A Bird in the Hand......

You know what, this weather is beginning to get right up my nose. One day it's sunshine, so you are drawn into a false sense of security, then BANG it's bloody raining again. 
Right so I've had me little moan, now it's back to working down the wood yard in Madan. This time its dog kennels they want, well its all work plus it beats being in the "Dog House" I thought that was pretty good!
Anyway, they want 8 kennels to go to Turkey. They have'nt got a bloody clue  what they want really. "how big do you want them??". "dont know". "so what type of roof you want then??". "dont Know". " OK so do you want me to just get on with it then??". "yes ok"
Thank god for the gift of speech! That sorted I start working things out. I've not been going for more then 30 mins, when two of the lads come running over to tell me there's a bird trapped in the workshop. 
They all know I'm into birding, so came straight for me. "OK" I say, put down my drill and walk into the workshop. All and I mean All, the guys had stopped work, some were so terrified that they had covered their bloody heads with cardboard! Wot the HELL!! There up on a window ledge, some 5mts up was a warbler trying to break it's own neck to escape.
So I start to climb up the wall to reach it, good job I'm still agile,  right got it. Down I come, better take a look to see if its OK, then I can release it!
Wait a minute, whats this, well I'll be blowed. What I thought was a Chiffchaff, turns out to be a rather nice little Marsh Warbler, actually my first in BG.
I didn't want to stress it any more than it was, but I really wanted to get a good look, I mean how often do you get a chance to hold a new bird in your hand, and get a first rate inspection. Well I mean I had to check it was ok, didn't I!!
Around 14cm in length, pinkish legs, whiteish bib, almost like a Reed Warbler but with a shorter bill. Pale supercilium, grey-brown upper parts with a very slight yellowish below. 
Well better release it before I give it heart failure. Taken outside the bird soon looks perkier, so I find a nice safe spot, place it on the ground, step back and.......a bloody cat gets it,   NO I'm only joking, it took no time, it just flew off into a nearby bush. I thought it might have said THANKS cock, oh yes thats it, it was a male by the way. 
Well pleased with my new found bird and its rescue, I got back to the business of kennel making.

Birthday Birds

Ok, I know we all have one (unless you are the Queen) but I really like my birthday. Especially when I get to do some birding for no other reason other than I can.
I dont know about you but there is something comforting about seeing all your common favorites, they are like known friends & not just birds. For example when you look at certain birds they remind you of something different, for example the Wagtail, I dont just see a bird that I like anyway, but they remind me of busy waiters running from table to table, very smart and neat and saying thank you every time they dip their tail. 
Magpies always give me the impression of the old Victorian sneak thief and so on with others, but the Robin always portrays the good in life, that delicate neat appearance that lets me feel safe.
Anyway after my usual rude awakening, cats dont care about birthdays only their tummies, I was treated to tea (yak pee) in bed, with all my birthday cards & pressies. My beautiful wife Ali really makes b'days special. This year I asked if she could get me "Lars Jonsson's Birds of Europe". It's an old book, but one I never got round to buying, and I have a good few bird books. It first came out in 1992, but I was looking for a newer edition. 
Ali found a second hand 2003 copy on Amazon for 5 quid, the new price is 16.99. When I opened it up I was amazed at its perfect condition, it looked like it had never been touched and I was very pleased, so well done Ali and well done Amazon.
Ceremony over, breakfast done (for cats and me) Ali asked what I wanted to do. The weather is not so good today, drizzle & cloud and feels chilly. Not sure I reply, would like to get a spot of birding in, nothing fancy, maybe a walk round the village, something simple. No probs she says, now I keep myself fit I do mountain walking, I still run & can still climb and today I am 57. However Al's Idea is a quick 15mins up a level track with several stops for, sightseeing, this is cos she is knackered!
Anyway I love being in her company, I truly love my wife and never tire of being with her everyday, so whatever birding I get in is ok with me as its not an arranged trip or anything.
You should never need an excuse to go birding as it is one of life's simple pleasures. Birds calm you, they are such amazing creatures, they capture your imagination and relieve tension, plus they tune your senses and observation skills. You should never just look at birds you should observe them, study their movements, colours & song. 
In closing this I had a great b'day, I got to share it with my family, I got messages from family back in UK & Spain, I got the book I wanted and I got some birding in at the same time!
Birthday Birds seen:
                            Lesser- Whitethroat
                            Sombre Tit
                            Yellow Wagtail
                            Alpine Swift
                            Crag Martin
                            Red-Rumped Swallow
                            Chiffchaff
                            Blackbird
                            Hooded Crow
                            Chaffinch
                            Blue Tit
                            Marsh Tit
                            Great Tit
                            Jay
                            Magpie
                            Black Redstart
                            Olivaceous Warbler
and my reassuring   Robin.










