"Via Pontica" Autumn Migration Birding (Bulgaria) in collaboration with World Sustainability Foundation

Itinerary:

Day 1. Arriving in Varna
In the afternoon we will be birding along the Northern seaside. In the Northern seaside we will see coastal cliffs and steppe areas, which are part of Via Pontica and a habitat of the following bird species -Mediterranean Shag, Stone Curlew, Spotted Cuckoo, Alpine Swift, Calandra and Short-toed Larks, Olive-tree Warbler, Pied Wheatear, Tawny Pipit, Rosy Starling, Common and Demoiselle Crane, Black-headed Bunting). Overnight in Kavarna.

Day 2. Shabla wetlands and Durankulak
Our day will be dedicated to birding along the coastal line and the vast marshlands around Shabla and Durankulak – the farthest Black Sea North. This region is an important part of Via Pontica, where the following bird species could be seen - Levant Sparrowhawk, Ruddy Shelduck, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, Bee-eater, Golden Oriole, Lesser Grey Shrike, Black-headed Bunting, Rose-coloured Starlings, Black-necked Grebe, Bitterns, Purple Heron, Whiskered and White-winged Terns, Red-footed Falcon, White-Tailed Eagle, Osprey, Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Tawny Pipit, Paddyfield Warbler, Bluethroat. After finishing of our birding, we will go back to Kavarna for overnight. B/-/-

Day 3. Kavarna- Dyulino pass – Burgas
After early morning birding around northern seaside coastal cliffs, we will continue with our journey to the Southern seaside, with stopovers at the Dyulino pass a mid-altitude Balkan Mountain pass in very close vicinity to the sea, where we will explore the habitat of Lesser Spotted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Wryneck, Cirl Bunting, Sombre Tit, Eastern Bonelli’s Warbler). Overnight near the city of Burgas. B/-/-

Day 4. Burgas - Pomorie
Today will be an intensive birdwatching day around the lakes of Burgas and Pomorie. The lakes of Burgas (Southern seaside) are the wetlands of Mandra-Poda, Atanasovsko and Pomoriysko containing fresh, brackish and sea, hipper saline waters, very important part of Via Pontica with the following bird species: Greater Flamingo, White and Dalmatian Pelicans, Pygmy Cormorant, Goosander, Red-breasted merganser, Curlew and Whimbrel, Night, Squacco and Purple Herons, Little Egret, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Mediterranean Gulls, Little, Whiskered and Gull-Billed Terns, Collared Pratincole, Avocet, Black-winged Stilts, Great Snipe, Kentish Plover, Curlew Sandpipers, Stints, Godwits, Penduline Tit, Savi’s and Paddy field Warblers, Bearded Tit, ducks. We will spend the night near the city of Burgas. B/-/-

Day 5. Burgas – Strandja- Sakar-Madzharovo
Today we will head up to the Eastern Rhodopes - the realm of the birds of prey in Eastern Europe. During our trip we will stop in the mountains of Strandja and Sakar. The mountains of Strandja (South East) and Sakar (Central) are low altitude, lowly populated mountain areas with the basins of the rivers Maritza and Tundja. The mountain Strandja is a part of Via Pontica and mountain Sakar is a part of Via Aristotelis - a project for conservation of the Lesser Kestrel (Imperial, Lesser Spotted, Booted Eagle, Spotted Eagle Long-legged Buzzard, Pallid and Montagu`s Harrier, Saker Falcon, Levant Sparrowhawk, Tawny Pipit, Calandra and Short-toed Lark, Masked Shrike, Stone Curlew, Olive-tree Warbler, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and White-backed Woodpecker, Red-Backed Shrike, Corncrake, Pygmy Cormorant, Dalmatian Pelican, Ferroginous Duck, Great Snipe). One overnight at the town of Madjarovo. B/-/-

Day 6. The cliffs around Madzharovo, the meanders of Arda River and the lakes of the Eastern Rhodopes
It will be an active birding day. Birding will be along Arda River and the adjacent cliffs around Madjarovo – a desolated ornithologically important place (OIP) including low-altitude mountain area with the cliffs over the meanders of Arda River near Madjarovo (copper and zinc mining center in the past), Krumovitza River and the Studen Kladenetz and Ivaylovgrad reservoirs. The following bird species could be seen - Black Stork, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed, White-tailed, Golden, Booted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Lanner Falcon, Scops Owl, Nightjar, Rufus-tailed and Blue Rock Thrush, Barred, Orphean, Sardinian and Subalpine Warblers, Cirl and Rock Buntings, Red-rumped Swallows, Black-eared Wheatears, Rock Nuthatch, Grey-headed, Green and Black Woodpecker. At the end of the day, we will have a short journey to Krumovgrad where we stay overnight. B/-/-

Day 7. Krumovgrad - Krumovitza river - Trigrad
Today we will start our day with birding along Krumovitza River and the adjacent cliffs where we can discover Black Stork, Griffon and Egyptian Vultures, Short-toed, White-tailed, Golden, Booted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Lanner Falcon, Scops Owl, Nightjar, Rufus-tailed and Blue Rock Thrush, Barred, Orphean, Sardinian and Subalpine Warblers, Cirl and Rock Buntings, Red-rumped Swallows, Black-eared Wheatears, Rock Nuthatch, Grey-headed, Green and Black Woodpecker. In the afternoon we will continue our journey to Trigrad. Overnight in Trigrad. B/-/-

Day 8. Trigrad Gorge
The next morning we explore the mountain for Wallcreeper. Overnight in the are of Trigrad. B/-/-

Day 9. Sofia
In the morning one more attempt to observe the Wallcreeper. In the afternoon we will continue our journey to Sofia, where we will have an overnight stay at the foot of Vitosha Mountain. B/-/-

Day 10. Departure from Sofia
Early-morning birdwatching in the mountain of Vitosha- a mid-altitude mountain in very close vicinity to the capital Sofia, part of Via Aristotelis where the following bird species could be seen: Corncrake, Tengmalm`s and Scops Owl, Ring Ouzel, Pygmy Owl, Nightjar, Black, White-backed and Three-toed Woodpecker, Yellowhammer, Ortolan Bunting, Nutcracker. Transfer to the airport for departure. B/-/-