Bird photography in Spring

Bee-eaters, Rollers and Golden Oriole photography. Hide photography for many rare and interesting birds.

Cost: 1190 €/pp + 130 € single room supplement
Group size: 2-6 + 1 guide
Minimum group size:  2 + 1 guide

Full board trip for 6 days (5 nights).
Includes: accommodation, use of hides, local transport, guiding, meals, transfer from/to the Varna airport.
Excludes: alcoholic drinks, personal insurance
Period: May - June, based on one week period.

For our stay we shall be based in the area called "Suha reka" in North East Bulgaria. Offers fantastic opportunities to photograph over 20 fantastic bird species depending upon the season. For our stay we shall use several hides in the area: tower hide, european roller hide, bee-eater hide, forest hide, drinking station and a mobile hides. Two of them are in the backyard of the cottage, two for Bee-eaters and Rollers, one for forest birds one mobile for bee-eaters, souslik and others small birds.

Each of the hide we are going to use is usually suitable for tree or four photographers. The other people from the group will be set at different locations and then swap.

Day 1
Transfer from airport to the photography location where we shall stay for next nights. Photography if time allows.

Day 2 and 3
Golden Oriole photography from tower hide. In the yard of the cottage where we shall be accommodated we have built a 9m high tower in front of a tree where over 10 species of birds perch. The tree is in the middle of the territory of two, tree pairs of Golden Orioles, see more photos of Golden oriole. We shall spend the first few hours of the day, just after sunrise, sitting in the tower hide waiting for the best shot. Often both males and females perch on the tree. Males from different pairs also perch for disputes.

See more images from our tower hide here.

Other species that perch on the tree in photography distance include Middle spotted Woodpecker, Syrian Woodpecker, Great spotted Woodpecker, Cuckoo, Black-headed Bunting, Ortolan Bunting, Corn Bunting, Red-Backed Shrike, Spanish Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Linnet, Turtle Dove, Collared Dove, Common Starling, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Jay, Common Whitethroat, etc. Rarely, a Hawfinch or Bee-eater may also land on the tree.

Noon is usually the time when the light is not quite suitable for photography so we usually catch up with some rest in the shade to compensate for the early start. Anyone willing to stay in the hide is welcome.

Rollers and bee-eaters photography in the afternoon. The late afternoon light ought to be used as well. Only about few km from our cottage there are several colonies with Bee-eaters and Rollers. Often Bee-eaters nest in holes on the ground and perch on the natural plants around. For the Rollers we have set up a perch a couple of metres away from the hide.

Day 4, 5
Bee-eaters and Rollers photography in the morning. The area of our cottage has few colonies of European Bee-eaters. At most of them there is a pair or two of Rollers.

Souslik photography, macro and landscape photography in the afternoon. The area has colony of Souslik that quite curious sneak from their nesting burrows. There is often Isabelline Wheatear and Northern Wheatear nesting around the Souslik.

Will spend one or two mornings in Forest hide waiting for Middle=spotted woodpecker, Turtule dove, Hawfinches and Sombre Tit. In the eveningsand optimize the afternoon light for Shrikes, macro photography and landscapes. The landscape of the area presents infinite opportunities for nesting of cavity nesting birds. Cliffs and old trees with burrows are often occupied by Sombre Tit, Hoopoe and Grey-headed Woodpecker. Every village in the area has several pairs of nesting Syrian Woodpeckers. 

Spring is the best time for meadow flowers and butterflies which are of great abundance and present fantastic opportunity at afternoon light. The warm light of the setting Sun gives a soft vision of picturesque cliffs.

Shrikes, Buntings and Larks photography. The remoteness of the area of our accommodation is a precondition for a great variety of birds that are common here. Red-backed Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, Crested Lark, Calandra Lark are a few to name.

The villages around also present opportunity to photograph Little Owl.

Day 6
Departure: Transfer from our place of accommodation to the Varna airport.