Bulgaria and Romania ~ May '18

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 
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 ...