Having arrived on board our boat on Saturday evening, and spent the night moored at Tulcea, this was our first day exploring the stunningly beautiful Danube Delta. We breakfasted on the river boat, our ‘floating hotel’ then set off on a small boat travelling through a variety of channels across the delta.
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| Our ‘floating hotel’ |
It was a sunny morning, but cold under the shade of the canopy. We traversed a rich variety of landscapes, including tree-lined channels, open pools and damp grassland. Some parts were fairly birdless, others rich in abundant avian life. Black-crowned Night Herons, Great and Pygmy Cormorants crossed the waterways, huge White Pelicans passed overhead, sometimes singly, sometimes in tight squadron formation. Dalmatian Pelicans were also present in smaller numbers, and Kingfishers darting from the undergrowth to cross the river in an electric blue flash were fairly frequent. Cuckoos were regularly heard, and sometimes seen dashing across the riverside vegetation. Both Little and Great Egrets were fairly common, and in the latter part of the trip as the habitat changed, we found increasing numbers of Squacco heron, their gingerish colouration morphing into a blaze of white as they sped away from our boat. Hooded Crows perched in treetops and Barn Swallows skimmed the surface around us, with some Sand Martins also seen. A highlight of the trip was a splendid tally of Rollers, seen close to the river in low-lying bushes, their spectacular turquoise plumage highlighted by the sun. A smattering of Red backed-Shrikes were seen together with a single Lesser Grey Shrike, a lovely bird with a pink flush to its breast. Eastern Olivaceous Warblers sang regularly throughout the trip, with one bird eventually showing well several times, albeit fairly fleetingly. Great Reed Warblers called loudly from reedbeds but were not seen as we moved past. Several White-tailed Eagles included a bird perched in a tree, which unfortunately flew off just as we reversed for a better view. Marsh Harriers and Kestrels completed the raptor show. In a small pool we found both chestnut headed Common Pochard and Red-crested Pochard with ginger pompom heads and scarlet bills, then a single Ferruginous Duck, together with a pair of Red-necked Grebes in splendid summer plumage. Common and Whiskered Terns dived over the water, but the star bird was a huge Pallas Gull, it’s appearance like a giant Black-headed Gull, with an enormous red bill and impressive bulk, a new tick for us and many on the trip.
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| Roller |
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| Squacco Heron |
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| White Pelican |
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| Pallas’ Gull |
We returned to the larger boat for lunch, and whilst we ate, sped along the main river channel towards our next mooring location. Climbing to the roof, we sat in chairs with excellent views across the riverside landscapes and basked in the warmth of the sun, despite the earlier wind. Glossy Ibis were plentiful, together with egrets foraging in the damp grassy meadows.
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| Glossy Ibis |
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| Great Egret |
At 4pm we set off on our small boat again, proceeding along tranquil canals. Highlights included a closer Ferruginous Duck with rusty red plumage and contrasting white speculum, a Red-footed Falcon, perched in a tree, then hunting the field nearby, a masked Penduline Tit seen close to its beautiful woven nest, and a White tailed Eagle perched on a log. We ended the day with a tally of around fifty species seen and another dozen heard, a satisfying start to our trip.
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