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Here is our group, looking intently at a well-hidden European Scops-Owl in the city park in Szekelyudvarhely. This was just one of the adventures we had on this tour! Photo by guide Lajos Nemeth-Boka.

Our Hungary and Romania 2018 tour took place as usual around the last week of April and first week of May. Amazingly, though, the weather couldn't have been more different from two of our past three tours. We didn't experience any of the cold we'd had before, and instead enjoyed a wonderful sunny European Spring throughout the whole tour.

As usual, we began in Bucharest where many of the group took an optional pre-tour extension to this historic city. The following day found us driving east to Tulcea on the Danube River, where we boarded our floating hotel and were soon on our way into the sprawling delta. We spent three nights on this small 'ship', enjoying some fabulous meals, friendly staff, and of course, great birding. Our private cabins were all on the main vessel, while we were pulled from place to place by a small tug and had the use of a small shallow-hulled boat to enter the more narrow channels. Just some of the highlights we saw during three days aboard were 15 species of ducks and geese, including a magnificent Red-breasted Goose which at this time should have been far away in Siberia. Red-crested Pochard were another favorite, as were Ferruginous Duck and Garganey. Red-necked and Great-crested were the favorites of the four species of grebes we saw, while other waterbird highlights included Pygmy Cormorant, Dalmatian Pelican, Squacco Heron, and Eurasian Spoonbill. Shorebirds included Pied Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, and Ruff in a variety of exotic plumages. All three marsh terns (Black, White-winged and Whiskered) were seen in breeding plumage, while gulls included Little, Caspian and Pallas's. Birds of prey were also variable, with Eurasian Marsh-Harrier being the most common, but we also saw at least 20 White-tailed Eagles, a Long-legged Buzzard, and several smart-looking Red-footed Falcons. On land (or near to it), highlights were Eurasian Hoopoe, Black Woodpecker, Bearded Reedling (just gorgeous), Eurasian Penduline-Tit, Great Reed and Savi's warblers, European Pied Flycatcher, and Reed Bunting.

After our return to Tulcea we made a day drive inland to the Babadag Hills, the Cheia Dobrodgea Gorge, and finally to Constanta on the Black Sea coast. It was a varied day, with species including Gray Partridge, Black Stork, Short-toed Snake-Eagle, Little Owl, European Roller, Greater Short-toed, Calandra, and Crested larks, Sombre Tit, Common Nightingale, Pied and Isabelline wheatears, Yellowhammer, and Ortolan Bunting. We also had two new mammals - European Souslik (sort of like a Prairie Dog) and Red Fox.

The following day was largely a travel day, but first we headed to the beach and nearby lagoons where large numbers of migrant shorebirds were present (19 species in all). Spanish Sparrows breeding in the lower side of an active White Stork's nest was another notable sighting before we began the long drive to Brasov - a medieval city to the northwest and near to Bran (Dracula's) Castle. Indeed, we began the following day with a visit to this famous touristic site - perhaps the most visited castle in the whole of Eastern Europe. We then continued on for lunch in Viscri, a traditional Saxon village with a fortified church and now a World Heritage site. Birding included a stop at the Sin Paul Fishponds and several sites along the Lesser Spotted Eagle flyway. New birds today included Little Bittern, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Green Woodpecker, Great Gray Shrike, Eurasian Jay, Eurasian Skylark, European Stonechat, Fieldfare and Mistle Thrush.

Moving on, we spent three nights based at Desag which enabled us to visit the Bicaz Gorge, Liben Forest and Mt. Hargita - all varied habitats and each with its own special birds. Just some of the highlights while based here were 3 Western Capercaillie (2 walking right on the road), Eurasian Pygmy-Owl (close and perched in the open), Alpine Swift, Coal, Crested, Marsh and Willow tits, Wallcreeper (wonderful looks this year), White-throated Dipper, Goldcrest, Firecrest, European Robin, Gray Wagtail, Tree Pipit, Eurasian Bullfinch, Red Crossbill and Eurasian Siskin. And, for those who went to the nearby bear hide, 2 Brown Bears.

Continuing further west, we made stops in a nearby village to see the traditionally carved Szekler Gates, and then in a city park where we enjoyed European Scops-Owl, Syrian Woodpecker, Eurasian Nuthatch, striking male Collared Flycatchers and European Serin. Our journey west took us through many traditional villages and the rich farmlands of Transylvania, finally arriving in the late afternoon for a two night stay at our charming hotel in Coltesti. The main birding here was around the local farms where they still practice strip farming and often plough with horses. Birding highlights included Golden Eagle (for some), European Bee-eater, Peregrine Falcon, Red-backed Shrike, Woodlark, Eurasian Crag-Martin, Red-rumped Swallow, Greater Whitethroat, and European Greenfinch.

The final four nights of our tour were in Hungary, where we began in the east at the Foldes Wetland, passed through Hortobagy, and then headed west to Kiskunsag - an extensive area of grassland, controlled farmland, marshes, woodland and heath, all near to Budapest. Birding across this region was great, as we not only added new species, but also had repeated chances to refresh our memories or catch up on anything we may have missed earlier. Our most memorable birds here were large numbers of waterbirds at Foldes, 2 Common Quail flushed from a grassy field, 4 or 5 Imperial Eagles (with great views of a close low bird in flight), displaying Great Bustards, Eurasian Thick-knee, Mediterranean Gull, Long-eared Owl, Eurasian Nightjar, more flocks of European Bee-eaters and Rollers, Lesser and Middle spotted woodpeckers, 2 Black Woodpeckers (flying right over our heads), a breeding colony of Red-footed Falcons, Lesser Gray Shrike, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Long-tailed Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper, Eurasian River Warbler (just great looks at this normally really shy bird), Barred Warbler, Hawfinch, and Eurasian Linnet.

The tour finished with a farewell lunch near Budapest, and then for those interested, a night in Budapest, followed by another optional city tour.

Our next tour to Hungary and Romania with Terry Stevenson and Lajos Nemeth-Boka runs April 27 to May 13, 2019.

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

We were quite excited to find a lingering Red-breasted Goose, and to get such wonderful views of it! Here is part of the group, celebrating. Photo by guide Lajos Nemeth-Boka.

Our "floating hotel" had a very nice dining room where we enjoyed some good dinners and companionship. Photo by guide Lajos Nemeth-Boka.

While we were on the Danube Delta, we had a smaller vessel that we used to explore the shallower waterways. Photo by guide Lajos Nemeth-Boka.

Here is a close-up of guide Terry Stevenson and the group as we birded in the Danube Delta. Photo by guide Lajos Nemeth-Boka.

Finally, here we are, tired and happy, with 209 birds on our lists! Photo contributed by guide Lajos Nemeth-Boka.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 209 bird taxa and 7 mammal taxa