Bulgaria Day Five

The plan today was for Holly to reburish the caravan while I took the boys out the way. I got up early and did the moth trap and a bit of birding from the plot HERE with highlights from the morning session and lunchtime session including a first-winter male Common Rosefinch, a singing Marsh Warbler, a male Little Bittern flushed from our pond!, a flyover male Montagu's Harrier, Pied Wheatear singing in the village, at least 6 Spotted Flycatchers (presumably migrants still coming through), Barred Warbler, Tree Pipit and a Black-headed Bunting came in for a drink to the pond too. 

In the morning I took the boys to Bolata Bay Beach and then after lunch we headed over to visit Pavel at Durankulak. Pavel had the nets up and we processed a Common Whitethroat with the boys. 

Sadly today was our last day on the wildlife plot and we are heading to reunite with Paul, my mum and Nephew in Burgas tomorrow. 

A whirlwind visit but achieved loads and saw some great garden ticks and moths.

First-winter male Common Rosefinch (above with Red-backed Shrike and below)

Spotted Flycatchers (above and below) 

Female Spanish Sparrow- surprisingly an easy identification with the dark underpart streaking and think dark bill

Lunar Double-stripe- another top of wish list moth. A lifer. I've been a bit dissappointed to have left the UK on the first major moth migration event of the year in record breaking heat wave conditions. Mike Bailey had a Druid on the Peninsula and there have been some mega moths around and enormous numbers of migrating insects. However it's been nice to have some compensation in catching several of the megas recorded in the UK here including this Lunar Double-stripe and Many-lines (below) and Bordered Straw (below that). 

Also some nice Eastern European species including Elicrinia trinotata and other nice local species below

Pease Blossom again- probably the same one re-caught

Evergestis frumentalis

The boys ringing a Common Whitethroat with Pavel

The caravan reburb (above and below). The plan was to paint the whole caravan but as we got two days behind we decided to get some inspiration from the local fields of poppies and painted a few poppies on the side to smarten it up. 

We managed to get everything working including the gas hob, fridge, lights, toilets, fan etc and it was all looking good to get the whole thing ready when we discovered a crack in the water boiler that was causing a flood everytime we tried to use the taps. Seems like water was left in the boiler or the winter which has expanded and cracked so despite overcoming the delay obstacles we still got beaten by Bulgaria- everytime! As always overcoming the next obstacle will have some unforeseen and unpredictable benefits.