A belated post about the other birds I saw during my recent ‘non birding’ holiday to Romania. When I wasn’t looking at Juvenile Caspian Gulls, my early mornings were spent wandering around a body of freshwater that I just found on Google Maps. Conclusion: Romania is stacked full of birds! I had flocks of Whiskered Terns, Pygmy Cormorants, Purple Herons, Little Bitterns and Glossy Ibises, plus Golden Orioles, Turtle Doves, large numbers of dombrowski (and a few feldegg) Yellow Wagtails, Bee–eaters and one or two Red–rumped Swallows.
The litter-strewn farmland surrounding our accommodation was also excellent for birding and became my local patch for the week. Isabelline Wheatears, Tawny Pipits, Red–backed and Lesser Grey Shrike, Black–headed Buntings, many Crested and a single Greater Short–toed Lark, more Golden Orioles in the woodland where I also had Middle–Spotted Woodpecker and the ‘croak’ and ‘whistle’ calls of Thrush Nightingales were often heard.
Much of the rest of my time was spent doing actual holiday stuff as well as looking at gulls, mentioned in the previous post. Our final day was spent at the legendary Vadu. The drive down was continually interrupted by me pulling over to look at birds: Black–eared Wheatear, Black–headed Wagtails and 18 Red–footed Falcons chasing insects kicked up in the wake of a farmer’s tractor were among the highlights, while the non-birding members of our party (i.e. everyone but me) were entertained by the frequent roadside Bee-eaters and Rollers.
The below Short Toed Eagle was a consalation prize along with a pair of Long-Legged Buzzards at a site which I was sure was the Pied Wheatear site, but I’d buggered up the map and sent us to the wrong place, next time…
Ive missed off a few things through lazyness but as ‘not a birding holidays’ go it was pretty good. Thanks to a group of my best friends for your patience xxx
PERDIX BIRDER 