State: BlagoevgradArea: 20421,13 ха
Ownership: state - 47%; municipality - 26%; private - 27%;
Description:
The site covers the Mesta river valley, its northernmost limit being the village of Mesta. On the north-east it includes the rocky formation Svatbata (The Wedding). On the west the site includes the lowest slopes of the southern Pirin and on the east – the low parts of the Western Rhodopes. Its territory includes the tributaries of Mesta River - the Tufcha river near the village of Ognyanovo, the Kanina river near the village of Gurmen, the Mutnitsa river neat the village of Breznitsa and the Bistritsa river near the village of Ablanitsa. To the south it reaches to the villages of Godeshevo and Beslen and the Greek border. Near the villages of Banya, Ognyanovo and Musomishta there are many mineral springs. The soils are sediment, delluvial – alluvial, shallow, marron (lessivated) and moltic in the Gotse Delchev valley. The site includes the only gorge along the river course – Momina Klisura. The vegetation if formed by oak, and oak-hornbeam forests, mixed with Mediterranean elements, Austrian and Scots pine plantations. The dry and sunny spots are covered by oak and juniper shrubs. The riverine vegetation is dominated by willow (Salix alba, Salix fragilis), poplar (Populus nigra, Populus alba), Black Alder Alnus glutinosa and Oriental Plane Platanus orientalis. The plane often forms pure formations or such mixed with Black Alder. A big part of the territory is occupied by agricultural plots.
Birds:
The region of the Mesta supports 125 bird species, 32 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 56 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 4 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 13 in SPEC 2 and 39 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 51 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 45 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. The site is of global importance as a representative example of the Mediterranean biome. Five biome-restricted species, typical for the Mediterranean biome, occur there – Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca, Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum, Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus, Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer, Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans, Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala. It is one of the five most important sites in Bulgaria on European Union scale for the breeding White Stork Ciconia ciconia, Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra, Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana and Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria. It also provides prerequisites for the nesting of the globally threatened Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni. The area holds representative populations of Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum and Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus. Along the Mesta River there is a migration flyway of a regional importance mainly for birds of prey, but also for storks, which breed in north-west Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania. The most numerous migratory birds registered there on autumn migration are the Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus and the Buzzard Buteo buteo. The fishponds situated on Mesta River near the town of Gotse Delchev are one of the few stopover sites for waterfowl in south-west Bulgaria. It is regularly visited by the Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, Great White Egret Egretta alba, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola, etc. During the migration four globally threatened species occur along the Mesta River valley – the Pygmy cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus, the Ferroginous Duck Aythya nyroca, the Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga and the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni.
Threats:
The area is sensitive to the human activities related mainly to agriculture, forestry and water management. Amongst the most serious impacts related to agriculture is the removal of the natural vegetation and conversion of grasslands and shrub dominated habitats into arable land, as well as the large-scale use of pesticides and fertilizers. Grazing is carried out on the pastures close to the villages and those pastures often are overgrazed. Pastures further away from settlements are not used completely because of the smaller number of animals today compared with the past. This cause abandonment of the land and deterioration of key habitats. Pasture of goats into forest and shrub dominated habitats causes deterioration of these habitats. Clear-cut of forests and afforestation with non-indigenous species causes change of the natural habitats. Direct threats to birds are caused by poaching, taking chicks and eggs from the nests, gliding, hang-gliding, off road traffic of motor vehicles, unregulated movement of people, etc. During the recent decade the tourism starts to develop more intensively, which could cause negative impact on birds and habitats if the process is not regulated. The biggest impact on the wetland habitats of the fishponds nesr Gotse Delcev is the drainage. The dried fish pools cannot be used by breeding and migratory birds. The extensive way of fish production, which allow appearance of water fringe vegetation is crucial for the value of the area. Intensification of fish production will cause further deterioration of the key habitats for birds.
Legal protection:
There is only two nature monuments (rock formations) designated in 1976 covering less than 1% of the site’s territory. In 1998 are appointed three CORINE Sites because of their European value for rare and threatened habitats, plant and animal species, including birds. In 2005 the site was designated also as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
