Birding/ Bird watching in Danube Delta, Romania - April 2022

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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

Birding/ Bird watching Danube Delta in Romania

Saturday 30 ^th of April 2022 and my alarm went off at 04:15 and I turned on my kettle. Breakfast was ready at 7 and I went out to enjoy the food and views. I had to wear a jacket as it was very cold and strong wind.

I could only eat half of the cheese before I was full. I grabbed my bag and we were soon on our way to Tulcea Marina and the boat.

Breakfast

We left the marina with full speed towards east and we will leave the Saint George Branch and take the Sulina Branch. We will visit Mila 23 today but we will not go there directly. We turned north leaving the Sulina Branch behind going up the Canalul Arhipenco (Arhipenco Channel)

We see and hear a lot of Pheasants along the Arhipenco Channel.

Pheasant

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Canalul Arhipenco, Tulcea, RO
30 Apr 2022 08:37 - 09:29
Protocol: Traveling
11.12 kilometer(s)
6 species

Mallard 1
Common Pheasant 7 Could also be heard all over the area
Little Egret 3
Common Kingfisher 2
Hooded Crow 1
Common Starling 3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108437701

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home )

Today's track along Canalul Arhipenco

I turn off my eBird app at 09:29 and I start it again at 09:29 and I changed location to eBird hotspot: Lacul Furtuna (Lake Fortuna) Coming out on the lake and it looked empty. I told the Guide to go south as the strong wind came in from north so the birds might have been blown down to the south end.

There is a lot of Black terns, Whiskered Tern and White-winged Terns. And there is many swans on the south side of the lake. There are plenty of the small Grebes but the high waves makes it very hard to ID them.

Black-necked Grebe

eBird Report

Lacul Furtuna, Tulcea, RO
30 Apr 2022 09:29 - 10:13
Protocol: Traveling
9.24 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Very windy and waves on the lake so not easy to see the small birds.
13 species

Mute Swan 44
Mallard 2
Great Crested Grebe 2
Black-necked Grebe 4 Very strong wind and waves in the lake so it was very hard to take pictures. Lucky to get one with the head sticking up. Poor picture, for ID purpose only
Black Tern X Impossible to count. Many Terns over the lake. Most Black Terns. Whiskered Terns, maybe a little more than the White-winged Terns
White-winged Black Tern X Impossible to count. Many Terns over the lake. Most Black Terns. Whiskered Terns, maybe a little more than the White-winged Terns
Whiskered Tern X Impossible to count. Many Terns over the lake. Most Black Terns. Whiskered Terns, maybe a little more than the White-winged Terns
Common Tern X
Great Cormorant X Many
Little Egret 2
Hooded Crow 4
Barn Swallow X
Common Starling 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108438376

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home )

Today's track along Lacul Furtuna

I turn off the eBird app at 10:13 happy to leave the lake behind as it is very cold in the strong wind. I changed from eBird hotspot: Lacul Furtuna and I changed to a home-made spot that I called “Danube Delta: Lacul Fortuna to Lacul Vacaru” and I started the app at 10:14

There was not many birds to report on the channel between the lakes.

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Lacul Fortuna to Lacul Vacaru, Tulcea, RO
30 Apr 2022 10:14 - 10:30
Protocol: Traveling
3.18 kilometer(s)
8 species

Mute Swan 2
Black-headed Gull 4
Common Tern 2
Great Cormorant 8
Little Egret 3
Hooded Crow 1
Barn Swallow X
Common Starling 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108438675

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home )

Today's track between Lacul Fortuna and Lacul Vacaru

Turning off the app at 10:30 and restarted at 10:30 with another home-made birding spot: Danube Delta: Lacul Ligheance. We spotted a couple of Black-headed Gulls and one eagle. Really cold and windy and not many birds around. But there was an eagle and when I was back in my room I blow up the picture to 100%

Then I discovered that there is a nest on the left-hand side on the picture.

White-tailed Eagle

White-tailed Eagle with a nest with 2 babies

Click picture for full size and you can see a nest on the left-hand side

Great Reed Warbler

Great Reed Warbler

Listen to the Great Reed Warbler

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

Could hear 3 birds but I could only see one of them

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder. High Pass Filter applied with Audacity

Could hear 3 birds but I could only see one of them

We passed one singing Great Reed Warbler and I managed to get two recordings, not very good because it was a very strong wind. The pictures did not turn out so well, but I was happy when we left Lacul Ligheance. I have not managed to get any picture of the Squacco Heron.

Well, I have got plenty pictures, but they all went to the garbage bin. I got one picture now, but the bird is covered by reeds.

Squacco Heron covered by reeds

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Lacul Ligheance, Tulcea, RO
30 Apr 2022 10:30 - 10:52
Protocol: Traveling
4.05 kilometer(s)
13 species

Great Crested Grebe 4
Common Woodpigeon 1
Black-headed Gull X
Black Tern X
Whiskered Tern X
Great Cormorant X Many
Great White Pelican 6
Grey Heron 1
Squacco Heron 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
White-tailed Eagle 3 One adult and two babies in nest. Spotted the nest by accident when I was back home and I looked at the pictures
Great Reed Warbler 3 Only one of the birds seen
Barn Swallow X

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108439030

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home )

Today's track at Lacul Ligheance

I turned off my app at 10:52 and I changed to eBird hotspot: Mila 23 and at 10:53 the app was running. We stopped at Mila 23, a small village and we had a cup of tea before continuing north. There was a cafe but it was closed and we walked next door.

This was some kind of coffee club but they had tea.

