Bulgaria (May 2024) - Northeast coast (1 of 2)

May 9

This was my first of several days birding the northeast coast. The idea here was to set up shop in the region and hope to hit good migration weather at some point. Of course there would be other resident species and breeders to target as well. The Kaliakra Cape area, and the coast north from there, can be quite good for passerine migration in spring (and presumably raptors in fall, given the geography of the Bulgarian coast). There is a lengthy vagrant list for the region.

I arrived in the parking lot at Kaliakra Cape at 5:55am in hopes of witnessing some morning flight, and I was happy to see some! The wind was blowing NNE at 10-20mph under mostly cloudy skies. There was a decent showing of warblers plus a few flycatchers. Nothing major, but it was cool standing at the tip and seeing a few warblers fly in off the sea and land in the bushes next to me. These were mostly WILLOW WARBLERS plus some CHIFFCHAFF. Birds would hit the tip, then push northward thru the veg and along the cliffs. A few warblers careened northward past me while I was in the parking lot. Some did linger and hunker down in the lee, including a WOOD WARBLER and two ICTERINE WARBLERS.

Willow Warbler

Icterine Warbler

There was a bit of offshore movement; BLACK TERN was dominant but I did enjoy a handful of MED GULLS. One of the first birds I saw upon arrival was an adult fuscus LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL that ended up lingering around the point all morning. Several ARCTIC LOONS were present, some on the water and some moving.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

One of the spectacles of this place is the show put on by ALPINE SWIFTS, especially during windy conditions like this. I could have watched them whip around those cliffs and over my head for quite a while if I didn’t have other things to see. 

Alpine Swifts

Not being used to migrant Passer sparrows where I come from, seeing a large flock of SPANISH SPARROWS flying in from the sea was enjoyable. Of course the single most sought-after species here is probably PIED WHEATEAR, which breed on the cliffs and can be seen at close range near the cliff tops where the paths take you. NORTHERN WHEATEARS inhabit the “inland/plateau” portion of the cape and are particularly easy to see at the ruins not far from the parking lot. The interesting thing about the Pied Wheatears is that several of the birds here are genetically hybrids with Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, per local knowledge (I have not personally reviewed the data myself). However most males seem to be phenotypically pure. There are some obvious hybrids around for sure – such birds can be confused with Finsch’s Wheatear which would be a vagrant to Bulgaria. Oddly, Black-eared Wheatears do not breed at this site. So, where they are hybridizing, I do not know (perhaps this question has been answered).

Pied Wheatears

hybrid Pied x Eastern Black-eared Wheatear

I also walked in the other direction – north – from the parking lot back towards the payment booth. There is some dense scrub and even a few small trees along that stretch of road that held quite a few migrants, including the few flycatchers that I saw. First my life RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER followed by a sharp male COLLARED FLY. After nearly five hours I called it a morning and headed out to lunch.

eBird Checklist - 9 May 2024 - Kaliakra Cape - 61 species (+3 other taxa)

Collared Flycatcher

Spanish Sparrow

Lesser Whitethroat

Kaliakra Cape

The wind picked up and a steady rain started to fall, limiting my options for the afternoon. I investigated the steppe habitat just west of Balgarevo town, driving the dirt tracks without leaving the car. ISABELLINE WHEATEARS were immediately apparent. Greater Short-toed Lark was a target here and have been described in previous trip reports as common/abundant here, but I had a hell of a time finding one. SKYLARKS and CALANDRA LARKS were both abundant and displaying constantly. Eventually I finally located a couple silent SHORT-TOED LARKS on the ground by one of the tracks.

A long overdue trip/life bird also fell here…LESSER GRAY SHRIKE. I was pretty shocked I hadn’t come across one before this point, but these were the first of many. They really are common along this stretch of coast north to Durankulak.

eBird Checklist - 9 May 2024 - Balgarevo Steppes - 23 species (+1 other taxa)

Given the NE wind and rain, seawatching seemed a reasonable way to spend some time, so I drove down to Shabla Cape/Light and found a lee from which I could scope. There was a steady but unspectacular northward trickle of migrants moving reasonably close to shore. These included a few LBBG, one adult LITTLE GULL, a few WHITE-WINGED TERNS, and a handful of YELKOUAN SHEARWATERS – new for the trip and a “temporary” lifer since we are expecting a lump with Balearic.

eBird Checklist - 9 May 2024 - Shabla Cape - 18 species

view from Shabla Light

Kept birding through the rain, next trying Shablenska Tuzla Salt Lake in hopes of finding shorebird habitat, but the water was too high for anything but BLACK-WINGED STILTS (this theme of high water would continue along this entire stretch of coast). Not much was doing except for more marsh terns and several FERRUGINOUS DUCKS, which ended up being quite common from here northward. Soaked and tired, I called it a day.

eBird Checklist - 9 May 2024 - Shablenska Tuzla Salt Lake - 22 species

 

May 10

This morning another famous new site was on tap: Durankulak Lake. I had watched the previous night’s weather and saw that yesterday’s rain band had stalled just to our south, which would presumably put migration on hold for a bit. So I used the morning to get a bit more rest than I normally would. Sure enough, not much was happening at the lake as far as migrants go. I started at the campsite with a quick look for passerines in the trees & shrubs there (very quiet) then walked about 2k down the beach/marsh edge in my first attempt at finding an early Paddyfield Warbler. The wind didn’t help with passerines as it was really blowing, again from the NE. Even on a slow day you’re going to see some variety here given the habitat diversity, but there wasn’t anything worth mentioning.

eBird Checklist - 10 May 2024 - Durankulak Lake--Orlovo Marsh and Kosmos Camping Area - 63 species

I drove back around the lake and tried an access point on the SE corner of the lake, again in search of Paddyfield, and again failing. I did, however, flush a EURASIAN NIGHTJAR from a lakeside bush. And amongst the northbound Yellow-legged Gulls was a first cycle CASPIAN GULL, a lifer for me and one I had been watching for in hopes of catching a lingering bird.

eBird Checklist - 10 May 2024 - Auto selected 43.66098, 28.56656 - 4 species

On my way out of there in the early afternoon I drove past a small woodlot that was mostly scrub with many tall dead snags and a few leafed trees. Through the open car window I heard BARRED WARLBER singing, a species I had not yet seen, and proceeded to get really nice views with use of playback. While watching the warblers, a WRYNECK began calling from deeper within the lot. This was one of my most wanted European birds, though one I was not expecting on this trip because they are thinly distributed and I had no reliable spots marked. I ended up finding the calling bird and stumbling across a LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER as well.

eBird Checklist - 10 May 2024 - 29611, Krapets BG-Dobrich 43.63363, 28.57284 - 7 species

Red-backed Shrike

Eurasian Wryneck

Without a place to stay, and desiring to remain in the Durankulak region, I stopped into the Branta Birding Lodge owned by Pavel Simeonov. I got lucky and had arrived between birding groups, so they were able to squeeze me in for the night. I enjoyed a home cooked meal, rather excellent red wine, and listening to Pavel recount some of his many birding stories from years past. He was also quite generous with local intel on a few targets I had remaining. I mentioned to Pavel how pleased I was to find that young Caspian Gull earlier today. He smiled and pointed to an island in the middle of the lake that was visible from the lodge. He explained to me that a small colony of CASPIAN GULLS now breeds on that island, which he proceeded to show me though the scope 😊. I had no idea they bred here. Knowing that would have saved me some time sorting through young Yellow-legged Gulls! A few DALMATION PELICANS were also using the same island to roost.

some of the decor at Branta Birding Lodge

- NB