Summer bird observations in Blagoevgrad wetlands

Posted by Rossen

This summer, the interesting observations in Blagoevgrad wetlands were not missing including some rare new registered birds as that it is a confirmation of possible interesting observations during all seasons of the year.

Presence of birds during the summer is related to availability of food and suitable habitats formed by fluctuations in the level of the Struma River, and the availability of appropriate coastal vegetation for nesting and summering of some non-breeding birds.

One of the most interesting observations during the summer were:

3 Gull-billed Terns observed on 15.06.2013 to feed above the water surface with a characteristic flight and passing over wetlands in south-north direction. Data observations of Gull-billed Terns in Bulgaria are extremely scarce and mainly come from the Black Sea lagoons. For information nesting population in Bulgaria is estimated at 10-30 pairs (according Breeding totals of the ornithofauna in Bulgaria, 2004) while in the EU at 3.800 to 4.500 pairs (according to BirdLife International publication: BIRDS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: a status assessment ), as there is unfavourable conservation status.

Gull-billed Tern

1 Levant Sparrowhawk seen on 31.07.2013 to fly over Blagoevgrad wetlands and successfully expelled by flok of small birds. It is one of the rare hawks that nest and can be viewed on the Struma River. The Levant Sparrowhawk nests in trees, building a new nest, lined with green leaves, each year. The normal clutch is 3-5 eggs. It hunts small birds, insects and lizards in woodland, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch to catch its prey unaware. Breeding population in Bulgaria is estimated at 20-100 pairs, and in the EU from 1.000 to 2.000 pairs, as there is unfavourable conservation status.

Levant Sparrowhawk

1 Broad-billed Sandpiper observed on 11.08.2013 to feed in the shallows on the sand bar formed by the Struma River. This bird's breeding habitat is wet taiga bogs in Arctic northern Europe and Siberia. During the autumn migration, the European population of these rare birds migrate through the Balkans to wintering in the eastern parts of Africa. Broad-billed Sandpiper does not breed in Bulgaria, in the EU the breeding population is estimated at 8.000 to 20.000 pairs, as there is unfavourable conservation status.

Broad-billed Sandpiper

Here below are all more interesting observations in the summer in Blagoevgrad wetlands

