Bulgaria

17th-27th June 2007

General Toshevo

European Roller (Coracias garulus)

The first two days of the trip were spent at a small disused quarry close to the town of General Toshevo, photographing two of the most spectacularly colourful species of bird in Europe.

European Roller (Coracias garulus)

The Rollers were busy feeding their young and were visiting their nest holes with fresh food items every couple of minutes.

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

The Bee-eaters, however, didn't appear to have young to feed yet since they only occasionally entered their holes and were probably still incubating their eggs.

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

A family of foxes were living in the base of the sand cliffs and often sat outside the entrances to their den enjoying the morning sun before it got too hot.

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Once the light started getting too harsh for photographing the Rollers and Bee-eaters, I turned my attentions to the abundant insect life...

Bee-fly (Diptera: Bombyliidae sp.)

Sloe Bug (Dolycoris baccarum)

The two shieldbugs pictured above and below were both very common on the umbellifera plants.

Graphosoma italicum

In rural Bulgaria, the horse and cart is still a common mode of transport.