Romania Carpathian Mountains .......European Brown Bear....

                                                          European Brown Bear female

 Fire Salamander

 

Caspian Whipsnake

Golden Jackel

 Carpanthian Chamoix .... (R.r.carpatica )      

Although the Brown Bears , Snakes and Salamanders stole the show , the Chamoix  held its own a mountain goat of great character . I watched between 5 and 12 playing on the mountain tops early one morning in Transylvania running up and down the snow capped peaks ..Fantastic to see.....Souslik were common , the odd Red Squirrel , One dead Pine martin on the road , Green Common Lizard , Tortoise.

Romania May 2023

 A trip to the Danube Delta , Vardu (Super Spurn ), Transylvania  and the Carpathian Mountains...the highlights were many and the company fantastic...209 species of bird , the sheer numbers of birds was breath taking highlights included  Paddyfield Warbler , Broad Billed Sandpiper , Red -footed Falcon ,(100's) , WT Eagle were common , Great Black Backed Gull ( Gulls in general) , Collared Flycatcher , Roller ,Hoopoe , Bee -Eater , Penduline Tit , Marsh Terns in massive waves  , 1000's of waders to look through , flocks of Gargany and Furruginous Duck , Ruddy Shelduck  (without the feeling of..eeerrr is it an escape) Male Pied Wheatear , Singing Ortolan Bunting ,  Lesser Spotted Eagle , Long legged Buzzards , Migrating Nighjar during the day ,Red Backed Shrikes in every bush , European Brown Bear with cubs , Jackel ,Caspian Whipsnake , Fire Salamander , European Map and Camberwell Beauty (at last)..................

6th /05 /2023..Manchester Bucarest ..Plane

6th /05 /2023 Bucarest to Tulcea by car 

7th /05 /2023...Tulcea to Danube Delta by Speedboat (x 2 first one knoked  out ).Then Slow Boat tour of Danube Delta till the 10th then back to Tulcea by Slowboat.

8th /05/2023 ..Tulchea to Vardu (via quarry) and open farmland , then stayed at Vardu till the 13th.

13th/14th  VArdu to Bran Castle Transylvania ,and anesti gorge Fishponds and Bucegi NP

15th /!6th  Bucegi NP and Transfagarisan Highway

17th trip back..

Birds

Mute Swan..Common

Shelduck..Common

Ruddy Shelduck..4 birds seen on the River Danube heading towards The Delta

Mallard....Common

Shoveler..   A few birds at Vardu

Widgeon...A few at Vardu

Teal..1 + 3 at Vardu

Garganey...Common at Vardu with 100 + most days..50 together at Vardu on the 10th was impressive , a few at the Danube Delta..

Pochard...Danube Delta held small numbers , Vardu and Fishponds

Red -crested Pochard...A flock of 30 + at Vadu spent most of the time loafing around

Ferruginous Duck..,,Small numbers seen most days in the Delta and at Vardu

Tufted Duck...small umbers in the Delta and at the fishponds

Grey Partridge....4 birds seen in farmland

Pheasant...Common one calling at the Rent a Car hire place in Bucharest

Black -throated Diver..One was seen on a Black sea watch at Vadu ..

Little Grebe...seen well at the fishponda

Red Necked Grebe.. a few breeding pairs in the Danube Delta

Black Necked Grebe...20 + seen at various inland waterways

Great Crested Grebe...common the the Danube Delta

Yelkouan  Shearwater......14 + 22  , seen on a Black sea watch at Vardu ..

White Pelican...Common at Vardu and in the Delta

Dalmatian Pelican ...30 + seen in the Danube Delta and at Vardu. One adult male in Summer plumage was stunning at Vardu.

Cormorant...Common

Pygmy Cormorant..Common

Bittern,,heard continually in the Delta and at Vardu but only one seen flying at VArdu

Night Heron......Good numbers in the Delta and small flocks going to roost at Vadu..

Squaccco Heron...Common in the Delta nnd some stunning '' Buff ' adults seen 

Little and Great White Egret...both common at the Danube Delta

Grey Heron..common

Purple Heron,,,,Very Common in the Danube Delta and a few seen at VArdu

White Stork ..COmmon 

Black Stork , 1 seen at the fishponds and 2 migrating over the mountains .. 

Glossy Ibis ,,,very common 100's in the Danube Delta

Spoonbill...4 + 1 at VArdu

White tailed Eagle...Seen all the time in the Delta with 15 + birds most days and 3 nests seen.

Osprey...1 in off at VArdu and one at the fishponds showing very well.

Lesser Spotted Eagle....10 + seen at Various sites the Quarry area held 4/5 and fish ponds 4 +...

Short toed Eagle..1 at Vardu and 1 at the fishponds

Booted Eagle...1 at the quarry

Marsh Harrier....Common throughout the area..

