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

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

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.

Sunday 1 ^st of May 2022 and I snoozed my alarm when it went off at 04:15 and I slept a little longer today. When I came out for breakfast it was blue sky, but still a little bit cold so I had to wear a pullover.

So I will bring my jacket with me but I don't expect to be as cold as yesterday.

Breakfast

We left Tulcea at 8 and it was full speed towards east following Saint George Branch towards the SE part of the Danube Delta. And yes, it was cold in the wind. But as soon as we slowed down it was nice in the sun. But we don't have time to stop or drive slowly.

Today we spotted many cruise barges from Germany and Switzerland coming down Danube River and the go to Sulina at the mouth of the river. It is a 7 days cruise down the river to reach Sulina.

Cruise barges on the river

Mahmudia

Mahmudia is a commune in Tulcea County, Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Mahmudia. It included the villages of Beștepe, Băltenii de Jos and Băltenii de Sus until 2004, when these were split off to form Beștepe Commune.

We leave the river when we have passed Mahmudia. We turn to north and we will follow the loop and coming back out on the river approx. 4 km further down the river. The loop is going around Amenajare piscicolă, a lake.

I could take of my jacket as soon as we slowed down to start look for birds cruising along slowly. The first bird we see is of course a Hooded Crow and then Mallards.

Little Egret

Little Egret

Pygmy Cormorant

Pygmy Cormorant

Pygmy Cormorant

Yellow-legged Gull

Dalmatian Pelican

Great White Pelican

eBird Report

Incinta Carasuhat, Tulcea, RO
01 May 2022 09:01 - 09:58
Protocol: Traveling
19.87 kilometer(s)
13 species

Mallard 9
Common Pheasant 1
Black-headed Gull 3
Caspian Gull 4
Common Tern 3
Pygmy Cormorant 3
Great Cormorant 2
Great White Pelican X Total 36 Pelicans
Dalmatian Pelican X Total 36 Pelicans
Little Egret 6
Hooded Crow 2
Barn Swallow X
Common Starling 4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108558828

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

Todays track at Incinta Carasuhat

I turned off the eBird app at 09:58 when we were back on the Saint George Branch. We continued towards SE and Lacul Erenciuc. We leave the river at Lacul Erenciuc and we are going north. We have reeds on both sides in the lake. There is another boat with a bird watcher in the lake.

Great White Pelican

Common Buzzard

Pallas Gull

Western Marsh Harrier

Western Marsh Harrier

Western Marsh Harrier

Western Marsh Harrier

Western Marsh Harrier

Western Marsh Harrier

We goes toward north in Lacul Erenciuc and when we reach Canalul Mocansca we take the channel to Lacul Rosu. A narrow channel and I enjoy passing through the channels. There were many birds but not many pictures as it is hard to get them on pictures.

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Lacul Erenciuc and Canalul Mocansca, Tulcea, RO
01 May 2022 10:39 - 11:41
Protocol: Traveling
9.78 kilometer(s)
18 species

Mallard 3
Common Pheasant 3
Great Crested Grebe 2
Common Woodpigeon 1
Common Cuckoo 1 Heard only
Pallas's Gull 1
Pygmy Cormorant 1
Great Cormorant 1
Great White Pelican 13
Grey Heron 1
Purple Heron 2
Great White Egret 1
Little Egret 1
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Western Marsh Harrier 1
Common Buzzard 1
Hooded Crow 5
Common Starling 2

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108560862

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

Todays track at Lacul Erenciuc and Canalul Mocansca

I turn off the eBird app at 11:41 when we reach the end of Canalul Mocansca and I restart the app at 11:42 in Lacul Rosu. he first thing we see is hundreds of Swans and Greylag Gooses.

Mute Swan taking off

I told my Guide to cross the lakes with full speed. Nothing much to see and it is cold in the wind and from now on only channels.

