Monday 13th May: Bulgarian mountains and Trigrad Gorge

 I was up early for a pre-breakfast walk around the grounds of our mountain chalet. Despite heavy overnight rain, it was a dry morning and the air was full of birdsong. As I rounded the corner I stumbled upon four Bullfinches flitting in the trees near the wood store, calling softly. On the open lawn Mistle Thrush hopped and searched for worms, and several Starlings also foraged here. A pair of noisy Black Redstarts were highly mobile, buzzing angrily as they criss-crossed the buildings and garden. Presumably there was a nest somewhere in the vicinity. A White Wagtail landed on the roof, giving a sharp call to let us know it was there. I almost missed the nest of Crag Martins in the barn by the wood pile, with birds sat quietly inside. Later they became more active, sweeping around us as they searched busily for insects. It was an enjoyable and highly rewarding start to the day.

Black Redstart

After breakfast we drove slowly through the forest. At the grassy glade, we again found Bullfinches and the lovely Ring Ouzels, showing really well out in the open meadow. Goldfinches also were added to our list.

We continued on to another open area, with a wide vista and dotted with hunting huts. Beautiful but sinister. There were several more Ring Ouzels here, and now on foot we had plenty of time to study them. Our driver somehow picked out a distant Woodlark perched atop a pine tree which we viewed through the scopes, and a pair of Raven passed across the tree line, far over the valley. We set off along the road for a short walk, in search of Pygmy Owl. We failed to find this, but the calls played by our guide caused many small birds to appear and noisily call out their alarms to each other. These included Bullfinches, Goldfinches, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Crested Tits and numerous Coal Tits, which seemed to be  prolific throughout the forest.

From here, we set off for the Trigrad Gorge in the Western Rhodope mountains, where we were to spend the afternoon, stopping en route at a site where Rosefinch are often found. There was no sight or sound today though, Bernie noting it was possibly a little too early for them, as they are late arrivals. No stop is ever without merit however, and at a derelict building adjacent to the site we encountered a delightful colony of House Martins, filling the air with their constant chatter. In a small ditch a Green Woodpecker was disturbed and bounced away out of sight, with a flash of yellow rump. A Tree Sparrow perched at  the top of a tree was another pleasing, bonus find.

House Martins

We arrived at the Gorge in time for a late lunch, and the scenery throughout was spectacular, with sheer, towering cliffs and a mosaic of green trees clinging to the slopes. A river snaked through the valley, bubbling over rocks and pebbles, and in places the road passed directly under the cliff in short tunnels,  or beneath overhanging outcrops of rock.

Trigrad Gorge

We spent the afternoon neck-craning to scan the cliffs for Wallcreeper, a painful experience, but eventually we were rewarded for our efforts with several brief views of this bird, fluttering its rounded wings like a butterfly, revealing a burst of cerise red. It was tiny against the top of the cliffs and difficult to track as it sped across the rock face, sadly failing to drop down to a lower height for better views. A lifetime tick for me!

While we searched for the Wallcreeper, a supporting cast of rock specialists provided ample background entertainment. Crag Martins were numerous here, looking like tiny mosquitoes against the high cliffs, and occasionally a huge Alpine Swift swept across, most easily seen when they crossed the valley or appeared against the skyline, where there crescent shape and white bodies were more visible. A pair of Ravens also cronked and traversed the cliff tops. 

Driving back through the valley, we stopped briefly by the river, hoping for a Dipper - no luck with that, but a Grey Wagtail waggled on a boulder. Further along the road, we stopped again for some great views of a Black Stork feeding in a fishpond beside the road. With its iridescent sheen, red legs and red bill, it was a striking sight, and a fitting finale to a good day’s birding before we arrived at our next hotel.