Bulgaria: overwintering Red-breasted Geese, White-headed Ducks, and other notable waterfowl and raptors, plus Pallas’s Gull in support.

Description: The spectacle of many thousands of overwintering Red-breasted Geese is the central theme to this exclusive winter tour to the western coastal zone of the Black Sea. Large concentrations of White-fronts plus a few of the exceedingly rare Lesser White-fronted Geese are present, plus a large array of waterfowl including divers, grebes, and ducks (Shelduck, White-headed Duck, Ferruginous Duck and Smew). If your appetite isn’t already wetted how about a follow-up cast that includes Pygmy Cormorant and Bittern plus several notable raptors: White-tailed, and Spotted Eagles, Merlin, Rough-legged and Long-legged Buzzards. If the weather permits, we shall also travel up to the Srebarna Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO site) by the Danube, for close views of Dalmatian Pelicans in breeding plumage. There is a good chance of an Eagle Owl and outside possibility of Greater Black-headed Gull.

Woodpeckers are well represented (White-backed, Grey-headed, Black, Syrian and Middle Spotted), other passerines including Sombre Tit, Crested and Calandra Larks, Great Grey Shrike and, with luck, Lapland and Pine Buntings.

For a winter tour the overall bird list is outstanding. Romanian brackish lagoons Sinoe, Zmeica, Histria, and Vadu, in the southern part of the Danube Delta, will be the major hot spots to be explored along the Romanian Black Sea coast. Bulgarian coastal Lakes Durankulak and Shabla in the north, and Vaya (Bourgas lake) and Atanasovsko in the south are principal wetlands visited, with the steppes of Cape Kaliakra and riparian forests of Kamchia broadening the habitat theme.

Mammals (including three species of Dolphins) are also on the agenda, searched for after dark aided by powerful spotlight. Jackal, Raccoon Dog, Marbled and Steppe Polecats are our main targets, all being relatively common.

The Branta Birding Lodge & Conservation Centre in Durankulak is an ideal place to develop youth conservation education efforts that involves exchanges with local schools. The local municipalities of Shabla and Kavarna already demonstrated their commitment to the conservation efforts in the area. Such a specific platform overlooking the roosting site of the geese (Lake Durankulak) provides an important local base for our activities, accommodating our members, scientists and birdwatchers, synergizing the conservation efforts with other large initiatives involving stakeholders, conservation groups and the public, offering a meeting place for discussions with local people, Bulgarian and foreign institutions and NGO’s, and organizing workshops.

Last but not least, several two-metre high wooden pile platform was erected in the Srebarna Biosphere Reserve in Bulgaria designed to attract new breeding pairs of Dalmatian Pelicans and allow nests to be built above flood water levels. The construction of the pile platforms was made in the frame of the Srebarna Dalmatian Pelican Conservation Programme, carried out by Le Balkan Foundation with the financial support of Swarovski Optik and the technical assistance of Branta-Tours Birdwatching Company. Our team, involving also local people from the village of Srebarna, implemented several very important measures and management techniques at the colony with the main goal to improve the breeding conditions of the Srebarna Dalmatian Pelican colony and to ensure the survival of the pelicans.

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Bulgaria | Branta Tours Birdwatching Company | Red-breasted Goose Winter Tour

Bulgaria | Branta Tours Birdwatching Company | Red-breasted Goose Winter Tour

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