BULGARIA SPRING 2021 Day One

 I finally arrived on the Black Sea coast today at our project location following what Dimiter described as Apollo space mission logistics.  It was touch and go all the way (so many new covid and brexit regulations) but luckily we ticked all the boxes and for as long as Bulgaria doesn't go red, all should be okay. After leaving home at 530pm yesterday, I arrived here at about 1pm and headed straight out, first to check the surveys markers we recently carried out on our plot and then did a bit of birding along the coast at the archaeological site. Ebirds lists HERE and HERE. 

Male Pied Wheatear- pairs are dotted all along the coast here 

Calandra Lark- a few pairs along the coast nearby 

Must still be a bit early as there weren't too many migrants about- a couple of Redstarts (above) and a single Pied Flycatcher (below), Whinchat and a few other bits but overall it seems very quiet - I should have just gone to Portland! 

Spanish Sparrow - first day photo before I get bored of them 

Yaylata Archaeological Reserve - where history meets natural history. A stunning area with cave churches, prehistoric settlements, Roman fort all set within Bulgarian karst. 

I am pretty ill-equipped to deal with the botany out here (I concentrated on bringing over moth trapping and sound recording equipment) but the botany was stunning in the reserve. My possibly dodgy plant identification app (PlantNet) said this was Dwarf Iris (above), with King's-spear everywhere and also I zapped Beggary and Christ Thorn. 

King's Spear Asphodeline lutea (above and below)