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......
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