Tochkata

Worth a detour

Tochkata means the point, and it is exactly that: a spot on the northern dyke of Atanasovsko lake, two hundred metres past the saltworks barrier, with two simple shelters on it. From the middle of August into early October the soaring migration passes overhead here, and on the right day the numbers are hard to believe. It is free, it is twenty minutes from the centre, and there is nothing to it but standing and looking up.

Story

Background

The white stork migration through Bulgaria is counted in the low hundreds of thousands — the Bulgarian ornithological society gives figures of two hundred thousand and more, most of it through the Burgas area, which it classifies as a narrow-front migration site. Over Atanasovsko lake more than seventy per cent of the European breeding population passes. Movement begins around the tenth of August and the biggest days usually fall in the last week of the month; the day after rain is traditionally the one to be out.

Storks are not the whole of it. Entire populations of white and Dalmatian pelican come through the same gap, along with honey buzzards, harriers and eagles, and in a good hour you may not know which way to look.

Getting there takes a little care. Leave Burgas towards Sarafovo, and at the interchange above the lake take the direction of the saltworks, then turn north under the main road to reach the far side. A narrow asphalt road runs to the barrier of the salt company; the point is two hundred metres beyond it, above the low works buildings. By bus, number 61 goes that way. Bring binoculars and something to sit on, and accept that this is an industrial site with birds on it rather than a reserve with a car park.