Bulgaria, October 2026, Days six and seven

It's been great living in the caravan for the last couple of days, literally walk out of the door into the action with plenty of vis-mig in the mornings. The first bird I saw yesterday morning as I opened the door was a Goshawk, a huge female, another local patch tick and it appeared later on in the day too. Highlights on the plot and a walk to the steppe HERE included two cracking Hen Harriers quartering the steppe,  8 Black Redstart, Tree Pipit, Red-throated Pipits, Wood Lark and a first-winter Northern Wheatear (that gave me the run around before I confirmed it wasn't something more interesting). The rest of the day yesterday was spent exploring some of the tourist spots for family stuff to do when we return next year with a visit to Albena and lunch at Balchik. 

Today was sadly our last day here and we had to pack up and head to Varna for an overnight at Campus 90 before a early flight tomorrow. The wind had swung round to the west more and despite the rain there was good vis-mig this morning HERE with 61 Rook, 1 Wood Lark, 20 Skylark, 153 (!) Mistle Thrush, 47 Song Thrush, 50 Redwing, 18 Blackbird, 14 Fieldfare, 4 Red-throated Pipit, 189 Chaffinch, 8 Brambling, 18 Hawfinch, 66 Siskin, 10 Yellowhammer, 14 Corn Bunting and a Serin (a patch tick) all moving south in the first couple of hours of the day. 

A great trip, we got loads done. Sadly I didn't get a chance to go to Cape Kaliakra and the rain was quite a challenge but the site is now ready to more or less live on. We celebrated another great family trip with a night out at the Happy in Varna and Jacob experienced his first sushi coma. 

Hen Harrier (above and below) 

I couldn't turn this into anything other than a first-winter Northern Wheatear

It's very difficult to capture vis-mig. Here a flock of Mistle Thrush. 

European Tree Frog- very vocal locally this trip. This one was found by Jacob at Albena.

There are voles everywhere and this Fox was fixated chasing them allowing a close approach

The moth trapping was good again last night, despite the rain, following a couple of lean cold nights. Will update seperately on the moths but here's a couple of lifers from last night. 

Thanks to Holly we now have running water, full electics and gas and toilet working in the caravan so are now officially 'living' there and even cooked our first meal. Holly and Isaac finally braved it and left the guesthouse yesterday for our first family night in our holiday 'home'. The whole plot is lit up at night by the moth traps. Good times.