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Birds of Romania
Romania has many beautiful and otherwise rare birds, and 395 species have been found there. This diversity is partly because of the many different environments in Romania, from cold, windswept mountains to productive fields and forests, and the wetlands of the Danube River.
It is unusual to see swans on the Danube so late in the season, shown here in early December.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2nd December 2007
Sometimes bad weather brings people closer together....
Pigeons in the rain at Craiova in the spring.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 5th May 2014
In early spring in the Vogna valley, with snow falling, and a lot of mud, a few brave storks are there already, looking for something to eat.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 18th March 2013
Near the Romanian town of Bechet, on the left bank of the Danube, beautiful swans were making use of the water and the food to be found there.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 11th March 2013
It is not yet fully spring, and the grass is not green, but the water has no ice on it.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 11th March 2013
Wild birds fishing in the Danube River near Oryahovo, in the middle of winter.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 9th January 2013
Even in Bulgaria it is a hard winter, but this beautiful bird is still searching for food in the trees around the park in Grivitsa village.
This woodpecker, called in Romanian Ciocanitoare, seems to be working even though it is a holiday, Christmas Eve.....
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 24th December 2012
Even though it is the middle of winter, in Bechet harbour, on the left bank of the Danube River, there are very rare birds to be seen here, rare even in other seasons.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 24th December 2012
These pelicans are so beautiful, perhaps waiting for a ferry to pick them up and transport them to warmer places!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 24th December 2012
The Danube is a river with very much boat traffic, and with the banks heavily used for industry, and often bordered by concrete and stone, which means that it would normally be a difficult environment for birds.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 9th December 2012
However, even in winter, some birds manage to create a life for themselves with the fish that they find in the Danube River.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe, 9th December 2012
Alexandru writes:
A few weeks ago, on my balcony, a swallow created a nest, out of tiny pieces of mud, that was initially destroyed by the administrators of the campus. However, it returned and built it again, now to last for already over a month. I was very happy because of this, and, after a brief search on the internet, I found out that having a swallow building a nest on you house means you are blessed by God. And when I looked carefully around, there were only 2 nests in 2 blocks of 12 levels each, so this made me feel special in some sort of way, as having a beautiful companion, one I got to see almost daily getting in and out of the nest.
This morning, however, when I opened the balcony, I saw what appeared to be fragments of a tiny egg. I looked carefully and then I discovered the baby swallow you see in the picture, lying on the floor, dead. He fell from about 2.5 meters, from the nest. I was and still am very sad and moved by this small tragedy, but I decided to take my camera and make some pictures, as I considered this an opportunity to see such small beauty and to preserve its memory.
Readers should understand that this does not mean disrespect for the animals or for this small soul that never reached life, but an attempt to document this event, in a most pious way. Also, I am sorry if this saddens anyone, but I believe is just life, with its best and worse, a miracle of nature, a new life, but also a curse of nature, a life that will never exist.
Photo: Alexandru Gheorghe 21st June 2012
Even though it is now autumn, with cold rain, cold wind, and cloudy weather, Adrian was working on the Vogna valley church. In the cloudy sky, a lot of storks are ready to leave the area, making circles in the air above the Vogna valley, waiting for all of the storks to join the group, ready to go south, to warm weather.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 8th October 2011
In Romania it is now spring, with a lot of small birds doing what nature does best - Love!
These birds, possibly starlings, have made their home in the small holes inside ancient walls of the Vogna ghost church.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd April 2011
European Quail in a ploughed field in the Baile Ionele lake area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th April 2011
Alina, Alexandru and Adrian were in the Vogna area, where they met a beautiful stork, on a field nearby.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 14th April 2011
Alina and Adrian were in the Vogna area at the church, and saw there the remains of the church acting as a good hotel for many sparrows called in Romanian Vrabie, very full of energy!
These small birds have made their homes in the holes in the brick walls, for themselves and for nests for their future children.
Spring is coming!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2nd April 2011
Near Cioroiu Nou village, in the middle of winter, a dead dog in the middle of a snowy field was the subject of the attention of five hawks and many crows.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th February 2011
Although the field held many birds, rabbits and other small animals, it was surprising to see hawks paying attention to dead meat. It was interesting to see the hawks and the crows together without animosity, cooperating in the disposal of this body.
Just as Adrian stopped the car, all of the hawks flew to a tree not far away, but far enough to be safe. They stayed there during the time that Adrian was photographing. After he continued to the village, the hawks came back to continue their feast.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th February 2011
Looking from the concrete bridge over the Jiu River, between Filiasi and Bilta village, in the upstream direction, we can see here the Great White Egret, Egreta Mare, which is a rare bird, and even more remarkable that it was fishing in the middle of winter.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 30th January 2011
Cormorant.
Alina and Adrian were travelling along the Motru River valley to discuss future projects for Alexis, in the middle of nature.
There, in the middle of the Motru River was a cormorant, although not a single other cormorant has been seen there during the last year.
It may be that this rare visit is the result of global warming.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd January 2011
Stork in the Slaveni Castrum area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2nd May 2010
Even though it is very early in spring, the first beautiful stork has arrived to forage and nest in the Radovan area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 20th March 2010
In the middle of a Romanian winter, a small female chaffinch entered the medical unit at Filiaş, trying to save itself from the wind, the cold and the snow. After a few minutes, Adrian was able to capture the bird, and, together with Alina went to the Roman castrum at Racari, far away from cats and dogs, and far from the main road with huge cars and trucks, to be placed there after being carried in Adrian's pocket.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th February 2010
Now, the small bird has a real chance to be saved, to be returned to nature without any damage...
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th February 2010
Half way between Ostrovu Mare and Hinova is another small village called Ostrovu Corbului, where, near the Danube, there are a lot of small lakes with swans and other wild birds.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 1st May 2008
A black stork near the village of Izvoare, on the left bank of the Danube.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 1st May 2008
Text below from Wikipedia:
The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae.
It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions.
This is a large bird, nearly 1 m tall with a 1.8 m wingspan, weighing around 3 kilograms. It is all black except for the white belly and axillaries, and its red bill and legs. It walks slowly and steadily on the ground. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched.
It breeds in large marshy wetlands with interspersed coniferous or broadlived woodlands, but also inhabits hills and mountains with a sufficient network of creeks. It builds a stick nest high in trees. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork.
The Black Stork feeds mainly on fish and also amphibians and insects.
It has a rasping call, but rarely indulges in mutual bill-clattering when adults meet at the nest.
A male pheasant or Fazan on the hill near the Volintiru spring, on the way to the church of Gura Motrului.
There are many wild animals in the area, including rabbits, deer, snakes and so on.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 9th March 2008
In a grassy field, near the small village of Salutrac this female Pheasant or Fazan can be found in many places, unafraid of humans.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th April 2008
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