Bulgaria Spring 2023 Day Three- Local mega

Another great day with a strange twist. Live trip report HERE. I found (joint found) a 5th for Bulgaria today in Kamen Bryag but a couple of hours after I put the news out Pavel let me know that he had photographed the same bird this morning. I heard what I thought was a rare bunting ticking yesterday evening and the bird has presumably been around the village for some of the winter.  

I started the day off at the Cape again, the highlights were a couple of Ortolans, a Monty's, a couple of Long-legged Buzzards over the Steppe and a Firecrest, I've not seen Firecrest on the Cape before. 

After lunch I spent a little bit of time on the plot clearing some ground vegetation around the trees we planted and I did a quick vegetation survey. 

In the evening I went to Shabla Lakes and Shabla Tusla where since yesterday new birds in included a Greater Flamingo, Grey Plovers, full summer plumage Spotted Redshanks and a few more Curlew Sands.

In the evening I had Nightjar flying round the plot back at Kamen Bryag. 

Little Bunting- only the 5th record for Bulgaria

Can't get enough of the Cape Kaliakra Pied Wheatears

A couple of interesting ficedula flycatcher- presumably a first-summer male Pied above (with a very contrasting rump) and a female Collared (below) . Will do a separate post on the ficedulas as some very interesting birds around. 

Seems to be a good year for Squacco Herons

Male Whinchat 

Curlew Sands

Greater Flamingo 

Our Nightingale on the plot that sings day and night 

White Wagtail 

After birding the Cape I spent a bit of time looking at the plants on the Steppe habitat- found some Lady's Orchids with the usual stunning Spring steppe plants such as the Fern-leaved Peony (above)