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We had a wonderful daytime view of this European Scops Owl in Szekelyudvarhely City Park. Photograph by participant Jean Peralta.

Our 2017 Hungary & Romania Tour once again took us from the Danube Delta to the Black Sea coast, the Bicaz Gorge, the Carpathian Mountains, Transylvania (including a morning at Bran 'Dracula's' Castle), and then to the famous national parks at Hortobagy and Kiskunsag in Hungary.

As always, the birding included the specials of the region, with Pygmy Cormorant, Dalmatian Pelican, Imperial Eagle, Great Bustard, Black Woodpecker and Wallcreeper being just a few from an impressive list. However, this year we also did absolutely exceptional for mammals, with European Mink being the rarest, but we also had Common 'Golden' Jackal, Wildcat, and no less than 8 Brown Bears.

Beginning in Bucharest, many of the group did an optional day City tour and then it was off to Tulcea where we boarded our 'floating hotel' for a three night stay traveling within the Danube Delta. By birding from the viewing terrace of the floating hotel and then transferring to a smaller boat to negotiate the narrow channels, we saw a dozen species of ducks and geese - with Ferruginous Duck being the most localized, plus Red-necked and Great Crested grebes which were displaying and being to breed. The formerly uncommon Pygmy Cormorants are now increasing in numbers and we saw at least 600 this year. Likewise, Dalmatian Pelicans are also doing well, and we saw several small flocks, as well as hundreds of Great White Pelicans. A good selection of herons, together with Glossy Ibis and Eurasian Spoonbill were present alongside shorebirds which included Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff and Spotted Redshank all in breeding plumage. Groups of Collared Pratincole were present at a couple of locations, and amongst the large numbers of Black-headed and Caspian gulls were flocks of delightful Little Gulls and a single Pallas's Gull. Land birds are not numerous during this part of the tour, but we all enjoyed our first White-tailed Eagles, Eurasian Hoopoes, Grey-headed Woodpecker, Eurasian Magpie, the gorgeous Bearded Reedling, Great Tit, Eurasian Penduline-Tit (a fabulous male at a nest), Common Chiffchaff, Great Reed-Warbler, Savi's Warbler, European Pied Flycatcher, and Reed Bunting. And it was here, deep in the delta, that we saw all three of our unexpected mammals - perhaps it was due to the low water levels exposing a greater area of dry shoreline than usual, but whatever the reason, European Mink, Common Jackal, and Wildcat were all mammals rarely seen!

We then took a day trip inland, passing through the Babadag Hills and Cheia Dobrodgea Gorge, picking up such varied species as Booted Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Eurasian Thick-knee, Little Owl, European Bee-eater, Middle Spotted and Syrian woodpeckers, Calandra and Wood larks, Sombre Tit, Eurasian Blackcap, Common Nightingale (amazingly right in the open), Collared Flycatcher, Pied Wheatear, Tawny Pipit, and Ortolan Bunting. We also saw our first Sousliks - a cute little mammal rather like a small Prairie Dog.

After a night near Constanta, we spent a few hours at Vadu where our first stop was to see dapper Spanish Sparrows nesting in the lower side of occupied White Stork nests. In the nearby marshes we saw hundreds of shorebirds and nesting Pied Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, and Common Terns, and then at the shore of the Black Sea, hundreds of gulls and terns, including 16 gorgeous Mediterranean Gulls in full breeding plumage. It was now time to begin a long travel day to the attractive city of Brasov, breaking the journey inland and our three night stay at the Carpathian Mountains.

Before heading into the Carpathians, we took a few hours to visit Bran Castle - more popularly known as Dracula's Castle - a fascinating story of history and myth enjoyed by everyone. We then had a fabulous traditional lunch at a homestead in the historic Saxon village of Viscrii, before continuing west to Desag, finding Lesser Spotted Eagle, Red-backed and Northern shrikes, Common Raven, Willow Tit, Common Redstart, and European Goldfinch along the way.

