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Romania
Danube Delta and Transylvania

Friday 2 – Saturday 10 May 2008 (9 days)
Saturday 6 – Sunday 14 September 2008 (9 days)

Still relatively unknown, the Danube Delta is one of Europe's largest and most important wetland regions, as well as being one of the best places in Europe for birds. One of its great attractions is its sheer inaccessibility. Only one road enters the delta, and the way to reach most of it is by boat. So for this trip we have chartered our own hotel boat for two days to get into the delta's best areas, and for an unforgettable experience of this unique region.

Please note that with smaller groups, we’ll be staying in a small hotel in the heart of the delta, but making boat trips each day.

In addition, the wetlands and steppe areas of the Black Sea coast are incredibly rich in bird life, while the pristine forests of the Carpathian mountains contain some of Europe’s largest and most inaccessible wilderness areas, with a wonderful array of birds and mammals.

The May trip goes at the height of the spring migration, when birds are pouring north along the Black Sea coast, and when the Carpathian woods and meadows are full of flowers. This is probably the best trip we offer in Europe for the number and variety of birds, and which also includes some wonderful mammal and wildlife possibilities.

In autumn we aim again to time our visit to coincide with return migration along the Black Sea coast.

Once again our local guide will be Tudor Blaj, whose friendly nature, excellent communication, and knowledge of his local wildlife have always impressed our groups in the past.

Price: £ 1,345
Single supp.: £ 185
Deposit: £ 300 per person

The price per person includes return scheduled flight from London - Bucharest, accommodation, meals, coach or minibus transport, boat transport within the delta, incidental tips, and the services of the leaders.

The price excludes holiday insurance, optional tip for the driver, drinks, and other personal expenses.

*The supplement does not include single cabins on the ‘ponton’, for which there is no extra charge. These are limited in number and will be allocated in order of booking.

For an ex-flight cost (starting and finishing the tour at Bucharest), please deduct £195 from the tour cost.

Leaders:
May – Ray Nowicki and Tudor Blaj
September – Keith Grant and Tudor Blaj

Itinerary
Day 1
We take a scheduled flight from London to Bucharest where we meet Tudor and drive straight out of the city, east across the plains to a hotel near the banks of the Danube in the town of Calarasi. We may be in time to check some wetlands en route.
Overnight Calarasi

Days 2 - 3
We start by the banks of the Danube, in a town park where Black, Syrian and Grey-headed Woodpeckers can all be found, and where we get our first views of the wonderfully-common Tree Sparrows. Next we’ll stop just outside town at a set of riverside fish ponds with an abundance of bird life. Black and Whiskered Terns hawk over open water, while a superb variety of herons can include Purple and Squacco Heron, Great White Egret and Little Bittern. As the morning warms up, raptors, storks and pelicans take to the air, and we could well see our first Dalmatian Pelicans.

We cross the Danube on an open car ferry close to the Bulgarian border. Our next planned stop is at Bugeac, a good site for Ruddy Shelduck, and we pause for lunch at the largely wooded valley of Canaraua Fetei. In spring, Rollers are usually in by this date, as are very local Red-rumped Swallows, while raptors, including Lesser Spotted Eagle and the very scarce Levant Sparrowhawk may be seen over the woods. We continue to the pleasant Black Sea resort of Mamaia. In both spring and autumn, migrants are on the move, and our hotel on the Black Sea coast at Mamaia is superbly placed to watch these as they come in off the sea.

Our hotel grounds have held Long-eared Owls in the past few years, and are a superb migrant magnet. We’ll check the Russian Olives for flycatchers, chats and warblers before walking out on to the beach. On a good spring morning, wave after wave of marsh terns, herons, ibises, pratincoles and waders can be seen heading north, or even flying right over our heads. Catch migration on the right day here and we are in for one of the most exciting birdwatching experiences in Europe!

From Mamaia we visit a range of wetland and drier habitats. Two places in particular, Vadu and the historic site of Histria, must rank amongst the best single birdwatching sites in Europe, with their vast tracts of reedbeds and open water by the coast. The thousands of waterbirds include a particularly fine variety of terns and waders. Collared Pratincole breed, and both White and Dalmatian Pelican can be found, the latter in one of its very few breeding sites. Away from the main lake, the area has innumerable pools and reedbeds, and these form a wonderful habitat in themselves, with herons, Glossy Ibis, Spoonbill and Pygmy Cormorant, and a good variety of warblers and other songbirds. The few trees in the area act as magnets to passing migrant passerines to add to the diversity.

