I have not blogged for a little while as I have been busy with guiding groups and other work, sorry!
We recently had a couple from the West Highlands of Scotland, Margret & Monte, who are very keen birders and well into butterflies. Well what I know about these you can write on an old "Yak Pee" bag.
However, they arrived late afternoon after a long drive from Samokov nr Sofia. Quite a nice couple I thought, really soft spoken and ready for birding!
After dropping their kit off in their room, followed by a cuppa and a piece of my Ali's wonderful cake, I offered to take them up to my patch for a little birding. We took the footpath up to the lower part of my patch, although not a Hot Spot area it can throw up some good birding.
Birds seen;- Red-rumped Swallow...Blackbird...Hooded Crow...Wryneck...Great Spotted Woody...Mistle Thrush...Chaffinch...Buzzard...Red-Backed Shrike...Corn Bunting...Corn Crake...Coal Tit...Ring Ouzel...Lesser-Whitethroat...Magpie...Syrian Woody...Robin...Chiffchaff...Cirl Bunting...Woodchat Shrike...Lesser-Grey Shrike...Spotted Flycatcher...House Martin...Crested Tit...Pallid Swift & Nightingale.
Day 2, A trip to Trigrad gorge, famous for the elusive Wallcreeper, an early breakfast & an early start to make the most of the day. So two cups of "Yak Pee" later, we arrive in Trigrad after about an hours drive.
Already there are a number of birders from all over Europe, Dutch, German, Italian some Bulgarian bird photographers, two English and now us. To our advantage I know this place and where the Wallies go, and over the years their behaviour patterns.
The photographers were set up just below the nest hole of the "Wallies" & took up all the available space, some of the others were on another guided tour & I knew that they would not have a lot of time as the tours do rush around trying to get as many ticks as possible.
So with all this going on I decided to take my party to a rather under estimated spot. It is right on the road-side up against a barrier, because of the 100ft drop, I pointed out that if they were to concentrate on the opposite rock face, about 15mts up there is a small grassy ledge, keep looking there as this is where I normally see both male & females feeding.
We had only been there for about 10mins when not only one but both parent birds came into view. They where in a courtship flight, rekindling their partnership, going from left to right up the gorge. After a brief 2 mins of viewing, the female came back along the same route, back to the nest site (photographers happy). Monte tried to get nearer to them, but it was dangerous as cars would not see him, so I told him to come back to our spot and wait a while. He did not have to wait long..the male bird came back the same way as before, so this was the feeding flightpath.We had goods observations over the next 2 hours, so all in all a good start, but I wanted to move on. There is not only the Wallcreepers to see at Trigrad, If you know where to look, and I did!!
There is an old Roman road that leads up to an Alpine meadow, the views along are worth the hike, but so is the birding. Only the locals know how to find the start of this track, and I was known to a lot of locals as a friend, so the info was passed on to me, good eh!After a steep but steady climb, the track breaks out onto this amazing panoramic vista, and yes WOW factor plus.
We spent the next 4 hours up here, and it got the 10 out of 10 rating, birds seen that day:- Wallcreeper...Peregrine, nest site...Alpine Swift...Crag Martin...Red-Rumped Swallow...House martin...Black Stork...Black-Headed Bunting...Black-Headed Wagtail (Feldegg)...Grey Wagtail...Honey Buzzard...Coal Tit...Long-Legged Buzzard...White Wagtail...Yellowhammer...Chiffchaff...Black Redstart...Cmn Buzzard...Cerin...Goldcrest...Bullfinch...Chaffinch...Cetti's, Olivaceous, Willow & Icterine Warblers...Blackbird...Hooded Crow...Wheatear...Red-Backed Shrike...Lesser-Grey Shrike...Isabeline Wheatear...Wood Lark...Short-Toed Lark...Robin...House Sparrow...
Linnet...Dunnock...Dipper...Sombre Tit...Great Tit...Swift...Skylark & Wren.
Now all this is brill, but what of the dark cloud thing, oh yes! All the time we are birding M & M, as they became known, were bloody butterfly spotting!!! Do you know how time consuming this is? Not only were they spotting, but Mont, with his new bloody camera
( he didnt know how to use it, it was new) Insisted on snapping away at everyone of them, I mean come on, I got a job to do. Right, so getting back to the dark thing, well remember I said I thought they were nice etc: well it turns out they have this dark secret...............
Everywhere they go on holiday....they leave a trail of horror, it always bloody RAINS!!!!!!
For heavens sake, the day they arrived, the weather changed from hot & sunny to Crap.
I took no notice, after all it happens, not nice but there you go. Trigrad hot & sunny no prob, only they dont like it hot....*!?$ After that it all went down hill, weather wise. Talk about weather gremlins, Christ! But joking aside they had a good two weeks birding, it was all they wanted and more, they gave me such positive remarks it made me feel like I was doing things right. I would also like to thank both M & M for getting me interested in Butterflies. I will never be in their league, but I am now buying myself a book to be able to spot better, thanks guys! I loved everyday, your company was brill, we had a good few laughs, mainly at Monts expense lol.
The full list of birds they saw on holiday follows, but the one crowning day for me was when we went up to Hyduski Polyani on the penultimate day, this is where I first spotted my Lesser Kestrel, only to be told that they are too rare here, no s***, well not only did I see it then, but all three of us saw it on this visit, and to cap it off good old Mont, well he got a photo of it, you clever old git you! Well it made my day and my trip, Once again guys thanks for you company and our new friendship. My dearest wishes to you both!!!!
Observed the following, without the above:-
Bullfinch..White-Backed Woodpecker..Goldcrest..Merlin..Raven..Long-Tailed Tit..
Whitethroat..Nutcracker..Jackdaw..Wood Lark..Golden Oriole..Corn Bunting..
Turtle Dove..Starling..Cuckoo..Masked Shrike..Hoopoe..Tree Sparrow..Roller..Hawfinch..Cetti's Warbler..Marsh Warbler..Ortolan Bunting..Olive Tree Warbler..Kingfisher..Goldfinch..Nightingale..Booted Eagle..Reed Warbler..Savi's Warbler..Swift..Greenfinch..Little-Ringed Plover..Grey Heron..Green Woodpecker..Black & White Stork..Goshawk..Subalpine Warbler..Imperial Eagle..Blue Tit..Blackcap..Little Owl..Syrian Woodpecker..Rock Bunting & Lesser Kestrel.
