Bulgaria Spring 2021- Day two

Met up with Dimiter and Marina at dawn at Cape Kaliakra in rather cold April conditions. Apparently it's a late spring with many summer migrants delayed (confirming what I sensed yesterday).  We did some work in the middle part of the day at the plot and spent the afternoon/evening at Shabla Tsula Lake. Ebird lists for today HERE and HERE.

Highlights included large numbers of Yelkouan Shearwaters at sea, a flock of migrating Purple Heron, a flock of Greater Flamingo at Shabla Tusla and the coastal Steppe was absolutely stunning in full flower (will do a separate post on that later in trip) .

Greater Flamingos

Purple Heron on the move. The flock circled Shabla Tsula eventually landing in the reed bed

A flock of distant Black Terns with Little Gulls from Cape Kaliakra. A few more Black Terns, Black-throated Diver, Little and Mediterranean Gulls were trickling through today- heading north. 

Yelkouan Shearwaters

A nice comparison between a first-summer male Pied Wheatear and similarly aged male Northern Wheatear (above and below respectively), showing the brownish remiges, moult contrasts and irregularly marked upperparts which contrast with the jet black winged and clean looking adult males 

An adult Pied Wheatear for comparison 

A second-summer Baltic Gull

Flamingos again- one immature bird (fifth from left) showing a whiter plumage, grey based bill and duller coloured legs