Pygmy Cormorants in Blagoevgrad wetlands during autumn migration
Posted by Rossen
On 22th and 25th September near Blagoevgrad observed Pygmy Cormorants during the autumn migration. The small flock of 21 birds saw on island of Struma river covered with dense vegetation of willow and reedmace.
Observation of rare waders
Posted by Rossen
In late August I had the opportunity to observe rare waders migrating through the valley of the Struma River. The little flock of four Black-winged Stilts (one young and three adult birds) used wetlands near Blagoevgrad for accumulation of food base before re-take south to wintering areas.
Summer bird observations 2011
Posted by Rossen
June
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Masked Shrike - 4 n. - IBA Kresna gorge
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breeding
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Black-eared Wheatear - 4 n. - Tisata reserve (IBA Kresna gorge)
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breeding
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Eastern Olivaceous Warbler - 1 n. - IBA Kresna gorge
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breeding
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Woodchat Shrike - 6 n. - IBA Kresna gorge
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breeding
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Lesser Whitethroat - 3 n. - IBA Kresna gorge
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breeding
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July
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Spotted Nutcracker - 12 n. - Tiha Rila - Dolen Govedarnik (Rila Monastery Nature park)
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Common Crossbill - 4 n. - Tiha Rila (Rila Monastery Nature Park)
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Water Pipit - 5 n. - Fish lakes (Rila Monastery Nature Park)
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Yellow-billed Chough - 2 n. - Fish lakes (Rila Monastery Nature Park)
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Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus) - 18 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Whiskered Tern - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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Sombre Tit - 1 n. - near Dabrava
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August
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Wood Sandpiper - 21 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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White Stork - 57 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Black Stork - 2 n. - IBA Boboshevo meadows
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European Honey Buzzard - 1 n. - IBA Boboshevo meadows
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Black-headed Gull (Immature) - 9 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Little Gull (Immature) - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Short-toed Snake Eagle - 2 n. -Blagoevgrad wetlands
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White Stork - 11 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Yellow-billed Chough - 5 n. -Jumerdjika lakes (IBA Rila)
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Whinchat - 2 n. - Jumerdjika lakes (IBA Rila)
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Black Redstart - 1 n. - Jumerdjika lakes (IBA Rila)
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Water Pipit - 2 n. - Jumerdjika lakes (IBA Rila)
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Peregrine Falcon - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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vagrant
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European Bee-eater - 23 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Black-winged Stilt - 4 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Hoopoe - 7 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Greenshank - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Common Snipe - 3 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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Yellow-billed Chough - 3 n. - Moussala (IBA Rila)
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Alpine Accentor - 5 n. - Ledenoto lake (IBA Rila)
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Eleonora's Falcon - 1 n. - Tisata reserve (IBA Kresna gorge)
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Curlew Sandpiper - 1 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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migratory
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Eurasian Teal - 6 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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migratory
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Sombre Tit - 1 n. - IBA Kresna gorge
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Ruff (Immature) - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Migration of gulls over Struma river
Posted by Rossen
The beginning of autumn migration, as always, began with observations of flocks of gulls over the Struma River. On 17.07.2011 a flock of 18 Mediterranean Gull (Larus melanocephalus) migrated over Blagoevgrad wetlands, followed by a small flock of 9 immature Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), among them and one immature Little Gull (Larus minutus).
Osprey migration
Posted by Rossen
This spring, the observations of migratory Osprey over Blagoevgrad wetlands was not rarity. A total of five separate sightings of Osprey make in March and April. The most exciting observation was in April of Osprey hunting, which stays around for a week.
Eurasian Golden Plover
Posted by Rossen
On 13.03.2011 observed four of migrating Eurasian Golden Plover in Blagoevgrad wetlands on the sandbar formed after the last flood of the Struma in December 2010. Bad weather during the day were apparently forced the little flock to stop and use the site to accumulation a food base before again make the long way to breeding grounds in the tundra. This is the first recorded observation of Eurasian Golden Plover in Blagoevgrad wetlands.
Pluvialis apricaria altifrons |
Spring bird observations 2011
Posted by Rossen
February
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Griffon Vulture - 3 n. -IBA Kresna Gorge
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breeding
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Eurasian Coot - 450 n. -Stoykovtsi Dam
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wintering
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Northern Pintail - 2 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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wintering
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Eurasian Wigeon - 4 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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wintering
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Northern Lapwing - 2 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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wintering
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Common Snipe - 17 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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wintering
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Hen harrier - 3 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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wintering
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Great Crested Grebe - 13 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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wintering
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Little Grebe - 17 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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wintering
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March
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Mute Swan - 1 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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migratory
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Eurasian Golden Plover - 4 n. -Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Common Blackbird (Leucism), Park Bachinovo
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Osprey - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Short-toed Snake Eagle - 1 n. - near Barakovo
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Common Snipe - 15 n. - near Stob
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wintering
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Eurasian Wryneck - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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April
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Greenshank - 3 n. --Stoykovtsi Dam
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migratory
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Mediterranean Gull - 2 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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migratory
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Garganey - 13 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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migratory
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Black Stork - 1n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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Ruff - 18n. - Struma River near Krumovo
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migratory
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Short-toed Snake Eagle - 3 n. - Struma River near Krumovo
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Osprey - 1n. -Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Osprey - 2 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Osprey (left to hunt around for one week) - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Ferruginous duck - 2 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Purple Heron - 2 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Night Heron - 9 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Black Tern - 6 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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May
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Roller - 1 n. - IBA Rupite
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Hobby - 2 n. - IBA Rupite
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Long-legged Buzzard - 2 n. - IBA Rupite
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Marsh Harrier - 1n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Squacco Heron - 3 n. -Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Short-toed Snake Eagle - 2 n. -Blagoevgrad wetlands
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Short-toed Snake Eagle - 1n. - Smochevo village
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European Nightjar - 2 n. - Moshtanets village
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Whiskered Tern - 1 n. - Stoykovtsi Dam
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migratory
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Whiskered Tern - 7 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Eurasian Stone-curlew - 1 n. - Blagoevgrad wetlands
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migratory
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Barred Warbler - 1n. -near Dragodan
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breeding
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Levant Sparrowhawk - 1n. - near Poleto
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