Flying Eastern Europe on the infobahn

Click on the small picture to see a larger, more detailed version. I toured Romania (Transylvania, Danube Delta) in August, 2008. The weather was lovely and most of the photos turned out well. Most of the photos were taken with a Canon camera with 300mm zoom lens, but I also use a Nikon point-and-shoot for both scenery and digiscoping. All modes are represented below. The trip was very enjoyable and was led by the Romanian firm Ibis Tours abd by Jan Hansen (dba Otus Asio Tours otusasiotours@bellsouth.net). He leads a variety of trips, all of which I would recommend.

Bucharest

Scenes left from the December 1989 revolution:
balconey from which Ceaucescu was shouted down,
bullet holes in a near-by wall,
modern building built inside walls of burned-out building,
Hotel Intercontinental from which reporters observed,
and one of many monuments to those killed. Bucharest, August 20, 2008.

Ceaucescu's Palace of Parliament and Triumphal Arch, scenes of greater tranquility
from the Romania Village Museum. Bucharest, August 20 (left) and 31, 2008.

Great Tit, Eurasian Collared Dove, Spotted Flycatcher, Cismigiu Park, Bucharest, August 20 and 21, 2008

Common Redstart male and female, Green Woodpecker, Herastrau Park, Bucharest, August 31, 2008.

Transylvania

Coal Tit, Fieldfare, White-throated Dipper, on the way from Bucharest to Zarnesti, August 21, 2008.

Black Redstart and Grey Wagtail plus general scene going up canyon,
Piata Craiuliu National Park, August 22, 2008

Chaffinch female, Eurasian Bullfinch, Northern Goshawk, scene up a side road to a village,
Piata Craiuliu National Park, August 22, 2008

Bran Castle, the "home" of Dracula, Bran, August 22, 2008;
Zarnesti: center, one of several weddings, inside of old church, August 23, 2008.

Whinchat, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser-spotted Eagle, Common ("Steppe") Buzzard,
White-backed Woodpecker, farming valley near Zarnesti, August 23, 2008.

Danube Delta

In the Delta, we slept and took our meals on a houseboat. We toured in a small, self-propelled boat that could travel into the many small channels and lakes within the Delta. We went ashore only briefly including a walk through the isolated, small village of Letea. The pictures in this section are sorted by subject matter rather than date.

Houseboat in main channel, docking alongside channels, tour boat,
and tug boat that pulls the houseboat, August 25-28, 2008.

Letea scenes, August 27, 2008, normal and narrow channels, traditional fisherman, August 25-28, 2008.

Squacco Heron and Black-crowned Night Heron (adult, immature), August 25-28, 2008.

Great Egret, Purple Heron, Little Bittern, August 25-28, 2008.

Greylag Goose, Mute Swan, Pygmy and Great Cormorant, August 25-28, 2008.

Common Moorhen, Garganey, Ferruginous Duck, Caspian Gull, August 25-28, 2008.

Eurasian Hobby, Marsh Harrier male and female, Honey Buzzard, White-tailed Eagle,
August 25-28, 2008.

Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Black-winged Stilt (immature) August 25-28, 2008.

Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Northern Lapwing, August 25-28, 2008.

frogs, Common Kingfisher, Great-crested Grebe, Little Crake, Water Rail, August 25-28, 2008.

White Wagtail, Great Reed Warbler, Bearded Reedling (aka Bearded Tit), August 25-28, 2008.

Little Owl, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Grey-crowned Green Woodpecker, Stock Pigeon,
August 25-28, 2008.

Tulcea and the Dobrogia region

Montagu's Harrier male en route to Tulcea,
Syrian Woodpecker, Jackdaw, Black-headed Gull, Tulcea harbor. August 24, 2008.

Roller and Somber Tit, open woodlands west of Tulcea, August 29, 2008.

Jan, Middle-spotted Woodpecker, Crested Lark, Hoopoe, west of Tulcea in open forest,
and at quarry and woods near Macin National Park, August 29, 2008.

Northern and Isabeline Wheatear, Long-legged Buzzard, Booted Eagle, Woodchat Shrike
near Macin National Park, August 29, 2008.

Rook and Mediteranean Gull in fields on the way southwest from Tulcea, Little-ringed Plover
and Broad-billed Sandpiper, mud flats near Black Sea, August 30, 2008.

Reed Bunting, Collared Pratincole, mud flats near Black Sea, August 30, 2008.

Black Sea, locals were friendly, Enisala (Venetian fort about 600 years old),
and Jackdaws and our "hotel" in Tulcea.

Romania: 2008

Bucharest

Transylvania

Danube Delta

Tulcea and the Dobrogia region