After our
trip to the Romania, the Danube delta, we were curious to see its southern
neighbor Bulgaria. Relatively unspoilt, at around 2.5 times the size of the
Netherlands and less than half of the population, it is a country where there is
habitat for many interesting and beautiful species. Guided by
Emil Enchev – in
his VW bus – we made a 10 day round trip in June 2010, starting and ending at
Varna airport.
Although Bulgaria has a very
wide range of species, it was clear to us that finding the best spots really
depended on the local knowledge that only a good guide has. The rose colored starlings e.g. were in an abandoned marble
quarry (there are quite a few of such quarries, though) and they were very
numerous right there, but we didn’t see them anywhere else. The Golden
Oriole was in a narrow gorge that could only be approached via private land,
and several other species had their favorite hunting grounds or watering
holes that one simply has to know. Emil knew his birds and their best spots,
and he proved to be a tireless and very enjoyable companion.
Still,
there are great Bulgarian species we did not see, like the Eastern Imperial
Eagle, which would have required a separate trip and all day sessions in a
permanent hide. The same can be said for the red-breasted goose and for
mammals like the
brown bear, the
jackal, the
Eurasian lynx,
and the
European mink. That will give us an incentive to come back one
day.
Membership of the EU has helped Bulgaria to start development – not always
an advantage to bird photographers – but this is still not a country of
highways and big cities. Many Bulgarians continue to grow their own fruit
and vegetables, for personal consumption and/or sale, and restaurants list
various tasty salads, along with the local wines.
Prices are very reasonable. Emil
treated us to his family’s home grown wine, a very tasty breakfast out in
the field every morning and an excellent time all around.
