2008 Tour Narrative
In Brief: There’s not much more a tour could ask for than a wealth of species, superb views, fine weather, and an effervescent group, but this tour managed all of the above. From our first monastic experience under the watchful gaze of five Long-eared Owls, to our final monastic experience with a pair of Sombre Tits performing beautifully to an accompaniment of ethereal voices from the monastery, this was a trip packed full of highlights.
In Detail: The sweet mountain air of the Carpathians breathed new life into us, and we were soon enjoying our first exquisitely decorated monastery. The rich colors of Suceavita and Moldovita were complemented by the beautiful Voronet and stunning floral displays at Agapia. But it wasn’t just these amazingly well-preserved monasteries that provided the interest. Just yards from our accommodation, we were able to enjoy comparisons of Marsh and Willow Tits, Wood Warbler, Willow Warbler, and Chiffchaff, while a splash of the unusual was added by several obliging Nutcrackers all perched atop the spruces, and Collared and Red-breasted Flycatchers. A walk along Obcina Bucovina culminated in spectacular views of a male Goshawk, and out of the gloom of the forest the unmistakable shape of a Black Woodpecker undulated towards us—undoubtedly a trip highlight.
Our journey along the interface between the lowlands and foothills was by no means less interesting. A spectacular Lesser Spotted Eagle circled low overhead, while a crisp male Red-backed Shrike on one side of the road and a Great Gray Shrike on the other competed for our attention. Even with the sun dropping, Neamt Monastery still managed to provide several new birds, including a superb flock of Crossbills feeding in one of the parking lot conifers, while in a nearby orchard a Gray-headed Woodpecker perched in full view for ten minutes.
A change of scene saw us driving southeast, ending our journey in Tulcea, where we boarded our pontoon for two days of delta exploration. Even while traveling south the highlights kept on coming, this time in the form of 3,000 White Storks migrating along a ridge, a truly spectacular sight.
Dawn over the delta initiated a whole new experience. Whiskered, White-winged Black, Black, and Caspian Terns skimmed around the pontoon; White-tailed Eagles, Hobby, and Peregrine scouted the wetlands from dead snags; and streams of geese, swans, ibis, and pelicans undulated their way over the vast wetlands to new feeding grounds. And this was all before breakfast! Boarding our smaller boats, we soon found ourselves in the backwaters of the delta, little-explored by birders and teeming with life. The larger shallow lakes heaved with acres of Coots, Ferruginous Ducks, and Pygmy Cormorants, interspersed with Red-necked, Black-necked, and Great Crested Grebes. A medley of terns patrolled overhead, while the herding effect of squadrons of White Pelicans created a frenzy of feeding activity. Careful scrutiny of the pelicans revealed a number of silvery Dalmatian Pelicans unfazed by the frenetic activity around them.
Along the channels a completely different suite of species waited. Purple, Night, and Squacco Herons dotted the banks, while in the over-hanging reeds lurked a beautifully patterned Little Bittern. Not everything gave itself up easily. It took persistence to eventually locate a cohort of Penduline Tits flitting between the reed stems, but the highest prize proved more obliging than we could possibly have hoped for: two superb Little Crakes feeding out in the open alongside a rather surprised-looking Little Bittern, desperately trying to conceal itself.
Leaving the delta behind us, we headed into the extensive deciduous woodland and plains of Dobrogea. To the sound of ethereal voices we enjoyed exceptional views of Sombre Tits, while Levant Sparrowhawks, Hawfinch, and Middle Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Great Spotted, and Syrian Woodpeckers provided the supporting cast. Along the coast the extensive pools found us testing our shorebird identification skills with Temminck’s and Little Stints, Wood, Green, Marsh, and Common Sandpipers, not to mention the alien-like Stone-curlews, clockwork Red-necked Phalaropes, and—rarest of all—25 Broad-billed Sandpipers. Our final treat was to be a full quota of wheatears, including Northern, Isabelline, Black-eared, and Pied, set against the vast rolling plains and bizarre rock outcrops of this coastal province.
- Dan Brown
Updated: September 2008