A trip to see the vultures and eagles of Bulgaria

We went to see Griffon vulture, Gyps fulvous and Egyptian vulture, Neophron percnopterus at the vulture centre in the village of Madjarovo, near the Greek and Turkish borders, some two and a half hour drive from my village here in the south east of Bulgaria.

The road to Madjarovo descends through a wide forested valley before crossing the bridge over the river. The first thing that struck me, apart from the outstanding beauty, was how clean and tidy the place is. I later found out that this is due to the tireless efforts of the staff and some two hundred and fifty volunteers of the Vulture feeding station, led by Marin who is a mine of information and enthusiasm.

The vulture feeding station is the very first building in the village so you simply cannot miss it. Over the bridge and an immediate left, fifty metres on and you are parked outside the reception. The visitor centre itself has a small restaurant, bar, learning area and accommodation, which is inexpensive by western standard.

Incidentally we were treated to the sight of numerous moth varieties while staying at the centre.

Marin, our host promptly took us back down to the bridge out of the car park and away from the shelter of the tree canopy for us to get an idea of what to expect. He set up his scope to allow us views of Griffon and Egyptian vultures sitting on the hill in front of us, which only whetted my appetite for the morning.

Photographers hide
7 AM was our start time and we had breakfast in the centre before starting off up the hill. There are two hides and you pay ten Leva (about five pounds) a day for the general hide, but it is a good idea to book the photographers hide in advance to make sure it is available.

The general hide is a couple of hundred metres from the action, but the photographers hide is just 20 metres away. The ascent to both hides is steep so stout footwear and a steady pace is the best advice.

Griffon vultures are a common sight in south-west Bulgaria.

Feeding station
What you see at the feeding station depends on when you visit, as you would expect, but personally I'd keep my mind and eyes open as anything can turn up in this little documented place.

If you feel the way up to the hides are too strenuous then take yourself around to the picnic spot. Leave the centre and go back over the bridge, take the road to the right and you will be following the river which is on your right. The road climbs for two kilometres and on your right is a stone picnic bench and table.

There is a long drop into the river so use some common sense. You should now have a fantastic panorama. As you look over to the feeding station, which is just obscured by the hilltop, you are looking up, down and across the river. Behind you are the cliffs and caves that house nesting Griffon and Egyptian vultures, Lesser kestrel and raven, and on our trip we saw Short toed eagle, Golden eagle and some other buzzards and eagles as yet unidentified. We were surrounded by swallows and crag martins as we picnicked. Hoopoe made an appearance too.

My companion is new to birding and she was astonished and delighted to see up to ten Griffon vultures glide over us to land majestically on the ridges. Sometimes in company with lesser kestrel and Griffon vulture.

At one particular point a Griffon vulture literally flew up the road, only 100 feet or so above it affording us spectacular views. I will never forget those scenes.

Short Toed eagle
I had my first views of a Short Toed eagle (Circaetus galicus) sitting there. It landed on an outcrop recently vacated by a male Griffon.

Picnic finished, we decided to take Marin's direction and drive a little further where we could follow a small road back down to the river and I'm glad we did. The road degenerates into a rough track so we walked. I found otter tracks by the edge of the river and we saw more vultures and a Golden eagle carrying nesting material. The walk itself was peaceful and rewarding.

Clash of the titans. John Cree caught this amazing shot of a showdown between a Golden eagle and a White-tailed eagle.

White tailed and Golden eagles
The adrenalin was high by this time and we wanted more so we returned to the car and headed for the next village. In no particular hurry we wound our way and that is when we saw some large birds over the valley and river mouth in the distance. The birds were heading our way so it was a very quick stop and grab the camera job. I snapped away as best I could then they were gone, out of camera range. The White-tailed and Golden eagles were only two of the birds in view. There was another Golden eagle and a Black stork being harassed by a raven. Talk about being in the right place at the right time, I was like a dog with two tails.

Huge variety of birds
After calming down a bit we drove on but all we saw were Hoopoe, Red Backed and Woodchat shrike, Black Headed wagtail and some other of the small birds which frankly faded a bit in my mind I was so full of raptors.

On return to the centre I asked Marin if there was indeed any White-tailed or Golden eagles in the area and he confirmed there was a breeding pair of each, but both had relocated this year and their nesting places were yet to be found. Obviously Marin was sceptical on my own particular abilities for identifying either of these species so I showed him the images I had snapped. He suddenly became really excited. He actually recognized the area from a rock formation in the picture so he went straight off to see what was what. I'm glad, I feel as if I made a small contribution to the excellent work done by the BSPB (Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds).

New hide to open
I believe there is to be another new hide in a different area designed for better views of the Golden Eagles. Hopefully it will be ready by my next visit which is currently being planned. Only this time I'll be there longer and who knows what we'll see. European otter is on the list for sure.

Need a guide to help you see the wildlife of Bulgaria?
John Cree is available to escort trips of up to four people here and in other parts of Bulgaria should anyone require a guide.. 

Email John here