One thing sorted. Minko's name can be spelt either with a C or a K. The hard C noise looks like a K in Cyrillic, a C, Ch as in loch. It's a K for me from now on.
The day started well with a plethora of Raptors over a stubble field. Marsh Harriers, Comnon Buzzard and one Steppe Buzzard. The latter was of interest as it is very similar to Long-legged Buzzard so we had a long discussion. My photographs of this very distant bird are dreadful but, here's one for memory's sake.
The second stop was on the shores of Lake Durankulak, a leisure area where we parked and walked a short way to view the lake and then glimpses of some water over the top of a wall and a reed bed. Our first Osprey fished over open water, two Black-necked Grebes appeared and diasappeared near the breakwater and ........the shore was edged with well spaced sunbathers.
A Golden Jackal looked freshly dead roadside. What a shame, it looked like a handsome animal.
Then, some more excitement, a Lesser Grey Shrike flew and landed within sight.
Views of Marsh Terns over the wall were frustrating at first until good enough views identified them as Whiskered Terns. Pygmy Cormorants took off from the reeds and flew out to the lake, two Red-breasted Flycatchers called from a nearby tree and Minko went off to investigate further afield. He came chasing back to show us a pair of White-tailed Eagles sat in the plough beyond the marsh, massive golden yellow beaks glinting in the sun. They eventually took off and soared in the company of Common Buzzards. Time to eave for some more Steppe searching. We spent most of the morning driving steppe around a large lake on very rough tracks seeing...... nothing apart from a bounty of Red-backed Shrikes which kept Pam active.
Minko got more and more frustrated as we drove more and more tracks with nothing to show for it, the worst birding moments of his life he said. He's an emotional man who takes his work very seriously, although he's far from serious himself. We were very happy with the occasional Bee-eater and I saw a Squacco Heron briefly. More Terns on the lake, Common Terns this time and, a small group of Greylag.
Arriving at the beach where a soft, balmy breeze cooled us a little, more Pygmy Cormorants, Great Crested Grebes and a tiny blue butterfly which led Pam a merry dance.
Lunch at a good waterside restaurant, where I photographed a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull from the table, before even more really rough tracks where a Calandra Lark and a Whinchat enlivened the drive.
At least Lake Shabla, where we'd wader watched yesterday, would have some birds. They'd huddled at the opposite end to where bikini and speedo clad people were plastering themselves in black mud. What fun.
The birds were distant but scopeable, gulls the most distant, then a line of terns, waders scattered about plus a few Mallard and Teal. Best were three Caspian Terns, one a superb adult in summer plumage.
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| Pam and Minko at work. |
Deciding to cut his losses, Minko drove to a wind turbine area where his watcher friends had seen some decent birds. We kept reassuring him that all was good, we were genuinely content with our lot - we didn't know what we should have been seeing !
17 Grey Partridge, Woodlark, Tawny Pipit, Linnet and a Whinchat bumped up the list.
Another most enjoyable day, We move base to Burgas for 5 nights to-morrow morning, should be good.
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