BULGARIA
10th – 17th September 2009

Autumn Migration along the Black Sea Coast.

An eight-day tour to the Black sea coast of Bulgaria, the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Autumn Migration here is comparable to that of anywhere in Europe, with two important European migratory roads the Via Pontica and Via Aristotelis. We should encounter thousands of migrating birds, White and Black Storks, White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Lesser Spotted, Spotted and Booted Eagles, Long-legged and Honey Buzzards, Cranes, etc. Other highlights may include Pygmy Cormorant, Levant's Sparrowhawk, Pallid Harrier, Pied Wheatear, Paddyfield Warbler and Rose-coloured Starling.

Day 1
Meet at the airport for our flight to Bourgas, and transfer to our hotel nearby, where we'll spend four nights.

Day 2-3
We will visit lakes Bourgas, Mandra and Atanassovo, where we'll observe large concentrations of migrating and roosting birds, including White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Black and White Storks, Lesser Spotted, Short-toed and Booted Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Pygmy Cormorant, Squacco, Night and Purple Herons, Little and Great White Egret, Spoonbill and Glossy Ibis. An impressive list of passerines is also possible and may include Red-throated Pipit, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Barred, Icterine & River Warbler along with Red-backed & Lesser Grey Shrikes. Waders regularly include Red-necked Phalarope and Terek, Marsh & Broad-billed Sandpiper. In addition we may also see Meditterainian & Slender-billed Gull, Gull-billed & Caspian Tern and with luck Eastern Imperial, Spotted and Steppe Eagles, Pallid Harrier and Saker, Common Cranes are also present in their thousands.

Day 4
Will be spent visiting the Strandja Mountain and the Veleka River Valley, here we can observe Lesser Spotted Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Honey Buzzard, White and Black Storks, Black-headed Bunting, Bee-eater, Roller, Golden Oriole, Sombre Tit and many other passerines. In the afternoon we will visit the Ropotamo River Reserve where we can observe many water birds.

Day 5
Early in the morning we transfer to the north Black Sea coast, stopping on the way at Pomorie Lake, where Avocet, Shelduck, Sandwich and Little Terns all occur. A further stop will be made at the Goritza Forest, home to Middle Spotted, Black & Grey-headed Woodpeckers and Short-toed Treecreeper. Semi-collared Flycatcher also breed here and with a little luck we may find a lingering bird. Late in the afternoon we will arrive at our hotel on the Black Sea coast, our base for the next three nights.

Day 6-7
We will visit the lakes Durankulak and Shabla, where Ruddy Shelduck, Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Red-necked Grebe, Little Bittern, Whiskered & White-winged Black Tern, Collared Pratincole, Pied & Isabelline Wheatear, Paddyfield Warbler and Penduline Tit are all likely. After lunch at a local fish restaurant on the lakeside we will head to the nearby steppe of Cape Kaliakra. On the steppe's we may encounter Calandra and Short-toed Larks, Tawny Pipit, Red-footed Falcon and Rose-coloured Starling, and maybe even Pallid Harrier, a rare breeder here, we will also visit a known site for Eagle Owl.

Day 8
Early in the morning we will return to Bourgas for our flight back to the UK, with ample time for birding on the way.

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To comply with Civil Aviation Authority
guidelines all flights are ATOL protected,
for more details see our terms &
conditions section 10.