Waders migration in April

Posted by Rossen

In April the spring freshet of the Struma river create suitable conditions in wetlands near Blagoevgrad of multiple waders for rest and accumulation of food base.

Black-winged Stilts

Among observed  waders in Blagoevgrad wetlands were 10 Black-winged Stilts, 1 Pied Avocet, 6 Green Sandpipers, 8 Wood Sandpipers, 6 Ruffs, 5 Little Ringed Plovers, 5 Common Greenshank, 1 Marsh Sandpiper , 3 Common Sandpiper and 1 Curlew Sandpiper.

Black-winged Stilts

 Little flock of Common Greenshanks flying over Chitirka river mouth. Photographing them was extremely difficult due to the fast and maneuverable flight.

Common Greenshanks

 Only single birds of Marsh Sandpipers (Tringa stagnatilis) was observed in March and April in mixed flocks with other waders.

 

Marsh Sandpiper

And finally one rare observation of adult female Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) on 13/04/2014.

Pied Avocet

Black Stork on Struma river

Posted by Rossen

Great Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) resting on Struma river spills near Blagoevgrad. Photography is from today, as the bird let me on short distance for a few quick photos and then flew.

Black Stork resting on Struma river spills near Blagoevgrad

New registered dragonflies

Posted by Rossen

With warming of weather and the coming of spring began to fly some of the typical for this time of year species, including Common Winter Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Vagrant Emperor and Red-veined Darter all observed in marshes around Blagoevgrad.

Banded Darter was observed in four localities in 2013

Five White Stork nests in the periphery of Blagoevgrad wetlands

Posted by Rossen


Five White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) nests in the periphery of Blagoevgrad wetlands. Four of them are in the Strumsko quarter and one in the Blagoevgrad industrial zone .

White Stork

Northern Wheatear behavior

Posted by Rossen

Others wildlife in Swamplands

Posted by Rossen


Swamplands provide habitat for many types of plants and animals that have adapted to living in flooded conditions. The Grass snake (Natrix natrix), sometimes called the Water snake, is a Eurasian non-venomous snake. It is often found near water and feeds almost exclusively on amphibians.

Grass snake (Natrix natrix)

European pond turtles(Emys orbicularis)prefer to live in wetlands surrounded by a large proportion of natural, wooded, landscape. Specimens of Emys orbicularis are also found in upland environments for feeding. Emys orbicularis is usually considered semi-aquatic, as their terrestrial movements can span 1000 meters, and occasionally found traveling up to 4000 meters, away from the water.

European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis)

The Eurasian water shrew, (Neomys fodiens), lives close to fresh water, hunting aquatic insects, snails, molluscs and small amphibians, and other prey in the water and nearby. It rarely strays far from water and is found in and around ditches, streams, ponds, watercress beds, fish ponds, damp meadows and rough bushy ground adjoining water.

Eurasian water shrew (Neomys fodiens)