Birding the day away !!

Tuesday, 5 June 2018

A long weekend trip with Jono L, flying in to Bucharest, Romania landing just after midnight and then driving the E81 towards Constanta and the Black Sea.

Both managed some sleep before continuing on to Vadu for a recce of the site for the return journey in a few days time, we were a bit to early in the season as there was not to many Pratincole here yet ..

We drove south and crossed the border in to Bulgaria and headed straight for Cape Kaliakra and Pied Wheatear were fairly common on the rocky area at the point ..

Pied Wheatear ~ male

Pied Wheatear ~ Female

This above pair of Pied had a Northern for company ..

Northern Wheatear

Corn Bunting

Red-backed Shrike

Our hotel for the trip was

Branta Birding Lodge

located close to the border and some great habitat around Lake Durankulak ..

The morning of the 26th just after first light we were at the seaward side of the lake and the reed bed had plenty of singing Great Reed and Paddyfield Warblers ..

Paddyfield Warbler

Driving some of the off-road tracks close by held some good birds and the wild flower meadows were in full bloom and looked amazing ..

Calandra Lark

It was back to the hotel for breakfast then back out towards Cape Kaliakra via Shabla Lake and a few tracks ..

Lesser Grey Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Isabelline Wheatear ~ Juvenile

Skylark

Isabelline Wheatear

The morning of the 27th and it was back out on the tracks before breakfast ..

Calandra Lark

Red-backed Shrike

After breakfast we went to check on a tip off and within five minutes the bird returned and another five minutes and Syrian Woodpecker was done ..