Spring Birdlife and Brown Bears

This newly designed spring event contains one of the most attractive and extensive wildlife packages we have ever offered. Led by Pavel Simeonov, your dedicated specialist in Bulgaria, eventful experiences are guaranteed throughout.

Birding interests are catered for at every turn, from wetland destinations along the Black Sea coast, through steppe habitats and ancient forests, to steep-sided gorges in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains. Bird list includes White Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant, Ruddy Shelduck, Ferruginous Duck, Chukar, 20 raptor species, 5 Wheatear species, Roller, Bee-eater, Citrine Wagtail, Wallcreeper, Rock Nuthatch, Sombre Tit, Semi-collared Flycatcher and Nutcracker – by way of a small sample (over 200 species expected).

During this trip Branta-Tours is according high importance to finding mammals, Brown Bear (viewed from a hide at a private reserve), Balkan Chamois, Jackal, Steppe and Marbled Polecats being top of this tour list, with European Souslik and three species of Dolphins in support. Reptiles and amphibians also feature, including Stripe-necked Terrapin, European Glass Lizard and Green Toads.

The tour opens with visits to Lakes Shabla and Durankulak in the north, plus steppe habitats at Kaliakra and Yailata. Ancient forest on the Kamchia River is visited en route to our next base near Bourgas, where Lake Atanosovsko – Bulgaria’s top birding site – is explored. In the Eastern Rhodopes we are based near a vulture feeding station and, during two nights at Devin, we explore the beautiful Trigrad Gorge and haunts of Brown Bears. A final night is spent in the heart of the Vitosha mountain just south of Sofia, the Bulgarian capital.