Bulgaria and Romania ~ May '18

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

Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

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 ..

Syrian Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker 

Driving an old road from Gorun to the coast found us a Green Woodpecker nest with a juvenile looking to see what we were upto ..

Rose-coloured Starling

Rose-coloured Starling

Calandra Lark

Calandra Lark

Isabelline Wheatear ~ adult

Whinchat

Isabelline  Wheatear ~ Juvenile

Isabelline  Wheatear ~ Juvenile

Up early on the 28th, Back across the border in to Romania and heading for Vadu ..

Collared Pratincole

Collared Pratincole

Collared Pratincole

JL covered head to foot but still a blood bank for mosquitos

Collared Pratincole

Little Gull

With time running out it was a short session at Sinoe ..

Yellow Wagtail ~ cinereocapilla ??? 

Yellow Wagtail ~ flava

Yellow Wagtail ~ thunbergi 

Yellow Wagtail ~ feldegg


Bulgaria is a must for a return visit as the birding and photography was great ...