During our three nights at Desag we made a day trip to Bicaz Gorge, a day to the higher slopes of Mt. Hargita, and a evening visit to the Brown Bear hides. Gorgeous and as varied as the landscape is, a cold snap a few days before made for some quiet birding, but there were no major misses, and highlights included Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Nutcracker, Coal and Crested tits, Long-tailed Tit, Wallcreeper, White-throated Dipper, Goldcrest, Firecrest, Wood Warbler, Ring Ousel and Grey Wagtail. A mother Brown Bear with two tiny babies, right along the roadside was a huge surprise for us all. And then, at the viewing hide later that evening, we all enjoyed no less than five other bears (including a large male), at times only three feet away.

We now once again continued further west, passing through many beautiful villages, stopping to see the famous Szekler Gates, having a nice picnic lunch in the Sighisoara Forest before heading on through traditional farmland (where they practice strip farming and many still plough the land by horse) to our lovely hotel at Coltesti. Birds seen along the way and then during our two nights here included Golden Eagle, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, European Scops-Owl, Tawny Owl, Alpine Swift, Eurasian Wryneck, Lesser Spotted and Eurasian Green woodpeckers, Eurasian Crag-Martin, Eurasian Nuthatch, Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush, Yellowhammer, Rock Bunting, and European Serin.

The final part of our tour is in Hungary, so we left Coltesti behind and drove to the border where the crossing went very smoothly - taking perhaps 25 minutes. Our first stop in Hungary was a local restaurant (my, do these people eat well) and then to the Foldes Wetland where the specially erected nest boxes were full of beautiful Red-footed Falcons. The marshes, reed beds and flooded areas were alive with numerous waterbirds, many of which we'd seen previously, but here close and easy to scope from the raised viewing platform. We also saw two newly fledged Long-eared Owls, and our first colorful European Rollers.

After a night in Hajduszoboszlo, we drove through the Hortobagy National Park, where a pair of Saker Falcons were our best find, and then for a two night stay at Kiskunsag where we were joined by the local warden as we searched out Gray Partridge, Imperial Eagle (a great close flying adult and sub-adult), Pallid Harrier, Great Bustard (several males displaying), Long-eared Owl (two juveniles in a nest and a nearby adult), Eurasian Nightjar, Eurasian Bee-eater (at a colony), Black Woodpecker, Lesser Gray Shrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Eurasian Skylark, Short-toed Treecreeper, Marsh Warbler, Common Grasshopper-Warbler (great looks at a singing bird), Mistle Thrush, Tree Pipit, and Hawfinch.

Once again many of the group stayed on in Budapest for a City Tour, others returned home, but no matter what choice one made I'm sure we all left with great memories of the birds, mammals, cultural sights, and the people of Hungary and Romania.

Our next Hungary & Romania Tour runs April 21 to May 7, 2018.

It was wonderful traveling with all of you. Good birding!

--Terry

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

This is a typical view of a White Stork. Photographed on a previous tour by participant Jan Shaw.

This view of the marshes in the Danube Delta includes two Grey Herons, and a nesting Great Crested Grebe. We had good looks at these wonderful birds on our tour. Photographed on a previous tour by participant David Woods.

Coltesti Castle, as seen on a previous tour. Photograph by participant David Woods.

This portrait of a Eurasian Jay was captured by participant Jean Peralta. We saw a good number of these colorful birds.

The Yellowhammer is a breeding bird in Hungary and Romania. We saw 6 of these bright beauties at various places on the tour. Photograph from a previous tour by participant Daphne Gemmill.

On the way to our night in Coltesti, we saw some of the famous Szekler Gates. Photograph from a previous tour, by participant David Woods.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Other creatures seen on the tour included;

Yellow-bellied Toad: 1 in a pool in the Sighisoara Forest.

Fire-bellied Toad: several in the Danube Delta.

Green Toad: 3 in a pool near the Liben Forest.

Marsh Frog: common in the Danube Delta.

Edible Frog: common in the Danube Delta.

Green Lizard: 1 at Coltesti.

Totals for the tour: 206 bird taxa and 11 mammal taxa