Table of Contents
1 The sandwich tern: a feathered symbol of the Pomorie Lagoon
2 The Pomorie Visitor Centre and its birdwatching opportunities
3 What birds live on Pomorie Lake?
4 More Birdwatching? Download a free guide to birdwatching in Bulgaria!
The sandwich tern: a feathered symbol of the Pomorie Lagoon
Green Balkans has announced July the Sandwich Tern’s month. The sandwich tern is a seagull-like seabird and it’s the main symbol of Pomorie.
The sandwich terns don’t build nests but simply create hollows in the sands.
So, they are extremely vulnerable to predators. To protect their eggs, the birds apply a very smart strategy.
The birds choose more aggressive neighbours, as a rule, other types of seagulls. Additionally, their eggs have a very special design that matches well with the sand and makes them invisible.
The Pomorie Visitor Centre and its birdwatching opportunities
The Pomorie Visitor Centre - open hours are from 10.00 to 18.00, Monday - closed - is the main bird-watching spot where you can observe the largest colony of sandwitch terns in Bulgaria.
I spent about two hours at the Pomorie Visitor Centre observing different species through binoculars, a live video feed and learning about them on an exciting guided tour with a great guide and passionate birdwatcher Alexander Dobrev.
Alexander told me that the number of the nesting pairs of sandwich terns has recently risen from just 6 (in the 1990s) to 1500. Green Balkans and British Trust for Conservation Volunteers’ restored the birds' habitats.
From April to September, it’s not allowed to approach Pomorie Lake to not disturb the birds during the breeding season.
Visitors can get more close-ups using telescopes and binoculars available at Pomorie Visitor Centre.
The devices allow for watching the birds in the radius of about 2 km.
A large screen on the wall of the centre with live video is an additional source of observation.
What birds live on Pomorie Lake?
During my visit, I could see about 10 bird species on Pomorie Lake each of which triggered incredibly positive emotions.
I was particularly amused by the fidgety atmosphere around pied avocet and their chicks.
And the impressive display of pygmy cormorants on the sticks abreast impressed me with its solemn grandeur.
I particularly liked it that there were no stuffed animals in the Pomorie Visitor Centre but instead a great collection of plastic figures of the main species represented in the area.
Very informative stands also provided a wide range of information about the species diversity.
Attending the centre and buying a ticket for 4 levs (2 euro), visitors support the biodiversity of Pomorie Lake.
The money collected will be used on conservation activities (building new islands, cleaning the canals, and other needs of the Pomorie Lagoon.).
More Birdwatching? Download a free guide to birdwatching in Bulgaria!
What is the award-winning guide Cultural Insights into Conservation Volunteer Bird Watching Holidays in Bulgaria. It's Not Only About Birds!
This book is a guide to birding and conservation activities in Bulgaria focused on volunteering, bird watching and protection of birds’ habitats.
It's the final result of my two-year-long ethnographic study related to birdwatching activities in different Bulgarian communities: Pomorie, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Durankulak, Sofia, Kotel, etc.
My project 'Mapping Sustainable Holidays in Bulgaria: Combine Volunteering and Holidays!' received the funding from the Bulgarian Fund for Women in the the context of the programme Climate Justice and Gender Equality.
The book is based on 30 interviews with participants of conservation activities in different Bulgarian regions: Pomorie, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Durankulak, Sofia, Kotel, etc. The guide is the final stage of my two-year-long project ‘Mapping Sustainable Holidays in Bulgaria: Combine Volunteering and Holidays!’.
Over 10 conservation projects in different Bulgarian regions, in which I participated personally!