We park the boat

Closed for renovation

Enjoying a cup of tea

Cafe Club at Mila 23

Eurasian Blue Tit

I spotted a White Stork and plenty gulls while having my tea and there was a Blue Tit in the tree at the boat when we left. We had spotted a lot of birds across the river when we arrived to Mila 23. So we started by crossing the river when we left Mila 23.

There was Glossy Ibises and egrets and I also spotted a Ruff and a White Wagtail

Glossy Ibis and Little Egret

Glossy Ibis and Little Egret

Great Cormorant

Mallards

Common Tern

Caspian Gull

Caspian Gull

Caspian Gull

eBird Report

Mila 23, Tulcea, RO
30 Apr 2022 10:53 - 11:44
Protocol: Traveling
5.76 kilometer(s)
1 species (+1 other taxa)

Mallard 2
Ruff 1
Caspian Gull 4
Common Tern 3
White Stork 1
Pygmy Cormorant 3
Great Cormorant 4
Little Egret 5
Glossy Ibis 10
woodpecker sp. 1 Flying over the boat and not possible to ID
Hooded Crow 5
Eurasian Blue Tit 1
Barn Swallow X
White Wagtail (alba) 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108439816

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home )

Today's track at Mila 23

I turn off the app at 11:44 and I restart the app at 11:44 with another home-made birding spot “Danube Delta: Canalul Stipoc” We will follow the Stipoc channel until the Ukrainian border at the main river. There is a village / town named Chilia Veche.

Chilia Veche

Chilia Veche is a commune in Tulcea County, Northern Dobruja, Romania, in the Danube Delta. It gave its name to the Chilia branch of the Danube, which separates it from Ukraine. It is composed of four villages: Câșlița, Chilia Veche, Ostrovu Tătaru and Tatanir.

I cannot leave Danube Delta without having seen the main river. We pass a big birding boat on the way north. I had contacted this company, but they only did groups and I want to go alone. There was not so many birds in the Canalul Stipoc but I enjoyed the ride as it is some beautiful suroundings.

Great Crested Grebe

Mute Swan family

Mute Swan family

Mute Swan

Squacco Heron

Poor picture, but the best I have managed to get so far

We reach Chilia Veche and Danube. We can see Ukraine on the other side of the river. I spot one beautiful Pallas Gull and there is one White Stork eating on a dead fish in the water.

So I was happy, there are plenty storks around, but I only see their heads sticking up from their nests.

White Stork with Ukraine in the back

White Stork

White Stork

White Stork

White Stork

White Stork

White Stork

Chilia Veche

Danube River, Romania on the left and Ukraine on the right-hand side

Danube River

Ukraine across the river

Chilia Veche

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Canalul Stipoc, Tulcea, RO
30 Apr 2022 11:44 - 12:50
Protocol: Traveling
22.36 kilometer(s)
18 species

Mute Swan 9
Great Crested Grebe 2
Common Woodpigeon 1
Eurasian Coot 1
Black-headed Gull 4
Pallas's Gull 1
Common Tern 6
White Stork 1
Pygmy Cormorant 2
Great Cormorant 1
Great White Pelican 2
Little Egret 1
Squacco Heron 2
Common Kestrel 1
Common Magpie 1
Rook 4
Hooded Crow 3
Barn Swallow X

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108441053

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home )

Today's track at Canalul Stipoc

We leave Chilia Veche going back south on the Stipoc Channel. We leave the Stipoc Channel and we go to have a look at the Lacul Babina. We leave the lake and the channel is blocked and we turn around. My Guide decide to try the channel again and we go back to try again.

There was a small boat in front of us that decided to try as well when we turned around. Coming back and we struggled to go through the forest in the channel. We came out on open water again and we put the throttle to full, for one minute.

Then we ran in to the small boat again. They were in the middle of one tree laying over the channel and they try to work their way through the tree with the help of an axe.

We turn around and we have to struggle to get back to the lake.

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Lacul Babina, Tulcea, RO
30 Apr 2022 13:13 - 14:32
Protocol: Traveling
11.78 kilometer(s)
Checklist Comments: Got stuck in the canal so had to stop eBird app
9 species

Mute Swan 2
Great White Pelican 1
Purple Heron 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Common Magpie 1 Fight with crow at nest
Hooded Crow 1 Fight magpie at nest
Common Starling 3
Common Redstart 1
Common Reed Bunting 1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108445143

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 ( https://ebird.org/home )

Today's track at Lacul Babina

We are happy to leave Lacul Babina behind. By the time we reach Mila 23 I am about to piss my pants. We decide to stop and I find a bath room but no food so we leave Mila 23 and go back to Tulcea. I am also getting very hungry si I want to get back as soon as possible.

Tulcea

Tulcea; Bulgarian, Russian and Ukrainian: Тулча, Tulcha; Greek: Αιγισσός, Aegyssus; Turkish: Tulça is a city in Northern Dobruja, Romania.

It is the administrative center of Tulcea County, and had a population of 73,707 as of 2011.

Ashore at Mila 23

Heavy traffic on Danube Sulina Branch

Heavy traffic on Danube Sulina Branch

Poster at Tulcea Marina

Danube Delta is, of course, there are garbage laying around. But generally, it is a very clean area, maybe thanks to the poster in Tulcea Marina. I had my cheese and avocado when I was back at my room at Verada Tour Guest House in Somova.

Two more days on the delta and we will go to the eastern part tomorrow and it is a couple of hours with full speed.

Click HERE to find out if we see anything exciting.

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