April 19-May 5, 2025 with Terry Stevenson & Lajos Nemeth-Boka
This was our seventh Hungary & Romania tour, once again led by Terry Stevenson and Lajos Nemeth-Boka. We followed what is now our well-tried route, which included the amazing Danube Delta, the Carpathian Mountains, the woodlands and farms of Transylvania, and finally the Hungarian plains around Kiskunsag. Birding highlights were many, but of particular note were Great Bustard, Dalmatian Pelican, Imperial Eagle, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Northern Nutcracker, Bearded Reedling, and Wallcreeper. Mammals varied from tiny Eurasian Ground Sqiurrels to Western Roe Deer, and we had amazing looks at a mother and two cub Brown Bears feeding right next to our vehicle.
The dates of the tour are planned to catch the migration of birds returning from Africa to their European breeding grounds, the spring song, and to be not so late in the season that the trees are completely full of leaf. We've found this is the timing that works best, and so we left our hotel in Bucharest and headed east for three nights in the Danube Delta area and the Black Sea coast. This gave us time to explore not just the delta but other major habitats, including the Babadag Hills, the surrounding farmlands, and the Cheia Dobrogen Gorge. Just some of the birds we saw included Gray Partridge, Common Cuckoo, White Storks nesting on the village roofs and telephone poles, Booted Eagle, Pallid and Montagu's harriers, Long-legged Buzzard, Eurasian Hoopoe, Great-spotted, Syrian, and Gray-headed woodpeckers, Red-footed Falcon, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Lesser Gray and Woodchat shrikes, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, 5 species of lark including Wood, Sky, Crested, Greater Short-toed and Calandra, Wood Warbler, Chiffchaff, Lesser and Greater Whitethroats, European Pied Flycatcher, a gorgeous male Collared Flycatcher, Black Redstart, European Goldfinch and Ortolan Bunting.
Leaving the coast and delta behind, we then returned to Bucharest and left the following day for the historical city of Brasov and a visit to Bran (Dracula's) Castle. This was largely a travel day, but we were now in place to bird the Homorod Valley -- the main site for Lesser Spotted Eagle (we saw three), and also picked up Little Owl (they live on buildings in the villages), Eurasian Jay, Marsh Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Fieldfare, Hawfinch, Eurasian Linnet, European Serin and Yellowhammer. Our new base was now at Odorheiu Secuesc, allowing us day outings to Bicaz Gorge, where we added European Turtle-Dove, Great Gray Shrike, White-throated Dipper, and the amazing Wallcreeper! And then a day to Mt. Hargita that proved exceptional, with Eurasian Pygmy-Owl, Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, Coal, Crested, and Willow tits, Common Firecrest, Ring Ousel, Mistle Thrush, and Eurasian Bullfinch. Even the local city park was productive, with good looks after dinner one night at Eurasian Scops-Owl.
We now headed further west, passing through the Sighisoara Forest, where we picked up Middle-spotted and Eurasian Green woodpeckers, another male Collared Flycatcher, and Short-toed Treecreeper. And then, just before our charming hotel at Conacul Secuiesc, we stopped in the Cheile Valisoarei Gorge for European Red-rumped Swallow and Rock Bunting and had the unexpected bonus of a flying flock of 17 Common Cranes -- on their journey to who knows where? We were now in one of the most beautiful parts of Transylvania, birding in the traditionally farmed area (yes, unlike most of Europe they still practice strip farming here) and we also made a visit to the spectacular Turda Gorge. New birds included Alpine Swift, Red-backed Shrike, and Common Nightingale (actually seen here).
Continuing still further west, we crossed into Hungary and stopped at one of the most productive wetlands of the whole tour. It's spectacular to spend a few hours at Foldes, and although many of the species had been seen earlier in the Danube Delta, everyone agreed it was well worth a visit. Just some of the highlights were large numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds, with new birds including Eurasian Wigeon, and Spotted Redshank and Dunlin (in breeding plumage); we also enjoyed Eurasian Spoonbill and a variety of herons and egrets. The surrounding woodlands held Long-eared Owl, European Bee-eater, and a colony of Red-footed Falcons.
After a night in Hajduszovoszlo (no one can pronounce it), we headed to the famous Hortobagy NP and then on to Kiskunsag, a vast area of carefully managed farmlands interspersed with woodland, heath, and marshy wetlands. This was a great way to finish our tour, with once again great looks at so many waterbirds, plus some real highlights, including Great Bustard (displaying males and females), Eurasian Nightjar, Eurasian Thick-knee, a colony of Mediterranean Gulls, European Honey-buzzard, Imperial Eagle, European Roller, Eurasian Wryneck, Saker Falcon, Eurasian Penduline-tit, Great Reed Warbler, River Warbler, and Common Grasshopper Warbler.
As always, we concluded the tour near the historical city of Budapest, with the option of extra nights and a city tour to learn more about the history of this fascinating area.
Mammals seen on the tour:
European Hare (Lepus europaeus) -- Small numbers in the farmlands of Hungary; in all we saw about 15.
European Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) -- Also known as Souslik, we saw about 30 between Bucharest, Baia, and Babadag.
Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) -- Fantastic close looks at a mother and two cubs feeding on grass right next to our vehicle on the way to Bicaz Gorge.
Western Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) -- Eight in the Homorod Valley, 2 near Coltesti, and about 18 between Hortobagy and Kiskunsag.
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/388705
—Terry Stevenson