The magic of Griffon Vultures in the Rhodope Mountains

We’ve spent a day in a minibus travelling east from Lake Kerkini in Greece to the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. In the morning, after an exhilarating ascent in a 4×4, we are abandoned in an exposed stone building in the mountains before dawn, with strict instructions to be utterly silent.

We set up our cameras in the dark in well-behaved silence. We are opposite a rocky outcrop with a couple of small dead trees and a stunning mountain backdrop. We have our telephoto lenses trained on the trees. We are expecting Griffon Vultures. That is a remarkable statement, since there were only 3 pairs of Griffon Vultures here in 1986. There are 654 individuals recorded here in 2026. That sounds like a success, but all that progress could be destroyed by one maverick with a small supply of poison and a single carcass.

I can sense the sun rising as dark blue light changes to light blue and the rocky slopes of the mountain opposite turn a glorious purple. We wait.

We gaze at the sky in anticipation as our eyes adjust to the lifting gloom. Then the expeditionary force of the Griffons arrive, three birds sweeping overhead with their massive wings, which reach 2.3 to 2.8 meters (7 ft 7 in – 9 ft 2 in). They are awe inspiring. We can’t see out behind us or above us, so it’s a joy when they sweep down and take a perch on the rocky outcrop.

What an outstanding experience. It’s suddenly loud in the stone hide but I realise it’s the sound of my own heart and nothing else.

To be a part of this wilderness and witness the most awe-inspiring natural spectacle is a blessing.

This is just the beginning.