Montagu's Harrier...10 + seen throughout the holiday , 1 adult Male and 1 2cy male + juv/female types

Long legged Buzzard...some excellent views of this species at Vardu and surrounding area

Common Buzzard..very common 

Honey Buzzard....mainly dark phase birds....Vardu , fishponds and trans highway 

Sparrowhawk..a few birds seen 

Kestrel ...common

Red -footed Falcon....Amazing numbers seen 500 + in the Delta and at Vadu,,never tire of seeing this bird the males and females are both stunning in there own right...

Hobby..very common throughout..100 + seen

Peregrine Falcon......a nest site at Anesti Gorge and 2 in the highlands

Water Rail..heard at VArdu

Little Crake..one calling like mad in the Danube Delta was only seen briefly

Moorhen /Coot...common

Crane...1 late migrating bird calling over at the fishponds

Avocet...Vardu area

Black -Winged Stilt

Stone Curlew a pair at a nest site

Collared Pratincole,,,Vardu area held at least 30 birds

LRP..fishponds

Ringed Plover..Vardu has small flocks passing through

Grey Plover..1 at VArdu and 1 at the fishponds

Lapwing...a breeding site behing the B and B in the Danube Delta

White -tailed Lapwing 2 at Vardu

Sanderling,.....a small flock of 10 + seen at the Black sea sea watch

Turnstone...2 at VArdu

Dunlin...3 adults in summer plumage at Vardu

Curlew Sandpiper....100's at Vardu , with 400 + most days

Broad Billed Sandpipier..1 + 14 + 3 at Vardu

Temminck's Stint...2 + 8 +1 at  Vardu

Little Stint ..100's at Vardu with 300 + most days

Wood Sandpiper.....very common 100's seen and flocks of 40 + not uncommon

Common Sandpiper,,,a few at Vardu

Redshank...a few at Vardu

Spotted Redshank...5 very smart birds in the Danube Delta and 2 at Vardu

Greenshank...2 at VArdu

Marsh Sandpiper

Black -tailed Godwit....Small flocks in the Danube Delta and at Vardu

Curlew...1 north of VArdu

Snipe...2 north of VArdu

Ruff....Very common at Vardu and in the Danube

Black - headed Gull

Slender -Billed Gull...1 at  VArdu showed very well

Mediterranean Gull

Yellow Legged Gull

Caspian Gull

Pallas's Gull...Amazing to see this mega that is the  Great Black Backed Gull ,seen at the Danube Delta and at Vardu...all birds 15 + were fly overs

LBBGull...1 in the Delta

Little Gull...1 + 10 along the river into the Danube Delta

Little Tern..seen on the Black sea at Vardu seawatch

Sandwich Tern.....as above

Gull billed Tern..One dropped into Vardu

Common Tern..100's seen in the Delta and at VArdu

Black Tern..Floating on a small boat through a colony of Black , white winged and Whiskered Tern was one of the many highlights of the trip...

White -winged Black Tern...100's in the Danube Delta and smaller numbers at Vardu

Whiskered Tern...100's in the Danube Delta and smaller numbers at Vardu

Collared Dove , Woodpigeon , Feral Pigeon , 

Stock Dove...Seen in the Danube Delta

Turtle Dove..small numbers ar VArdu

Cuckoo..Very common , 2 hepatic showed very well

LEO a stunning young bird was flushed whilst following a Red Breasted Flycatcher through some hawthorns....We then found the nest with the female sat and a male overhead.

Little Owl.....2 sightings

Tawny Owl..1 calling at Anesti Gorge

Nightjar

1 flushed from the road at night near Vardu ,,,,,One of the highlights of the trip was seeing birds migrating north over the Black sea at Vadu during the day , 9 individuals in an hour was a new one to me...wow...

Swift , House Martin .SandMartin ,Swallow

Crag Martin 2 at Gorge and 5 + at Dam

Red -rumped Swallow ...4/5 and Vadu seen collecting mud for the nest and 2/3 at Quarry..

Alpine Swift probably about 15/20 seen very well at eye level at the Dam on the highway.

Kingfisher...Very common in the Danube Delta

Hoopoe ...Common Seen most days in good numbers...

Bee -Eater....Common seen along the Danube , in the Danube Delta , a colony at Vardu , and birds migrating continually overhear ,,,100'seen

Roller...magnificent to see so many Roller , at least 80 + individuals seen  excellent views and just brilliant to see so many  Hoopoe , Bee Eater and Roller......

Romania May 2023

 

Black Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker

Grey -Headed Woodpecker.. the commonest Woodpecker in the Danube Delta .

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Syrian Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Skylark...

Crested Lark.....

