Day 1

Landing at Varna airport and transfer village of Vetren, located in the immediate vicinity to the Danube and the world famous reserve ‘Lake Srebarna’. It is under the aegis of UNESCO as a monument of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Accommodation at Pelican Birding Lodge for 5 nights.

Day 2

All day long we’ll be in the region , making observations around Srebarna lake reserve. Possible bird species for the day : Dalmatian Pelican, Ferruginous duck, Pygmy cormorant and a number of other more or less rare birds like Red-necked and Black-necked Grebes, Purple, Squacco and Night Herons, Marsh Harrier, Penduline Tit , Lesser Spotted Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Ruddy Shellduck also breeds in the banks of the small dry valleys around the lake. In the afternoon we will visit the Danube river proper. Birds likely to be seen there: Dalmatian Pelicans, Herons, Woodpeckers.

Day 3

After breakfast, we set off for the rocky canyon of the Souhata Reka (i.e. the dry river). This is a limestone region with vertical cliffs sinking directly down to the river valley. The cliffs themselves are perforated by a great number of rock niches and caverns, which in the distant past gave shelter to the early Christians in these lands, and today they are inhabited by interesting bird species like the Black Stork, Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Booted Eagle, etc. We are going to see smaller birds like Roller, Hoopoe, Bee-eater, Golden Oriole, Barred Warbler and many other species of birds.

Day 4

Today, we will visit a quite new nature reserve and, perhaps for this reason, in perfect state. It gives shelter to such interesting species of birds like White-winged Black-, Black- and Whiskered Terns, Red-necked- and Black-necked Grebes, almost all of the European herons and egrets, Great Reed Warbler and many other species. This is the marsh ‘Nova Cherna’. During the trip to the marsh, we will visit some other, smaller water bodies where, hopefully, we will see Ruddy Shelduck, and in their vicinities Booted Eagle, Honey Buzzard, Lesser-spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) and other raptors.

Day 5

It is time to visit the rocky valley (canyon) of river Roussenski Lom. This area is a nature park, and its beautiful riverside terraces, tall cliffs, caves, rock formations, high biodiversity and many historical monuments make it an exceptionally interesting destination for visitors. The combination between rocks, forests, rivers, caves and meadows lies at the root of its very high indeed biodiversity: the flora of nature park ‘Roussenski Lom’ numbers 902 species. Its fauna is represented by 10 species of amphibians (of which 5 are protected), 19 species of reptiles, 22 species of fish, 66 species of mammals. Perhaps its greatest wealth is the birds: 190 species, of which 109 species breed within the park boundaries. We will hopefully see Black stork, Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes), Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), Honey Buzzard , Lon- legged Buzzard and many other species of birds.

Day 6

Today, we will leave the Danube riverside and head east for the Northern Black Sea coast. During the transfer, we’ll stop for watching birds and, hopefully, we will see Black headed and Ortolan bunting, Lesser Grey Shrike. Around noon we’ll have already arrived at the coast and will immediately head for the nature reserve ‘Kaliakra’ and the rocky canyon called Bolata for watching birds. Cape Kaliakra Steppe Nature Reserve is a coastal headland. Its white and reddish cliffs descend precipitously into the depths of the sea from a height of over 200 m. Inland, the sky above the rolling steppe is dotted with slow-flapping Calandra and Short-toed Larks. The habitat also suits Isabeline and Pied Wheatears and Stone Curlew. Almost everywhere, perched on small shrubs we can see Lesser Grey- and Red-backed Shrikes, Black-headed- and Corn Buntings, Pied Wheatear. We hope to see also Rosy starlings. Bolata is a rocky limestone canyon on the bottom of which runs a small rivulet, forming similarly small marsh, then continues to run out of it and flows into a little bay of the sea. The rock walls of the canyon are perforated by a great number of caves, which give shelter to many mammals, reptiles and birds like the Eagle Owl for instance. In the late afternoon, we will put up at a local hotel in the town of Kavarna for 2 nights.

Day 7

After an early breakfast follows a visit to Dourankoulak lake. It’s a very important wetland area for the breeding, migrating and wintering birds with its extensive reed-beds and open-water area. Here we will be most interested to spot Paddyfield Warbler, Collared Pratincole, Pygmy Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill, Ferruginous Duck, Gull-billed- and Caspian Terns, Red-footed Falcon, Long-legged Buzzard. After the packed lunch we’ll visit Kaliakra steppe reserve region. This is a coastal headland. Its white and reddish cliffs descend precipitously into the depths of the sea from a height of over 200 m. Inland, the sky above the rolling steppe is dotted with slow-flapping Calandra- and Short-toed Larks. The habitat also suits Isabeline- and Pied Wheatears and Stone curlew. Almost everywhere, perched on small shrubs we can see Lesser Grey- and Red-backed Shrikes, Black-headed- and Corn Buntings. This is also the region where sometimes the Rose-coloured Starlings appear during their periodic invasions.

Day 8

We’ll head north (180 km) along the Black Sea coast and cross the border with Rumania and in about 3 hours driving we arrive at the village of Murigiol, where our Romanian colleagues will be waiting for us. Our trip continues by boat transfer to the center of the Danube Delta, where our hotel is located. Accommodation at ‘Cormorant’ hotel for 3 nights. During the transfer we’ll se many Herons, hopefully flocks of White Pelicans and other water birds.

Day 9

For the next two days we’ll travel only by boats, following the existing net of channels in the Delta. We expect to see Caspian Tern, flocks of White Pelican, all of the European species of Herons & Egrets ( apart from Cattle Egret), Graylag Goose, White-tailed Eagle, Red-footed Falcon, Grey-headed- and Black Woodpeckers, Spotted- and Little Crake and many other species of birds.

Day 10

See day 9

Day 11

Today, we will travel back to Bulgaria. Our trip starts by boat. We’ll make our last birdwatching from the boat and we’ll have the opportunity to see the species from the previous two days. In the late afternoon, we will arrive at our hotel in the town of Kavarna where we’ll have our last dinner and night there.

Day 12

After breakfast and depending on the flight schedule we can make the last birdwatching in the region, and then follows a transfer to Varna Airport where our tour comes to its end.