Away from the lake shores, the area has extensive scrub and rocky sites with dry steppe country good for Long-legged Buzzard, Red-footed Falcon, Crested and Calandra Larks, while the delightful Sousliks are common here. Inland we make a special trip for three scarce and localised wheatears – Eastern Black-eared, Isabelline, and, outstandingly in Europe, Pied Wheatear. The roadsides en route often produce Lesser Grey and Red-backed Shrikes and Roller. The raptors here are excellent, with Lesser Spotted Eagle and good chances of Montagu’s Harrier. In the autumn, the number of migrating raptors and storks moving south along the coast could be spectacular.
Two nights Mamaia

Days 4 - 5
We travel north via the superb wetland site of Enisala, with lunch on the edge of the Babadag Forest. Here the hills rise above 400m with the main habitat dry oak woodland, where, in spring, Ortolan Bunting sing from the trees. We watch for raptors over the canopy, which can include both Levant Sparrowhawk and Goshawk, together with Lesser Spotted Eagle. We picnic here before descending to Tulcea where we board our ‘ponton’.

River deltas form amongst the world's richest habitats. In Europe we have just a handful, with the Danube Delta one of the largest and least spoilt. With no roads into the delta, the only way to get right into the delta itself is by boat. One of the best ways to stay overnight there is to take your own hotel! We charter our own hotel boat or ‘ponton’ for our visit to the delta, allowing us to moor overnight at the best sites, and enjoy an elevated viewing platform above the reeds, as well as good comfort in the remotest possible location. Please note that with smaller groups, we'll be staying in a small hotel in the heart of the delta, but making boat trips each day.

We shall make our way along channels lined with overhanging willows, the haunts of Pygmy Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, and every European breeding species of heron. Grebes on the lakes can include Black-necked and large numbers of Red-necked Grebe, while Red-crested Pochard and Ferruginous Duck are amongst the breeding wildfowl. In the wooded areas in spring we listen for Grey-headed and Black Woodpeckers, Golden Oriole, and Penduline Tit amongst the willows. Raptors are much in evidence, with Hobby by far the most common species. White Stork is common in the villages, while the odd Black Stork can be seen soaring over the forests. Raptors to look out for here include White-tailed Eagle.

Whether aboard the ponton itself, or the small boats, the birds of the delta allow a close approach, and the views of perched Rollers, Red-footed Falcons, woodpeckers and others can be superb.
Two nights Danube Delta

Days 6 - 8
After an early breakfast we head back to Tulcea and drive to Moeciu, deep in the Carpathian Mountains. We cross the Danube at its lowest point before it divides in the delta, and make our way across the plains. Once in the mountains that divide Transylvania from the rest of Romania (rising to around 2,500m), we shall find it noticeably cooler than the coast. Our accommodation is in Moeciu, a village situated between two Carpathian mountain ranges. A certain amount of worthwhile birding can be done in the meadows and woods close to the guesthouse, with Dipper, Serin, Black Redstart, and Fieldfare breeding nearby, and Hawfinch to be looked for in the treetops.
The next day we head deeper into Transylvania. We leave early for a spectacular drive to Piatra Craiului Mountains in quest of Wallcreeper, usually found in a small isolated gorge. In the late morning, after our gorge walk, we shall explore the Transylvanian lowlands. Here we will be on the lookout for raptors, especially Lesser Spotted Eagle, and Corncrake as well as various woodpeckers and warblers.

Our last full day is spent in the higher regions of the Transylvanian Alps. Following a cable car ride to the top of the Bucegi Mountains, we will explore along the plateau. The walk usually reveals Water Pipit, Alpine Accentor and some other high altitude species. In the spring this area is particularly good for alpine flowers. There is a chance of seeing Chamois either from the cable car or during the walk. After lunch we drive along Prahova Valley to Sinaia where we will go for a walk above the town – in spring there are spectacular flowers with swathes of Oxlips carpeting the woods and meadows as well as a variety of orchids. Birds which we might encounter include the attractive alpine race of Ring Ouzel.
Three nights Moeciu Village
Day 9
We depart from Moeciu early in the morning and we stop en route to the Airport in Sinaia. Here we have a walk amidst a different nature reserve forest of enormous ancient spruce and beech. These forests are a prime habitat for Collared Flycatcher in spring, Firecrest, and Black and White-backed Woodpeckers. Later in the morning we continue the drive to Bucharest to catch our afternoon return flight to London.

Accommodation: The hotels have all rooms en suite. The ponton has two-berth cabins with en suite facilities. We regret that only a very limited number of single cabins are available. The food throughout is good.

Numbers: Max. 12 clients