Dear Birders
I was not on vacation, but in Sofia, Bulgaria last week for work, and was interested to see groups of Alpine Swifts powering their way around the main central squares of the city - the Largo, Battenburg, areas near the government buildings, the mosque the Rotonda church.
This has to be the simplest sighting I've ever had of the species, apart from waiting on the platform at Varese in northern Italy, from which they're always visible in season. However, these looked as if they might be nesting on the building by the way they were screaming round the roof-tops at times.
Thought it might be a useful tip for tickers and tourist-birdwatchers!!
Best
David
I have also seen them in good numbers in Sofia, and seem to recall that they were equally straightforward in Istanbul.
Stuart
If you can't go to Sophia, visit Winterthur in North-east Switzerland. Leave the train and the station and just look up. If you wait more than 5 minutes for Alpine Swifts (which are breeding around the train station) it's either winter or night.
André