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The Bourgas Humid Zones
are the main stopover for dozens of bird species, along one
of the major world routes of bird migration- Via Pontica.
The zones include the lakes, Pomoriysko, Atanasovsko, Bourgasko,
Mandrensko and the Poda locality. Besides considerable natural
resources- curative mud, lye and salt- the zones are refuge
to 40 species of fish, 15 species of amphibians, 35 species
of mammals and hundreds of species of invertebrates.
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The
magic of the Bourgas lakes
There are four
lakes around Bourgas- Pomoriysko, Atanasovsko, Vaya and Mandra-and
each has its own characteristic features. The lakes are very
salty and their water is used for the extraction of salt,
and mud used in curative medicines. The Vaya and Mandra lakes
are fresh-water lakes, important to fishing.
There is rich bird life, making them attractive to bird watchers all year round. In spring and summer, nestling species include
lopatarki, ibis, kingfish, sableklyuni, kokilobegachi and dozens of other species. In summer, aside from the indigenous and
migratory species, all eyes watch for the arrival of pink pelicans. In autumn, the season of migration, the skies are dark with
thousands of eagles, buzzards, perns and cannas while, at the same time, flocks of white and black storks hover over
Atanasssovo Lake.
In winter the lakes are the preserves of ducks, geese, cormorants and curly-headed pelicans.
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The
Poda Environmental protection centre
is the first of its kind on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Here, in a protected zone, one can easily watch birds and other
inhabitants of the lagoon. From the terraces of the Centre, tourists can watch birds nestling on man-made islands. It is an
ornithologist’s delight with interesting treks permitting sightings of rare and indigenous species. From a specially built tower, it
is possible to view nestling lopatarki, nostni and grivesti herons, blestyasti ibises- species no longer seen in Western Europe.
The Centre also has ongoing exhibitions showing different animal species through slides shows and films. Visitors can buy
souvenirs and the latest series of post stamps dedicated to the Bourgas lakes.
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Watching the pelicans
At Vaya Lake, one can watch two pelican species
all year round. Flocks of pink pelicans are most numerous
from April till October, reaching several thousand in number.
Curly-headed pelicans usually spend the winter in flocks of
up to 400 birds. In order to protect the birds from watchers,
while also allowing the birds to be studied, two special platforms
and a tunnel were constructed. An alternative way to view
the birds is to hire a boat at the quay in Dolno Ezerovo on
the Lake. That provides an opportunity to sail around the
lake, stop at the shelter and watch not only the pelicans
but also many other bird species like ducks, loons, cormorants
and herons.
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Salt extraction
The Atanasovsko Lake was turned into salt
pans at the beginning of the 20th century yet, today it is
one of the most attractive places to watch wild life. On an
area of 1700 decares one can see here unique plant species,
the largest colonies of the birds such as sableklyuni, kokilobegachi,
beli angachi and ribarki. Every summer the pans are used for
the production of salt from sea water, using a technique,
which is still used ten other regions of southern Europe and
the Mediterranean. In the summer of 2000, an entertainment
train began making journeys round the lake. It was part of
the Bourgas Humid Zones and the Black Sea Salt Project. Boarding
the only two coaches on the train, tourists were taken to
the buffer zone of the nature reserve where they watched the
traditional method of extracting salt from sea water.
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