EUROPEAN RARITIES TOUR

Day by day itinerary

Day 1

Arrival at the Sofia Airport and transfer to the mountain of Rodope and the famous Trigrad Gorge. This spectacular gorge is one of the best places to watch the Wallcreeper in Europe. Late in the afternoon we will arrive in our hotel situated near the Trigrad Gorge. We will spend one night there.

Day 2

After breakfast we will visit the famous Trigrad Gorge and we expect to observe closer the Wallcreeper. We can observe also Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagle, Pallid and Alpine Swifts, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Dipper Crag Martin etc. Late in the afternoon we make a transfer to our hotel in the Eastern part of the Rodope Mountain. We will stay one night there.

Day 3

Early in the morning we will make a short transfer to visit the Eastern Rodopes Mountain – the region with the unique breeding colony of Griffon Vulture in Bulgaria. We can observe Egyptian and Black Vultures, Golden and Imperial Eagles, Long – legged Buzzard, Levant Sparrowhawk, Black Stork, Rock Nuthatch, Subalpine, Orphean and Sardinian Warblers, Sombre Tit and many other birds. We will go birdwatching on the Krumovitza River Valley. In this very interesting valley we can observe Egyptian and Griffon Vultures, Black Stork, Stone Curlew, Black-headed Bunting, Bee-eater, Roller, Golden Oriole, Rock Nuthatch, Red-rumped Swallow, Somber Tit, Masked and Lesser Grey Shrikes, etc. Late in the afternoon we will arrive to our hotel. Diner and overnight.

Day 4
After breakfast we will make a long transfer to the Black Sea coast. We will stop at several places for birdwatching. We will cross the Mountains of Sakar and Strandja – the largest Natural Park in Bulgaria. We can observe many birds and especially Lesser Spotted Eagle, Short-toed Eagle, Montagu’s Harrier, Booted Eagle, Black Kite, Olive-tree Warbler, Masked and Woodchat Shrikes, Isabelline Wheatear, Black – headed Bunting, Spanish Sparrow etc. Late in the afternoon we will arrive in a small and comfortable hotel near the Black Sea Cost. We will spend two nights there.

Day 5
We will visit the lakes around Burgas – Mandra and Atanassovo. On these lakes we can observe many birds and especially White-tailed Eagle, Lesser spotted Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Short – toed and Booted Eagles, Goshawk, Marsh Harrier, Pygmy Cormorant, Squacco, Night, Purple and Grey Herons, Little and Great Egrets, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, etc. In the afternoon we will visit the Ropotamo River reserve. In this reserve we can observe many water birds, Woodpeckers, Semi-collared Flycatcher. Short-toed Treecreeper, etc.

Day 6
We will continue our tour with a transfer to the north part of the Black Sea coast. We will stop on the Pomorie Lake. At this place we can observe Avocet, Shelduck, Sandwich and Little Terns and many other birds. After lunch we will stop for birdwatching in Goritza forest. At this place we can observe Semi-collared Flycatcher, Woodpeckers, etc. Late in the afternoon we will arrive at our hotel on the Black Sea coast. We will spend there two nights.

Day 7
We will visit the lakes Durankulak and Shabla – the wintering places for the world population of Red-breasted Goose. We can observe many birds and especially Red-footed falcon, Red-necked Grebe, Little Bittern, Whiskered and White-winged Terns, Collared Pratincole, Paddyfield Warbler, Pied Wheatear, etc. After lunch in a local fish restaurant on the shore of the lake we will go birdwatching on the steppe. We will visit a breeding place of the Eagle Owl. If we are lucky we can observe the Pallid Harrier a very rare breeding bird on the steppe. We will observe a Peregrine Falcon, Red- footed Falcon, Mediterranean Shearwater, Mediterranean race of European Shag, Rose-coloured Starling, Calandra and Short-toed Larks and many other birds. Late in the afternoon we will return to the hotel for the second overnight.

Day 8
On this day we will visit the biosphere reserve “Srebarna” a site included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We can observe the colony of endangered Dalmatian Pelican, Ruddy Shelduck, Red-necked Grebe, Squacco Heron, Whiskered Tern, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Black Kite, Marsh Harrier and if we have a luck - White-tailed Eagle. We can observe also Lesser Spotted Eagle, Honey Buzzard, etc. After a short transfer we will stop at a typical Danube Valley Marshes. We can observe Black-necked Grebe, Pygmy Cormorant, Little Bittern, Penduline Tit, Bearded Reedling, etc. Late in the afternoon we will arrive to our hotel in the region of Russenski Lom Natural Park.

Day 9
After breakfast we will visit the Russenski Lom Natural Park – a beautiful valley with many rock monasteries and rock cliffs. There we can observe Lesser-spotted Eagle, Long-Legged Buzzard, Black Stork, Hoopoe, Somber Tit and many woodpeckers. Late in the afternoon, after many stops for birdwatching we will arrive in the town of Sofia.

Day 10
Depending of your departure flight we will stop for birdwatching in the Mountain of Vitosha near Sofia and expect to observe: Common Crossbill, Coal Tit, Goldcrest and Firecrest, Alpine Accentor, Nutcracker, Black Woodpecker, Pallid Swift. If time permits we can also visit the Dragoman Marshes near the town.