Bulgaria

I managed a walk to Sofia’s Boris Park both of the days I was in the city, and while the birding was only so-so, I did enjoy the chance to get a feel for the town.
Architecturally, much of it is about what one might expect for an eastern European capital; but there are jewels scattered [...]

Birding time: gone in a flash! Though I’d meant to get up at 3:30 to wave goodbye to the participants heading home at the end of the tour, I rolled over in grateful relief that I still had two days. First a little birding, then a couple of very informative meetings with the dedicated staff [...]

Here in North America, of course, House Sparrows are simply annoying, and I never look at the birds in my yard without blaming them for the absence of Elf Owls in our neighborhood. And when I lived in Illinois, I barely gave the most begrudging of glances to Eurasian Tree-Sparrows, “desirable” as they were to ABA-area listers.
But [...]

Wow. Paddyfield Warbler!
Earl got some magnificent photos of this rare and very local Acrocephalus, including what is perhaps the most impressive flight shot of any bird I’ve ever seen. And I didn’t even bother trying, instead spending my time enjoying what was probably the “best” bird from a listing standpoint of the entire trip.
Mladen and [...]

 
Great Cormorants at the Poda Reserve, one of the birdiest places we visited in Bulgaria.
June 13 was an amazing day, with lifebirds everywhere I looked. One of the fine Bourgas-area lakes hosted a flock of more than 250 Great White Pelicans, magnificent birds that even at a hazy mile’s distance shone pink on the water [...]