Tour Program: 12days / 11 nights

18 April
Arrival at Sofia Airport. Check-in for two nights at a hotel in the vicinity of Sofia.

19 April
Early morning birding in the high mountain zone in the Western Balkan range, looking for Rock Partridge. It takes about two hours to get there. Other possible birds: Alpine Chough, Golden Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard
Afternoon: exploring conifer forests and meadows in the high mountain zone for Spotted Nutcracker, Common Crossbill, Ring Ouzel, Firecrest and Goldcrest, Willow Tit, etc

20 April
Transfer to the Sakar, where we have good chances to see the Lesser Spotted Eagle, Eastern Imperial Eagle and Eastern Orphean Warbler.
One night in Sakar

21 April
Morning birding in the Sakar, then drive to the southern Black Sea coast
Accommodation in the Bourgas area - four nights

22, 23 & 24 April
The wetlands around Bourgas - Bourgas lake (Vaya), Atanasovsko lake, Mandra lake and Poda lagoon, incl. a visit to the Nature Information Center PODA run by BSPB.
We will be mainly concentrating on the raptor migration (Lesser Spotted, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, Honey Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier, Black Kite, Red-footed Falcon, etc) along the coast, as we stay on several watch points, including the ones in the Eastern Balkan range to the north of Bourgas.
Other birds of interest at the Bourgas wetlands are:
All the species of European herons, Little Egret, Little Bittern, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Black Stork, Pygmy Cormorant, White Pelican, Dalmatian Pelican, Ruddy Shelduck, Ferruginous Duck, White-tailed Eagle, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Marsh Sandpiper, Kentish Plover, Slender-billed Gull, Meditteranean Gull, Gull-billed Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Cetti`s Warbler, Penduline Tit, Bearded Tit, other migrating & summering species of waders, gulls, terns and passerines (incl. the Thrush Nightingale)

25 April
Drive to the northern Bulgarian coast via the Eastern Balkan range and Goritza oak forests: Semi-collared Flycatcher, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Hawfinch and other forest birds.
Before dark (~ 8.00 p.m.), possibly after checking-in at the hotel, we will visit some of the Eagle Owl locations around Varna
Accommodation in the area of Varna for three nights

26 April
Exploring Cape Kailakra (in Coastal Dobrudja to the north of Varna) for Pied Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Mediterranean Shag, Mediterranean Shearwater, Stone Curlew, Alpine Swift, Short-toed Lark, Calandra Lark. One more chance to see Eagle Owl in this area.

27 April
Coastal Dobrudja: Durankulak lake and Shabla lakes
All species of Heron, Little Egret, Pygmy Cormorant, Ferruginous Duck, Red-footed Falcon, other migrating & summering species of waders, raptors, passerines, etc.
In the late afternoon we can return to the area of Cape Kaliakra.

28 April
Drive to the Central Balkan Mountain (~ 4 and a half hours) with stops on the way; arrival in the afternoon and visiting the old beech forests for White-backed Woodpecker and Red-breasted Flycatcher and the mountain meadows for Water Pipit, Balkan Horned Lark, etc.
Overnight in the area.

29 April
Early morning birding in the mountain and transfer (~ 2 hours) to Sofia for afternoon departure from Sofia Airport