Roofs & Rambles

Up early and headed for the Kresna Gorge. Left the boys to themselves for the morning to swim and hopefully not play havoc in the hotel.

Had high expectations but in the end I am not sure I actually found the Gorge in question. However the contrast to Bansko and the Trigard Gorge was evident. Very dry and steep heavily eroded sand cliffs. But not a Masked Shrike in sight. Had to satisfy myself with several Syrian Woodpeckers, an abundance of Woodchat Shrikes and flocks of Cirl Bunting.

There were also small flocks of Tree Sparrows and Bee eaters and red-rumped swallows wheeled around over head. For this kind of dry Mediterranean landscape the obligatory Sardinian Warblers put in a show as did a very obliging female Orphean Warbler, content to sit high on the mullein stems in waste ground. Nothing new but a delight never the less.

Back the hotel, Louis and Harry were in the lobby composing music on my mac. The morning had been spent swimming. The pool being vacant accept for them, no one stared at them!!

It was decided to head for the mountains. We drove up as far as the Vihren Hut, which is the end of the road. Then walked for a couple of hours. The boys got off on clambering over boulders and Harry was intent on climbing to the top of Mt Vihren, the second highest mountain in the Balkans. I did explain we would need a lot fo time to do that! After a while arrived at one of the high lakes just as the weather look as if was to turn to rain. So we headed back. By the end the boys wanted more so we will be returning to somewhere high for a really big trek.

Not much birds to report. We never made it above the tree line, so had to make do with standard fair of Coal Tits and Dunnocks, Siskins and Crossbills. Oh and of course black redstarts!

We drove down to the Buderitsa Hut where I had watched the tail of a nutcracker last night. The boys were hungry so we ate in the restaurant. They chose the table with an umbrella. I complain pointed out I couldn’t see all the trees for the umbrella and I might miss my nutcracker. The boys were not to be moved. And between the soup and the main course the bloody nutcracker flew into my eye line only to disappear behind the bloody umbrella. Huh!