Wildlife Travel news, May 2013

Believe it or not, the spring is almost over! We have just two more spring trips left to run: to Macedonia next week, and Mull the week after. The last few days have seen Wildlife Travel groups returning from trips to the Burren, Poland and Romania, where the group not only enjoyed the Danube in full flood for the first time in several years, but were also amazingly lucky in the Carpathians and saw not only Brown Bear but also two Wolves... I am, of course, incredibly jealous.

A couple of new trip reports are now up on our website, from our visits to Costa Rica in February and Crete in April.

With our October visit to Chile now confirmed (still plenty of places if you want to join us for flamingos, Mediterranean botany and Diademed Sandpiper-Plover!), the Algarve looking set to be confirmed in the next few days and our trip to Turkey almost fully booked the autumn is already looking to be a good one.

And plans are well underway for 2014 and beyond... Western Australia in September 2014 anyone?

Romania, 24th May 2012

So, our last full day in Romania.

After breakfast, we bid farewell to our fantastic hosts on the houseboat Kingfisher and took the speedboat back to Murighiol, stopping to pay our respects to a family of four young Long-eared Owls on the way.

Our journey across to Amara took us via a lunchtime stop in the Macin Mountains National Park. Just outside the not-overly-lovely town of Macin, these weren't the most immediately impressive range of hills: dry grassland, a large quarry or two. I wouldn't be entirely truthful if I said I had high hopes, but a nice place for a leg-stretch at least...

Two hours later, and I would have to say Macin Mountains is a brilliant place. A couple of soaring Long-legged Buzzards, the usual background noise of Bee-eaters and Corn Buntings, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrikes... a nice start. A pair of Woodlark, nice to see... "Raptor!", another Long-legged Buzzard.

For some reason, I raised my bins to the passing flock of starlings, and they all have pale bodies: "Rose-coloured Starlings!". The disappeared into the distant quarry, presumably breeding amongst the rubble piles. A nice surprise! Things are feeling more promising...

"Raptor!", yes, another Long-legged Buzzard. Then "Raptor!", and a circling Honey Buzzard. Nice to see a bit of variety after rather a glut of Marsh Harriers over the past week.

Next was a gorgeous male Honey Buzzard who started his wonderful butterfly wing-clapping display over our heads! Oh, and behind him, a little male Levant Sparrowhawk, all of ten minutes after I'd explained that our chances of seeing Levant Sparrowhawk were pretty much nil at this stage in the spring. Then a pair of Black Storks, together with another Honey Buzzard. Soon to be followed by a Common Buzzard, another Honey Buzzard and around 60 White Storks in a drifting flock, following the ridge.

While looking up at the ridge, a display-flighting wheatear zipped across my scope view. Alas, just a male Northern Wheatear. But let's have a quick check of the other rocks at the top of the ridge... a male Pied Wheatear! Very nice, thank you very much, quick, have a look through the scope... oh, he's gone. But there's another bird on the next rock along. Blue head, red belly: male Rock Thrush! A very unexpected bonus.

Balkan Wall Lizard skitting about, then a young Balkan Green Lizard and, on almost the next rock, a young Eastern Green Lizard, making easy comparison. Cardinal and Queen of Spain feeding on the salts along the stream edge, then a fresh Marbled Fritillary.

We can't stay out here all day, there's still a long way to go... back to the bus, sorry!

Down on the flat grassland, first one, then two Isabelline Wheatear on the rocks, where they should be. And a Tawny Pipit. A quick drink before we head off...

"Raptor!", a Long-legged Buzzard, carrying a big lizard. Turn, around, "Raptor!", another Long-legged Buzzard, this time carrying a struggling Souslik! And behind, a Black Kite, circling along the ridge. And above it, is that another buzzard? Surely too big... as if to wish us on our way, a young Eastern Imperial Eagle drifted in from the right, circled over head, then carried on along the ridge.

Yep, Macin Mountains, definitely a brilliant place...

Danube Delta 2012 #2

A second installment from the houseboat Kingfisher, slowly heading back upstream today. As I type I can hear Golden Oriole, Nightingale and Redstart singing, while a noisy group of Bee-eaters are burbling away on the riverbank..

From the top... a rather splendid pair of Dalmatian Pelicans, being a lot more confiding than pelicans tend to be out here; a Marsh Frog (the soundtrack to the wetlands of the Delta is made up of these!), amongst the lovely Cloverleaf Fern; Paddyfield Warbler singing in the reeds behind Sachalin Island, alongside (unphotographed) Moustached, Reed, Great Reed and Savi's Warblers; Steppe Runner, another local speciality which occurs on sandy soils in the Delta, and then around the northern Black Sea across into Asia.

Danube Delta 2012

A quick 'hello' from the Danube Delta, where we are currently moored up at Sfantu Georghe, just at the mouth of the channel next to the Black Sea coast. A beautiful sunny evening, with the smells of yet another spectacular meal wafting through the boat... life is hard, sometimes. : )

from the top: Dalmatian Pelican, one of a handful we've seen so far amongst the several hundred White Pelicans; Large Copper, a stunning little butterfly; Squacco Heron are a ridiculously common sight, but it's quite a challenge to get a photo of one looking semi-relaxed, as they are very quick to take flight as the boat draws alongside; Great Black-headed Gull, one of the key Delta specialities, we had around ten during the day as me moved from Uzlina downstream to where we are now.

Not a bad first few days.

Romania 2010

Romania 2010, a set on Flickr.

Photos from our 2010 holiday to the Danube Delta in Romania. We have just confirmed our 2012 trip, so more pictures will follow in May.

Danube Delta: 5th April 2011

The last few days of Chris and Henry's jaunt on the Danube Delta. The birds continue to arrive, with Bearded Tits and Savi's Warbler already abounding in the reedbeds, booming Bitterns and hundreds of Avocets and Black-tailed Godwits at Sacalin.

Danube Delta: March/April 2011

Chris and Henry are currently in Romania, spending a few days on the Danube Delta in the company of George and Calin from Delta Travel.

While they've been having a great time with the birds (not to mention the great food that is always a feature of our time with Delta Travel!), the real 'now I'm jealous' moment came with a young Raccoon Dog who spent fifteen minutes watching the watchers watching him at just a few metres range. Wow...

Migration season is well underway. White Pelicans are just arriving from their wintering groups in the northern Nile (from one of the world's great deltas to another!), together with a handful of Dalmatian Pelicans.

Ferruginous Duck, Garganey, Ruff and Black-tailed Godwit are all arriving in good numbers. The wet woodlands are home to drumming Grey-headed Woodpecker, while large flocks of Glossy Ibis can be found in the meadows. An exciting time to be in the Delta... and migration has only just begun!

We have a full trip visiting the Delta in May, towards the end of the spring migration period, but there are plenty of spaces for our autumn visit, when the birds are moving more leisurely southwards. Contact us for details or to book a place!