 

Good friends and a mindless Idiot

As the weather is still so good, we decided to visit our friends Mo & Ian up in Gela village, So an early start for us, as its about an hour and a half drive across the mountains. I woke first as usual to the dawn chorus of both birds & cats. Made coffee for Ali, ( my wife's name is Alison) Yak pee for me, well it ain't bloody herbal! Fed the cats to shut them up, showered & dressed.

The idea was to combine a day with mates and also to check out the birding around their place, as I am always looking to take our guests to different venues. Just before leaving, we gave our two sons instructions if we had anyone wanting a room. That done I turned to see if Ali was ready, Wow she always looks so stunning, she has these amazing blue eyes, just like the blue on a Jays wing. See you just cant get away from birding!

Grabbed the bins and off we go. All the time we are driving Ali looks out the window, "You're not saying much" I comment," I am looking for birds so you dont have to, you just drive" What does she mean!!

Journey's end and we arrive at Gela. Ian & Mo are converting this old property into an activity location for holidays, I'll keep you posted, as work is STILL in progress.

Like me Ian is a chippy, so its nice to look round and see what he's been doing. Mo just talks! She is so full of things to say that its never quiet, which is good, as we always have a really good time in their company. The day progresses, Ian and I struggle with a bloody great Iron log burner, that we have to lugg from his van up to the house, Christ I came here for some birding, not working.

Seriously its nice when you can help, as I know from experience, there is never anyone around when you need them. Anyway Mo informs us that lunch, remember I said lunch, will be ready in 30mins, great! so Ian and I decide to go for a walk to see whats about. Ian is not a birder, YET, but loves wildlife, plus I also took along my beasty Chinese bins, one look through these and Ian wanted a pair, see I told you so! We took a track directly from the house that ran NE and leads to a chapel on the peak. We had a few nice birds, including a close soaring Buzzard, Raven, Coal Tit & Goldcrest to name a few. Then as we broke from the forest, I noticed a rocky out crop, so I had a quick scan around, and their on the rocks under a small tree where the three deer that Mo & Ian always look out for, this is Bulgaria and hunting is a big deal here! Which brings me to the crap part of my day, Sitting not 100mts away I noticed a man sitting on a low bank, he had in his hands a high powered rifle with a huge telescopic sight. As its not hunting season (Oct-Dec only) I thought that he was just plinking away at some random target, BUT NO, not 10 feet away was a bush and he was shooting small birds, WHAT!!!! my temper was bursting, as I watched he shot a Great tit male, did nothing with it, just shot it because he could, and it was there. 

He didn't just kill the male but probably a whole nest of young to, as with no male the hen will abandon the nest. I wanted to go down there and wrap the f.....g rifle round his head. But this is not my village, its Ians and he has to live here, so its better to say nothing, but make it known by body language that you ain't happy, with this Mindless Bloody Idiot.

We got back, embittered and sad at what I saw, vented my anger to Ali then finally ate LUNCH at 4.30pm. Good o'l Mo, she was so busy chatting that she forgot the time, still we had a lovely luncnner, (that lunch- dinner)  plus she made birds custard for dessert, well you cant say owt after that. Thanks Mo & Ian we had a great day, with great mates.

