Bulgaria, July 2023, Days Three and Four

An interesting couple of days and I'm getting into a routine. Who doesn't like a routine? So I'm starting the days at around 6am going through the moth trap and then doing a bit of birding on the plot. By around 1030 its getting hot (around 30 C highs during day and staying around the 20 C mark for the nights with high humidity) so it's then back to the hotel to sort through the pics and identifications. The hottest part of the day it's lunch at the Mopko in Balgarevo and maybe a visit into town (Kavarna) to get supplies if I need them and then after 4pm I'll do a walk through the village and onto the Kamen Bryag Steppe and Coastline. I discovered a new route down to the sea yesterday, a bit treacherous but should be nice and private- just one diver down there yesterday.  By around 6pm its back to the plot for a BBQ, evening birding and setting up the moth trap and I usually wait for the Nightjar to start churring before I go to bed. I was up around midnight yesterday checking the moth trap after I abandoned sleeping in the tent as needed to go back to the hotel for the toilet (getting a toilet here is definitely the next priority).

I'm on my own this trip so mainly enjoying the solitude and peace with the odd bit of loneliness. It was nice to meet up with Pavel on Tuesday who came to look for the Eagle Owls (unfortunately we couldn't re-find them). Dimiter is coming to the site tomorrow so looking forward to that and I'm getting by with nodding and smiling at the guesthouse owners who speak zero English. My neighbours George and Yana speak some English and it was nice visiting their plot yesterday, an abandoned house and large garden where they are living in a caravan and tent and organic farming. It's quite an eclectic little village with some large posh modern houses (city slickers holiday homes), deserted hotels and restaurants, some nice hotels and a single open restaurant (Tango) some hippy commune like places (campervans and caravans), a thriving art studio and a shrine to John Lawton!   

A few picture highlights of last couple of days below.    

Dew drenched Golden Oriole scrambling at the sight of the Roller 

Golden Oriole v European Roller dog fight (above and below) 

Turtle Dove- 3-4 territories on the plot and vicinity

Male Golden Oriole- at least two or three pairs on and near the plot 

Juvenile Syrian Woodpecker 

Lesser Grey Shrike and Turtle Dove 

Female Pied Wheatear- some birds have been getting in the village with one female actually visiting our plot this morning 

A couple of Hairstreaks to identify- Black (above) and White-letter (below) maybe? 110723 update- both of these are Blue-spot Hairstreak . As all my luggage was taken up by the moth trap I couldn't bring any books with me. Other butterflies on the plot include Marbled Fritillary, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Meleager's Blue, Small Copper, Marbled White (lots), Painted Ladies, Meadow Browns, Brimstone, Large and Small White, Large and Essex Skipper, Mallow Skipper, Wall Brown, Scarce Swallowtail and Small Heath. 

Surprisingly (for me) the moth trap has been dominated by micro lepidoptera with not many macros and particularly not many noctuids. One of the more striking micros pictured above (yet to id). The only Hawkmoth species so far is Oak Hawkmoth with up to four a night. Update 110723- maybe Ruby Aristotelia moth? 

The most abundant noctuid in the trap are Parahypopta caestrum

Guernsey Underwing - one of few noctuid species on offer . Also Clancy's Rustics, Scarce Bordered Straw, L-album Wainscot

Spotted Sulphur

The stunning Phtheochroa procerana

Plumed Fan-foot I believe - actually Clay Fan-foot

Emerald sp? 

The newly discovered beach spot- quite a dodgy walk down but should be a nice place to chill in future. Getting down to the sea is not easy round here but this is the second route down we know of now. I collected a few seeds on the steppe to spread around our plot in the autumn- hoping to get some of these plant species on our land over time. Mainly arable and rewilding 'weeds' there at the moment. 

Shrine to John Lawton (British Uriah Heap rock legend)- not really what I was expecting to see out on the Steppe. Apparantely he did a lot of work in Bulgaria and his ashes are spread in Kamen Bryag . More HERE.