Calandra Lark.....6/7 seen well at 

Tawny Pipit....Common around Vardu seen very well ..

Water Pipit seen displaying at 5000 feet

Tree Pipit ...Singing birds in the mountains

Red - throated Pipit..5/6 stunning males seen on the way to VArdu

White Wagtail..common throughout

Grey Wagtail...common in Transylvania along the highway streams.

Yellow Wagtail mainly feldegg and dombrowskii

Black bellied Dipper,,Cinclus

Dunnock..seen at the begining of the highway..

Robin...seen and heard

Nightingale..one was singing when we picked up the car in the middle of Bucarest

Redstart...Abundant in the Danube Delta singing from every tree....and common elsewhere.

Black Redstart..a few seen in the mountains and one singing from the apartment on the highway

Wheatear....A few migrants in the Vardu area

Pied Wheatear...Some beautiful males at the Quarry 

Isabelline Wheatear...watched display flight at stunning

Whinchat,,,5 + at Vardu

Stonechat,,,only one seen at Vardu

Song Thrush,,common 

Mistle Thrush...common

Fieldfare..common around Castle Bran

Blackbird...common

Ring Ouzel..2 adults seen in the high mountains of Transylvania

Barred Warbler...6 + at Vardu

Blackcap...common

Garden Warbler,,,, a few migrants seen ar Vardu

Whitethroat,,,,common

Lesser Whitethroat...common

Sedge Warbler..common

Moustached Warbler...2 seen briefly by myself at Vardu

Savi's Warbler...Very common in the Danube Delta and at Vardu

Reed Warbler,,,,common

Marsh Warbler...4/5 at the fishponds showing well

Paddyfield Warbler,,,3/4 Birds seen very well at Vardu

Great Reed Warbler...Common in and around the  Danube Delta

Willow Warbler common 

Chiffchaff,,common 

Goldcrest...a few seen and heard

Wren.....a few seen and heard

Spotted Flycatcher..abundant in the Danube Delta and common elsewhere

Red-breasted Flycatcher....6 all female types seen at VArdu

Collared Flycatcher,,,,An Adult male and female at Vardu , adult male at nest site in The Danube Delta and another 2 very smart males seen in woddland near fishponds and the highway

Blue ,Great ,Coal , Tits

Marsh Tit a pair nesting in the Garden at Castle Bran ,,,,

Willow Tit ...

Long tailed Tit...small parties seen the Danube Delta .(not the white headed ones)

Bearded Tit,,,Common in the Danube Delta , many birds see very well

Penduline Tit,,,A common species in Romania ,and very common in the Danube Delta with birds seen at nest sites and herd  calling continually .30 + seen and heard

Nuthatch....small numbers

Treecreeper....small numbers...1..lol

Lesser Grey Shrike...1 in the Delta then an influx  of 7 at Vadu ...

Red-backed Shrike...A common species with 30 /40 sightings each day at Vadu , one adult male dead bird at Vadu had been hit by a car.

Magpie , Jay , Rook , Hooded Crow , Raven , Straling

Rose Coloured Starling ..4 seen at Vadu feeding in a recently cut field.

Golden Oriole...Some stunning males were seen at Vadu and birds calling are common.

House , Tree and Spanish Sparrows..A small colony of Spanish Sparrows at Vadu

Chaffinch , Bullfinch Linnet ,Goldfinch , Greenfinch,Hawfinch

Serin..A couple of males seen at Castle Bran in Translyvania and in and around the Carpanthian Mountains.

Reed Bunting... Seen in the Danube Delta

Ortolan Bunting...,,6  + Seen very well

Black Headed Bunting. a couple at Vardu and surrounding area

Corn Bunting ...Common

Rock Bunting 1 stunning adult seen while watching Brown Bear at the dam on the Transfagarasan Highway

Butterflys /Moths (too cold and early)

Black veined White

Camberwell Beauty

Eastern Bath White

Small White

European Map

Silver washed Fritillary

Peacock

Orange Tip 

Small Copper

Small Heath

Swallowtail

Wall Brown

Scarce Swallowtail

Holly Blue

Common Blue

Brown  Argus

Lime Hawkmoth

Sharp Angled Peacock

Speckled Yellow

Iron Prominent

Lesser Swallow Prominent

SPOONBILL............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 Just finished off some paperwork and the text said SPOONBILL BRADSHAW POND,,,,IT TAKES 10 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE....im gone...10 minutes later i park up in the pin drop location...and i hear....Its still there from Dan in his bedroom.....!!! A fantastic find , got it in the scope a full adult preening on Bradshaw pond , I was soon to be joined by DJB , we were just about to set off to get a closer look and it flew ..!!! It took flight and with all the luck in the world it flew right over our heads about 20/30 feet above us,,,Dan got some photos....thanks Dan brilliant....