April 2024 we set off on a birding trip to Romania with a small group of very experienced birders and knowledgeable local guide Tudor Blaj.

Tudor met us at Bucharest airport and we drove to the mountain area – staying the first few nights at a very cosy guest house. Birding spots included some spectacular gorges looking for the Wall Creeper, a small bird that lives in a cliff/walled environment. Unfortunately we hunted in vain, so no photo opportunities. However, making up for the disappointment was a visit to see wild brown bears. Food is used to lure these bears near to a purpose built observation hut. They are wild animals so silence was required to avoid spooking them. I don’t recommend having a picnic in these woods!!

From the mountains, we travelled towards the Danube Delta, transferring to a small boat and once again staying in a comfortable guest house, where the main food item was of course fish. The Delta is a brilliant environment for birds and we had good views of a wide variety of birds, including the mighty White Tailed Eagle.

Our final area was near to the Black Sea, so many shore birds, waders, gulls and terns.

I hope you enjoy looking at the photos of some familiar birds and a few birds not usually seen in the UK.