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Lacul Rosu, Tulcea, RO
01 May 2022 11:42 - 12:22
Protocol: Traveling
12.85 kilometer(s)
10 species

Greylag Goose X Many
Mute Swan 100 Hundreds
Mallard 2
Black Tern X Many
Great Cormorant X Many
Great White Pelican 25
Grey Heron 3
Great White Egret 1
Hooded Crow 1
Barn Swallow X

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108561748

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

Todays track in Lacul Rosu

I stopped the eBird app at 12:22 and I restarted the app in Lacul Tataru at 12:23. Lake Tatary is a very small lake and we passed across in a minute to reach the channel going along the Black Sea coast to Sulina in the north.

We will go to Sulina and then take the Sulina Branch back to Tulcea. We were hauling arse going north towards Sulina when suddenly the channel was blocked.

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

There is a Grey Heron where the channel should be

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Lacul Tataru, Tulcea, RO
01 May 2022 12:23 - 13:18
Protocol: Traveling
10.5 kilometer(s)
8 species

Mute Swan 1
Great Cormorant 1
Great White Pelican 4
Grey Heron 2
Purple Heron 2
Great White Egret 2
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1
Hooded Crow 3

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108563285

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

Todays track in Lacul Tataru

I had to stop my eBird app at 13:18 as the channel was blocked by reed. Just 3 or 4 meter and the channel was open again. The reeds move around in the Danube Delta and some channels are blocked and new openings have to be found. There was a boat coming down from Sulina and hey had to turn around and go north again.

We drove around looking for an opening, but first we gave it a try to drive through the reeds but we soon gave up. But at least we tried

We give it a good try

We give up and we returned and after a while we find Canalu Rosu - Imputita going to Sulina. We came out just west of the jetty along the Sulina Branch and we turned east to get to the mouth of the river.

I see, well, I have seen many before, but today I noticed a pelican with black wing tips and when I was back at my room I checked my book, it was a Dalmatian Pelican. I also checked my pictures back home and I had ID several Dalmatian as the Great White. I updated my records immediately. You see it on the eyes, the Great Grey have a big skin area around the eyes while the Dalmatian have no skin area around the eyes.

So we had seen a lot of them without knowing, I even asked my Guide where the Dalmatian Pelican was. But now we know how to see the difference.

Canalu Rosu - Imputita

Canalu Rosu - Imputita

We reach the end of the river

In the Black Sea

A ship that missed the entrance

In the Black Sea

In the Black Sea

Plenty Cormorants on the wave breaker

Plenty Cormorants on the wave breaker

Caspian Gull

Bird ID as a Caspian with the help of the dark eyes

Caspian Gull

Bird ID as a Caspian with the help of the dark eyes

Caspian Gull

Bird ID as a Caspian with the help of the dark eyes

Radar station

Old light house

eBird Report

Danube Delta: Mouth of Danube - Sulina Branch, Tulcea, RO
01 May 2022 13:56 - 14:55
Protocol: Traveling
23.16 kilometer(s)
9 species

Mallard 3
Yellow-legged Gull X ID by the dark eyes
Great Cormorant X Many
Great White Pelican 5
Dalmatian Pelican 1
Little Egret 6
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Eurasian) 1
Hooded Crow 5
Barn Swallow X

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S108568487

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

Todays track at Sulina

We start going back toward Tulcea and that means that we will navigate the full length of the Danube - Sulina Branch. Coming here and we did almost the full length of the Saint George Branch. I asked the Guide to make full speed, only to slow down passing Sulina so I could get a few pictures of Sulina water front.

We also made a stop so I could step ashore to, well, I had been drinking a lot during the day. I was very very happy when I got back on the boat and we continued towards Sulina. We will stop to buy 20 litre gasoline in Sulina and then fill up full in Tulcea.

They have a 30% discount on the gasoline in Tulcea.

Bathroom stop

Approaching Sulina

Back in Sulina

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

Sulina water front

As soon as we have passed Sulina water front I ask the Guide to go full ahead and we are looking forward to a long and cold trip back to Tulcea. When we were back I told the Guide that we would stay very close to Tulcea tomorrow. We have been on full speed all day long, a must to cover the Black Sea area.

But it is a MUST DO trip and now I have covered the whole of the Danube Delta. Tomorrow will be the last day in the Danube Delta and you just have to click HERE to find out what we see.

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