A really good day

Sunshine! Yep another really bright sunny morning. You know, there is nothing like waking up to the dawn chorus, birds in full song, Robins proclaiming their territories, and being answered by........our 2 cats screaming for their bloody liver.
Well one in particular, Balkan, he's deaf, so he cant hear how bloody load he meows. I mean it, off the scale for volume. But do I moan? yes of course I do every day, does he take any notice....NO because he's DEAF!!
Right cats fed, wife hydrated with fresh coffee and me with my Yak pee, it's supposed to be herbal....yer right. 
So today is a going to work day, as I am a carpenter I get work at a wood yard as their specialist, making garden furniture and other items that they sell. Any work is good as it helps keep afloat here.
So I load my tools into our Ford Galaxy, Ali, my wife, prepares a tasty lunch box of goodies, tender kisses and a hug, and off I go. I always manage to take my bins with me, well you never know, anyway all work and no play, you know it makes sense!  
It takes 40 mins to get to Madan, where I work, unloading takes a while as I am always greeted like a long lost son. Today they want me to make some English wooden wheelbarrows, right lets get started then..... Hang on, whats that up in the conifers 40 mts away, tools down bins out....wow a male Black woodpecker, what a great start. Ok so with that under my belt lets get some work done. Well I mean this is me, its what I do & love, birding that is, so the work progresses at a somewhat leisurely pace, but the birding was on man.
I had a couple of Warblers, Olivaceous & Icterine, White & Grey Wagtails, a Coal Tit, House Martin & Barn Swallow. I continue working, after all that's what I am supposed to be here for, get my head down and knock out 4 barrows.    Lunch time, at last,  open my lunch box grab a sarnie, prepare to feed my taste buds and........Bloody cat!! Balkan has nibbled my damn crusts and left teeth marks as if to say I got here first, so hands off!
Really I did chuckle to myself, after all it is funny when you think about it, right! Food inside me I decide to walk along the stream that runs along side the yard. Madan is only 20mins from the Greek border, and this stream flows in from there. After having a number of Tits, Chaffinch, Blackcap, Redstart, Robin, Jay & Chiffchaff & walking for 30mins or so, I thought I'd best get back and finish the job in hand.
Just before I got back I happened to look up, as I am always checking for Red-Rumped Swallow, When I saw a bird soaring on thermals, I stopped, sat down and got 10mins of great views of a Long-Legged Buzzard, I was well pleased, I mean well pleased. The day cant get any better than this, but it did! I finished the work and got paid as well, normally it takes a few weeks, so as I said.....A Really Good Day!!!

What a difference a day makes

Well what can I say! all the snow has gone, the sky is a vivid blue. It's hot and sunny and the whole mountain side is alive with bird song and lots of activity.
I was so surprised when I woke this morning, that I was prepared to go on about the bad weather, as I do, but NO!
So I shook the wife awake, she does need her 10 hours, threw back the curtains, blinded the poor girl, showed her the sunshine and what did she say......."Put some clothes on hun the cats have'nt been fed yet!"
Well I ask you, what's a man supposed to do, there's just no accounting for taste.

All jokes aside, I decided to work on the terrace today. I thought as is was such a nice day I would sand and re-stain the picnic tables, ready for guests. With so much bird activity going on, of course I just happened to bring a pair of bins with me, as you do, yes! These were my comfy big Chinese 10x50's not my usual 10x40 Bushnell's that are my everyday pair. If you ever get the chance to try a pair of Chinese bins do so.
I found these GINGINGIN's (as they are spelt on the left side of the bin's) but in fact are spelt xingxingxing, are in fact excellent quality binocular's with excellent reviews, as I was saying, I found these in a market in Velingrad.
We were on a day trip, as this town is a mineral spa town. I was not looking to buy anything, just looking. Anyway I saw these bin's and thought go on Tel have a squint, wow, not only were they as good as any expensive pair I have ever had, but they were by far the most comfortable pair, for my eyes that is, that I have ever tried.
The beauty of these baby's is that they have a diopter on each side, so you can set them to suit whatever your eyes are, brilliant, why cant all manufactures do this? On the down side they are a little on the bulky side and close focus is 16ft, they are not nitro filled, but that is it. They are comfy in the hand, rubber armoured, Bak 4 prisms, bright viewing with quality to the edge, they also have the best fitting lens caps I know, a good solid neck strap, and all for just.....wait for it!.....50leva that's about 23 quid in real money.
So I bought them, and a year later they still out perform my Bushnell's & my old Opticrons. Yes close up yer dead, but for birds in flight, long distance or on water or even just general birding  (and for 23 quid) you've got to buy them. I have since meet a few UK & Dutch birders who own these bins, and some even use them all the time. Sooo if you see a pair, go on try them, I bet you buy em!
Ok back to the terrace and work, yep got them all done, had lunch outside, on the remarkably good looking picnic tables, used my bulky babes and got some nice sightings.

