All our Yesterdays Romania 1982

 Arrival at Constanta airport in the late afternoon sun shine was my first sight of the Doubroudja region.
The flat farmland stretched to the horizon and in the distance Mamaia and the Black Sea.
After booking in to the hotel,I quickly made a survey of the adjacent Lake Suightol,before I crossed the

road Golden Orioles were calling in the Poplar trees and along side the lake the guttural calls of Great Reed Warbler,very soon these birds showed themselves climbing to the tops of the reeds.
Further along the shore line Night Heron and Little Bittern obliged,a familiar call came to my ears as a flock of Bee eaters passed overhead. On the scattered bushes Lesser Grey and Red backed shrikes sat around waiting for easy prey as the evening light faded.

The following morning on the lake Red crested pochards were dabbling and the incessant noise of frogs and toads in the shallows blurted out bird song.Above the water Whiskered and Black terns floated on the breeze,on the sandy soil in front of me a pair of black headed wagtails copulated and zipped away.Moving back to the hotel a Thrush Nightingale sang from a Poplar tree before descending to a bush for excellent views.
The next day an extended exploration of the lake provided Curlew Sandpiper in summer plumage.

It was hot and humid in the sky Red footed falcons were hunting,Cuckoos were calling and to end the day 4 Black Storks were soaring on the thermals and a flock of Rose coloured Starlings flew by showing their pink waistcoats.

A trip to the Danube Delta via Tulcea,here we visited the Delta museum,then making our way to the port,we embarked on a cruise of the Danube leaving Tulcea behind bellowing out its pollution across the delta showing no thought for conservation,the first birds I noticed were Hooded Crows which lined the wooded banks of the Russian border.
More species obliged as the boat navigated the wide channels,overhead pelicans,egrets,herons and cormorants,while on the water ducks dabbled notably Ferruginous and Garganey.
Rollers were prolific as rolled passed the boat.
Lunch was at Crisan ,fish was on the menu what else,we returned to Tulcea and saw a Spotted Eagle being mobbed by Crows.
My second week was spent in the Carpathians at Poiana Brasov,in this sub alpine resort most of my birding was done in the mountains,Grey headed Woodpeckers yaffled from the tops of the pines,while White backed Woodpecker and Nutcacker were hard to find.

A profusion of butterflies and flowers also made it a memorable trip.