, plus good numbers of Stock Doves moving and a single Redpoll, Siskin, Reed Bunting, 6 Redwing, 8 Song Thrush and a garden record of 66 Skylarks over. There was also a Golden Plover and a Snipe.  

Before driving to London yesterday I got up at 4am to do the moths as it was a very mild night, the last mild night ahead of a cool period for the next few days. The traps had plenty of migrants in and some nice late autumn specialities. On the migrant front there were 2 Scarce Bordered Straws, 4 Vestals, Pearly Underwing, Palpita Vitrealis, Box-tree moth, a Diamond-back moth, 8 Rush Veneer, 4 Rusty Dots, 2 Small Mottled Willow, Angle Shades and quite a few Turnips and White-points.  

Woodpigeons on the move. 682 counted this morning.

Surprisingly there was also flocks of Stock Doves (rather than just the usual peppering of them within the Woodpigeons) with a garden record of 167 over.

Flame Brocade, Feathered Ranunculus and Merveille du Jour (above) and Barred Sallow (below)- what  a great time of year for great looking moths. Now on 567 for the year.