Today: Chaffinch, Robin, GT Tit, Magpie, Green woodpecker, Olivaceous Warbler, Redstart, Sombre Tit, Blue Tit, Black Redstart, Marsh Tit, Willow Warbler, Crag Martin & Ring Ouzel.
Nice to see the Warbler's back in the garden, but even better to see the four Martin's over the village.

Ring Ouzel Invasion.

Well It's still snowing. The middle of April and no sign of letting up just yet, well it better had because we have our first spring Birding group due in three weeks. My wife and I run a B+B guest house here in the Rodopi's that is primarily for Birders & Hikers, in the winter Skiing.
So I was looking at our bird tables today and decided that they were in need of replacement, well they were put up in a hurry when we first opened. Anyway being a carpenter I thought I best take some time to do a proper job. Off I go to the workshop, knock out a couple of replacement tables, get into the garden to change them over when all of a sudden the whole area was engulfed in a large flock of Ring Ouzel.
Well what to do? do I drop the table's, go grab my bins, or do I carry on doing the job I set out to do........Yep I dropped the table's.
I had really nice views for around 10 mins or so, they seemed to start feeding in various groups, then they just started to drift off in numbers.
It looked liked they flew towards Hyduski Polyani plains just behind the village. I was really pleased as this was the largest flock of RO's I have seen, oh the bloody table's, OK no harm done, better finish, opps, start the job.
Also had:
             8 Bullfinch to-day 4+4 M+F,
           15 Chaffinch....mixed group M+F
             3 Sombre Tit....2 male, 1 female
             1 Mistle Thrush
             1 Blackbird....male
             6 Gt Tit....M+F
             2 Blue Tit....2 males
             1 Jay....female
             1 Black Redstart....male
             2 Hooded Crow....Ukn in flight
             2 Robin....Ukn
             1 Dunnock....male
             5 Magpie....mixed
             1 Chaffinch....male
So all in all not a bad day, I finished the bird table's, got rave reviews from my wife & boys, had some nice sightings without trying! What more can you ask....oh yes STOP SNOWING.
            

Welcome to my new birding in Bulgaria blog

Hi this my first post on my blog about Birdwatching in Bulgaria. I hope this will be of interest to some people. Daily sightings, news, locations that I visit, as well as I hope, some funny things that happen along the way.
I also hope that this creates interest enough to meet new friends and to share other people's birding experiences! 

To-Day: 18/04/2011. Place: My garden in Momchilovtsi.
Weather: Snow all day, dull white skies, wind moderate NE.
Temp: 0 degs.

Because of the bad weather spell the bird table is still being stocked up, we had good numbers feeding, with a couple of unexpected visitors.

Bullfinch....6           3 Males & 3 Females all together in the alder's.
Chaffinch...12+       Male & Females.
Nutcracker..1          Male, a surprise visitor.
Dunnock.....1          Female.
Great Tit....6          2 Males & 4 females.
Sombre Tit..2         1 + 1.
Robin.........2         Both Male.
Marsh Tit....4         Unknown, but a real joy to watch!
Magpie.......1         Female tried the strong arm tactics. 
Black Redstart 1     Male so nice to see them back.
Blackbird....1         Male.
Blue Tit......4         Male & Female.


My blog is just a personal record of my birding activities. I have been birding for about 40 years now, so I thought it might be nice to take time to put my sightings down. For me it's a bit of fun. and at the same time a record of info for all.
Thanks if you have taken the time to read this. It will get better, I promise, as i learn more of what to do.