Just back from driving to and from Greece - wasn't a birding holiday, with family but had my binoculars on standby so just a few highlights to mention...
Driving through Hungary and Romania: so many buzzards perched on fence posts along 'A roads', almost every few hundred yards at times. Plenty soaring above too, plus other raptors such as red kites, kestrels and others I couldn't identify as nowhere safe to stop at the time.
Bulgaria: stayed a few days in a great campsite/lodgings in Kromidovo, a village in the country's south west close to Greek and Macedonian borders. From garden in mornings saw Green Woodpecker, Golden Oriole, loads of Barn Swallows, Jay, House and Tree Sparrows, and at night could hear Short-eared Owl close by. Walks close by brought fleeting glimpses of various shrikes, warblers, flycatchers and buntings (sorry, couldn't get specific IDs as with kids and most birds didn't hang around in sight). The village by the way is a great place to stay, just off brand new road from Sofia to Greek coast, surrounded by mountains and farmland, and includes a winery and best of all a hot mineral spring outdoor swimming pool.
Then during a stay in Sofia, a couple of hours walking in lower reaches of Vitosha Mountain national park: Firecrest, Goldcrest as well as blue, great, coal and willow tits (been here before and seen Crossbill, Nutcracker, and while there are apparently Black, Three-toed and White-backed Woodpeckers there, I have only seen the Green and Great spotted varieties in my all-too-brief visits).
Slovenia: Purple Herons in flooded field by roadside, then while staying in North West of country (Gozd Martuljek): White Wagtail, female redstart (just had half an hour walk unfortunately, as was a spectacular location and surely a lot more to see).
France: brief stop for a picnic in small village near Strasbourg - picked the spot because of a small stream that looked perfect for kingfisher or dipper, and within 5 minutes was delighted to see a bright blue flash of a kingfisher darting past just a few feet from us.
That's about it, but when kids are a bit older will do it again (have family and friends in Bulgaria so that'll be the usual destination) and plan a few detours to or stopovers in national parks on the way instead of some of the more monotonous slogs on motorways. Will also try the France-northern Italy-Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia-Bulgaria route.
Route there: France-Belgium-Luxemburg-Germany-Austria-Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria-Greece
Route back: Greece-Bulgaria-Romania-Hungary-Slovenia-Austria-Germany-France
Driving through Hungary and Romania: so many buzzards perched on fence posts along 'A roads', almost every few hundred yards at times. Plenty soaring above too, plus other raptors such as red kites, kestrels and others I couldn't identify as nowhere safe to stop at the time.
Bulgaria: stayed a few days in a great campsite/lodgings in Kromidovo, a village in the country's south west close to Greek and Macedonian borders. From garden in mornings saw Green Woodpecker, Golden Oriole, loads of Barn Swallows, Jay, House and Tree Sparrows, and at night could hear Short-eared Owl close by. Walks close by brought fleeting glimpses of various shrikes, warblers, flycatchers and buntings (sorry, couldn't get specific IDs as with kids and most birds didn't hang around in sight). The village by the way is a great place to stay, just off brand new road from Sofia to Greek coast, surrounded by mountains and farmland, and includes a winery and best of all a hot mineral spring outdoor swimming pool.
Then during a stay in Sofia, a couple of hours walking in lower reaches of Vitosha Mountain national park: Firecrest, Goldcrest as well as blue, great, coal and willow tits (been here before and seen Crossbill, Nutcracker, and while there are apparently Black, Three-toed and White-backed Woodpeckers there, I have only seen the Green and Great spotted varieties in my all-too-brief visits).
Slovenia: Purple Herons in flooded field by roadside, then while staying in North West of country (Gozd Martuljek): White Wagtail, female redstart (just had half an hour walk unfortunately, as was a spectacular location and surely a lot more to see).
France: brief stop for a picnic in small village near Strasbourg - picked the spot because of a small stream that looked perfect for kingfisher or dipper, and within 5 minutes was delighted to see a bright blue flash of a kingfisher darting past just a few feet from us.
That's about it, but when kids are a bit older will do it again (have family and friends in Bulgaria so that'll be the usual destination) and plan a few detours to or stopovers in national parks on the way instead of some of the more monotonous slogs on motorways. Will also try the France-northern Italy-Slovenia-Croatia-Serbia-Bulgaria route.