Bulgaria Day Four

I got up a 5am and went over to the plot for a couple of hours before the chaos kicked off and the family woke up. The moth trap was very lively with some really nice species and a bit of birding from the pond yielded 36 species of over 130 individuals HERE including all the usual wildlife plot specialities present including Nightjar, Little Owl, Turtle Doves, Nightingales, Golden Orioles, Cuckoo, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Hobby, Red-rumped Swallows, Spotted Flycatchers, Hawfinch, Corn Bunting and this evening there was additional Eastern Olivaceous Warbler. A nice bit of 'garden' birding! 

The rest of the day was spent in Varna buying the paint, battery and other bits for the caravan refurbish and in the afternoon we took the kids to Varna Zoo and a local fun fair. Had Middle Spotted Woodpecker in the park.

Pease Blossom (above and below)- of all the European moths this was one that I wanted to see most. Absolute stunning and shocked me when I saw it on the side of the trap. Absolute stunner. Looks like a bit of a Black Sea speciality HERE. 

Passenger- a really nice fresh one. Had two of these. Had about 70 species of well over a thousand moths in the trap although 1000+ of those were Diamond-backs which kept flying out like smoke from the trap as I was processing it. Other observations HERE and the project moth list is now on a provisional 434 species HERE. 

Turtle Dove coming down to drink at the Pond this evening

Middle Spotted Woodpecker with young at Varna park 

Isaac filling up the pond (above) and job done (below) 

The caravan pre-refurb. The plan tomorrow is to smarten this up a bit. Will see what happens- so far we are two days behind schedule.

When in Rome. Classic Bulgaria with smoking by people behind the bars and shops and also people who should know better especially near the kids! What with the abundant bird life and wildlife and poeple smoking everywhere- it really is like time travel coming out here.