Bulgaria: Black Sea Coast
Red-breasted Geese

This tour will take you to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast to explore some of the most important European wetlands for wintering geese. Every year hundreds of thousands of wild geese, including almost the whole population of the globally threatened Red-breasted Goose, choose the northern Bulgarian lakes, Shabla and Durankulak, as their wintering grounds. The less severe climate on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast allows the enjoyment of wintering Dalmatian and White Pelicans, various species of ducks, shorebirds, gulls, raptors and many more.

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Dates

1. Mon., 02. Feb. 2009 - Wed., 11. Feb. 2009

Price includes

• Flights
• Airport taxes and fuel charges
• All transfers and other transport
• Accommodation in 2* or 3* family run hotels in en-suite double/single room
• Full board incl. non-alcoholic drinks at meal times, 6 x picnic lunch, 3 x lunch in restaurant
• Entry fees for the Nature Reserves
• Tour guide
• Breach of warranty certificate

Number of participants

8 – 12 persons

Travel guide

Bojidar Ivanov

Note

We recommend a travel insurance.

Alterations

The programme is subject to change.

Day 1

Arrival

Flight to Varna. Transfer to hotel. (1 0S)

Day 2

Marshes, Riverine Forests, Varna

In the morning we will visit Yatata marsh area near Varna lake. It is a small wetland, hosting Pygmy Cormorant, Great White Egret and a selection of waterfowl. There are high chances to find Cetti‘s and Moustached Warblers. Depending on the severity of winter we may expect Whooper and Bewick‘s Swans, White-fronted and Greylag Geese there too. In the afternoon we will have a brief stop at the Kamchia riverine forests to the south of Varna. The area around the Kamchia river mouth is remarkable for its bird variety, unique flooded forests, wide beaches with sand dunes and freshwater marshes. There we will check for White-tailed Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Black Woodpecker, Middle-spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treeckreeper. We can also expect various waterfowl in the sea and Merlin in the agricultural lands around. In the late afternoon drive to Bourgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea coast. (3 OS)

Day 3+4

Wetlands around Bourgas

On these two days we will explore the wetlands around the city of Bourgas, which form one of Europe‘s richest bird areas. Together they harbour 340 of about 400 bird species recorded in the country. One of the biggest attractions of the Bourgas wetlands in winter, however, are the flocks of Pygmy Cormorants, Dalmatian Pelicans and White Pelicans, resident there, and the hundreds of White-headed Ducks wintering regularly on Vaya Lake. Some of the other species expected there are White-tailed Eagle, Bearded Tit, Slender-billed Gull, Mediterranean Gull and other commoner wintering water birds. The open waters may hold the, in winter, very rare Ferruginous Duck.
On day 3 we will visit Bourgas and Mandra Lake (including the Poda lagoon and the Poda Visitor Centre managed by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds).
on day 4 we will check again Bourgas Lake, then will spend the afternoon at Atanassovsko and Pomorie Lakes (all of them are Ramsar sites distinguished for their bird diversity). If you wish, we can spare this morning for visiting some old broad-leaved forests in the Strandja Mountain where we could find the White-backed Woodpecker.

Day 5

Drive to Coastal Dobrudja

Today we will drive back north to the Coastal Dobrudja with stops in the Eastern Balkan range for woodpeckers, Sombre Tit, Cirl Bunting. Accommodation in a hotel in the area of the towns of Kavarna and Shabla. (5 OS)

Day 6 - 9

Black Sea Coast

We will spend these four days in Bulgaria‘s "Geeseland" - the northernmost part of the Black Sea coast near the Romanian border, including the lakes of Shabla and Durankulak. The lakes, where the geese roost, occupy former river estuaries, winding through the hilly plain down to the coastal sand dunes and beaches.
Watching the early morning "take off" of hundreds of thousands of wild geese flying inland to feed in the winter crop fields is truly spectacular! The numerous flocks of White-fronted Geese are accompanied by an astonishing numbers of Red-breasted Geese (usually between about 10000 and 50000).
During the day, after watching the geese taking off, we will have coffee, tea and sandwiches in a local bistro, then will explore the fields where the geese graze.
While enjoying the Red-breasted Geese there, we will also search for Lesser White-fronted Goose. Usually, while checking the huge flocks of White-fronted Geese, the Lesser White-fronted Goose can be spotted. Offshore we can expect to see Black-throated and Red-throated Divers, Great Black-necked, Red-necked, Slavonian and Little Grebes, Red-breasted Merganser and Greater Scaup.
The White-tailed Eagle, Greater Spotted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Rough-legged Buzzard, Peregrin and Merlin, as well as the Great Bittern are common winter residents here. There are very good chances at the lakes for viewing Pallas‘s Gull.
On one of these days we will also explore cape Kaliakra - sheer cliffs towering up to 100 m above the blue-green seawater - where we can expect to see the Mediterranean subspecies of the European Shags, Eagle Owl, possibly Wallcreeper, and various sea waterfowl. The adjacent steppe area hosts wintering Calandra Larks and Eurasian Skylarks, Merlins, Long-legged Buzzards, etc. Rough-legged Buzzard and Syrian Woodpecker can be observed along the whole route.

Day 10

Departure

Transfer to Varna Airport. Return flight.