June
№	Българско име	English  name	Scientific name	Place of observation	Counted	Presence status
	Обикновен скорец	Common Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
175	Розов скорец	Rose-coloured Starling	Sturnus roseus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	7	migratory
	Черночела сврачка	Lesser Grey Shrike	Lanius minor	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Пчелояд	European Bee-eater	Merops apiaster	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Малък гмурец	Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
176	Дебелоклюна рибарка	Gull-billed Tern	Gelochelidon nilotica	Blagoevgrad wetlands	3	passing
	Белоока потапница	Ferruginous Duck	Aythya nyroca	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1 pair	breeding
	Зеленоглава патица	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Зеленоножка	Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Жълта стърчиопашка	Yellow Wagtail	Motacilla flava	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Бяла стърчиопашка	White Wagtail	Motacilla alba	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
July
	Речен дъждосвирец	Little Ringed Plover	Charadrius dubius	Blagoevgrad wetlands	7	summering/ migratory
	Голям горски водобегач	Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	5	summering/ migratory
	Малък горски водобегач	Wood Sandpiper	Tringa glareola	Blagoevgrad wetlands	40+	summering/ migratory
	Кривоклюн брегобегач	Curlew Sandpiper	Calidris ferruginea	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	migratory
	Късокрил кюкавец	Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	summering/ non-breeding
	Речна чайка	Black-headed Gull	Larus ridibundus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	29	summering/ migratory
	Средиземноморска жълтокрака чайка	Yellow-legged Gull	Larus michahelis	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	passing
	Нощна чапла	Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	summering/ migratory
	Сива чапла	Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	Blagoevgrad wetlands	3	summering/ non-breeding
	Малка бяла чапла	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	Blagoevgrad wetlands	9	summering/ non-breeding
	Малък воден бик	Little Bittern	Ixobrychus minutus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Бял щъркел	White Stork	Ciconia ciconia	Blagoevgrad	✓	breeding
	Черен щъркел	Black Stork	Ciconia nigra	Blagoevgrad wetlands	3	passing
	Малък маслинов присмехулник	Eastern Olivaceous Warbler	Hippolais pallida	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Черночела сврачка	Lesser Grey Shrike	Lanius minor	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Керкенез	Common Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding
	Малък ястреб	Eurasian Sparrowhawk	Accipiter nisus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	passing
177	Късопръст ястреб	Levant Sparrowhawk	Accipiter brevipes	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	passing
	Осояд	European Honey Buzzard	Pernis apivorus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	passing
	Орел змияр	Short-toed Eagle	Circaetus gallicus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	passing
August
	Речен дъждосвирец	Little Ringed Plover	Charadrius dubius	Blagoevgrad wetlands	3	summering/ migratory
	Голям горски водобегач	Green Sandpiper	Tringa ochropus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	12	summering/ migratory
	Малък горски водобегач	Wood Sandpiper	Tringa glareola	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	summering/ migratory
	Голям зеленоног водобегач	Common Greenshank	Tringa nebularia	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	migratory
178	Малък червенокрак водобегач	Common Redshank	Tringa totanus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	migratory
	Плоскоклюн брегобегач	Broad-billed Sandpiper	Limicola falcinellus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	migratory
	Късокрил кюкавец	Common Sandpiper	Actitis hypoleucos	Blagoevgrad wetlands	3	summering/ non-breeding
	Средна бекасина	Common Snipe	Gallinago gallinago	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	summering/ migratory
	Белобуза рибарка	Whiskered Tern	Chlidonias hybridus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	8	summering/ migratory
	Нощна чапла	Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	summering/ migratory
	Гривеста чапла	Squacco Heron	Ardeola ralloides	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	summering/ migratory
	Малък воден бик	Little Bittern	Ixobrychus minutus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding/ summering
	Ръждива чапла	Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	migratory
	Сива чапла	Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea	Blagoevgrad wetlands	4	non-breeding/ summering
	Малка бяла чапла	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta	Blagoevgrad wetlands	17	summering/ migratory
	Ръждива чапла	Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	migratory
	Бял щъркел	White Stork	Ciconia ciconia	Blagoevgrad wetlands	27	migratory
	Черен щъркел	Black Stork	Ciconia nigra	Blagoevgrad wetlands	4	passing
	Лиска	Common Coot	Fulica atra	Blagoevgrad wetlands	6	breeding/ summering
	Зеленоножка	Common Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding/ summering
	Малък гмурец	Little Grebe	Tachybaptus ruficollis	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding/ summering
	Зеленоглава патица	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding/ summering
	Зимно бърне	Eurasian Teal	Anas crecca	Blagoevgrad wetlands	6	migratory
	Голям корморан	Great Cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	passing
	Тръстиков дрозд	Great Reed Warbler	Acrocephalus arundinaceus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding/ summering
	Крайбрежно шаварче	Sedge Warbler	Acrocephalus schoenobaenus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	migratory
	Авлига	Golden Oriole	Oriolus oriolus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	passing
	Пчелояд	European Bee-eater	Merops apiaster	Blagoevgrad wetlands	33	migratory
	Голям пъстър кълвач	Great Spotted Woodpecker	Dendrocopos major	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	passing
	Черночела сврачка	Lesser Grey Shrike	Lanius minor	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding/ summering
	Червеногърба сврачка	Red-backed Shrike	Lanius collurio	Blagoevgrad wetlands	✓	breeding/ summering
	Червеноглава сврачка	Woodchat Shrike	Lanius senator	Blagoevgrad wetlands	4	passing
	Черногушо ливадарче	Stonechat	Saxicola rubicola	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	breeding/ summering
	Ръждивогушо ливадарче	Whinchat	Saxicola rubetra	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	migratory
	Керкенез	Common Kestrel	Falco tinnunculus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	passing
	Сокол орко	Eurasian Hobby	Falco subbuteo	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1	passing
	Обикновен мишелов	Common Buzzard	Buteo buteo	Blagoevgrad wetlands	3	passing
	Късопръст ястреб	Levant Sparrowhawk	Accipiter brevipes	Blagoevgrad wetlands	1 juvenile	passing
	Орел змияр	Short-toed Eagle	Circaetus gallicus	Blagoevgrad wetlands	2	passing
Legend
№	New registered bird species in Blagoevgrad wetlands (Coordinates: 41°58'45.57"N  23° 4'31.92"E)