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Recent Romanian Archaeology
This site is to record Archaeology of the present day - that is, sites which are at most a few hundred years old, but are already on the way to becoming significant archaeology sites of the future
The Deterioration of the house of the owner called Economu, December 2014
Adrian visited the Economu house once again, on a cold and windy day. He found some surprises.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2nd December 2014
Local barbarians have begun to delete the house from history, so, very soon this monument will become just a sad story.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2nd December 2014
House of the owner called Economu, 2011
On the way to the Economu House, in the middle of winter, in a snowstorm.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 20th February 2011
Taking measurements of the house, with the plan of a future project to repair it, in cooperation with the authorities.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 20th February 2011
It took two hours of concentrated work to make the measurements and record them. This part of the project is almost complete.
It was not an easy task, the whole building was searched and measured, and some parts are dangerous and ready to fall down, but it is good to make another important Alexis activity to promote cultural targets in our area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 20th February 2011
Alexandru made up a complete floor plan of the house.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 23rd February 2011
This is the ghost house in the Goiesti area, called the Economu house, after the name of its owner.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
It is a 19th century house, very damaged but beautiful, with large windows and very light inside, with a lot of large rooms and a cellar.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
All of these wonders of Romania will be lost soon, such as the 19th century churches of Vogna and Vlaimir, as well as the Macedonski and Economu houses, if no one will protect them.
A people without a past has no future.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
There are five such huge houses in the Goiesti area, as well as 6 to 8 churches, so eventually there could easily be over 100 such targets in this area.
Romania is a beautiful country, and we must do all we can to promote and protect its treasures.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
GPS readings: 44.504682° N,23.734852° E
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 11th December 2010
Baile Ionele
Whiskered Terns at Baile Ionele
Baile Ionele in the lower part of the picture, a grey heart shaped ephemeral salt lake, with permanent sweet water lakes nearby in and around the village of Urzicuţa, these lakes presenting in the image as black areas in the centre, and towards the top of the photo.
Photo: Google Earth
Rivers in the Urzicuta region, which feed the lakes in the area.
Photo: Google Earth
Baile Ionele Visit at the beginning of Winter
Adrian writes:
Even though we are at the front door of winter, there are still a lot of wild birds in Oltenia. A few of them are silver seagulls, living in the area of Baile Ionele lake, just near Urzicutza village, in the southern part of Dolj County.
One of them, found dead on the side of the lake, was given to the Oltenia Museum to be studied by the well known specialist from there, Dr Mirela Ridiche, a friend of the Alexis Project.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 7th November 2014
Baile Ionele Visit at the end of Winter
Alexandru and Georgia made a visit to Baile Ionele Lake, after a hard winter, with the lake again full of water from the melting snow.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 16th February 2014
Urzicuta - fresh waters come again
The lakes at Urzicuta are again covered by fresh water, and there are a few birds swimming in the refreshed lakes.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 24th February 2013
It is still cold, but spring is coming.
A new year is also coming, perhaps it will be a better one?
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 24th February 2013
Baile Ionele - Spring is coming
Spring is coming to Baile Ionele/Urzicuta, Dolj County, but the ancient Tumuls are still sleeping, waiting for heroes to wake them to a new life.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 24th February 2013
The wonderful lake of Baile Ionele is covered by fresh water, also waiting for a project to make the best value from it. There is silence over the fields also, too much silence. Perhaps the Mayor is still waiting for God to come to fix community problems….
There is still hope, but there is unfortunately not much!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 24th February 2013
Baile Ionele - water analysis
Adrian was finally able, after a lot of work, to obtain samples for future analysis of the water of Baile Ionele Lake.
It was the end of the year, under cold, foggy and cloudy weather, contending with mud, wet grass, and snow that this part of the project was completed.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 30th December 2012
At last, Adrian was able to get water from the lake, and bring it home for future analysis.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 30th December 2012
Baile Ionele - New Discoveries
Adrian writes:
Searching for birds in the area of Baile Ionele lake, we found, about 50 metres from the lake, to the south, another ancient site.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 6th October 2012
As well, there was much evidence that a lot of birds are living in this special area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 6th October 2012
It is shocking to see how the people dig in the ground to get mud from the lake for their illnesses, when during this time the local authorities are not doing very much to improve the lake with water, even though there are a lot of solutions for this condition.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 6th October 2012
Baile Ionele in September
(normally I want Adrian to speak for his country, he understands it infinitely better than me, but sometimes his wonderful images of the land he loves so well make me want to put my own interpretation on the land. What follows are my thoughts on looking at Adrian's images - Don )
When I look at Baile Ionele, I see many places in Australia. I did not know that such a place existed outside of Australia.
In Australia, you can not rely on rainfall or weather or even climate. It is highly variable. This lake is a most unusual one, and a very valuable one. It is valuable because it is unpredictable. This is very unusual in Europe. Thus it is a very valuable resource.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st September 2012
Because experts have not studied it in sufficient detail, we do not know how the birds, insects and other animals have learned to cope with Baile Ionele's moods and very variable conditions.
But the animals understand it very well indeed.
The animals which cannot move away from it simply learn to adjust when the water disappears. They burrow into the ground or the mud, or they lay their eggs and die, or they simply wait. The migratory animals (mostly birds) know it very well, and take advantage of it when it has water, and go somewhere else when there is none.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st September 2012
Baile Ionele and the nearby sweet water lakes, late July
Here we can see a grey heron and a pair of white storks.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 25th July 2012
An unidentified bird and a pair of swans.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 25th July 2012
Baile Ionele and the sweet water lakes nearby are full of life.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 25th July 2012
Report on Baile Ionele
Here is the original very important document on Baile Ionele: laculIonelefisadeevaluare.doc
RECTIFICARE RAPORT AUGUST URZICUTA.doc
The Protected Area of Lacul Ionele
Dr. Mirela Sabina Ridiche
Name: Lacul Ionele
Location: Dolj County, Urzicuţa commune
Ecoregion: Forest steppe of the Romanian Plain
Coordinates: 43°59 '- 43°59' N, 23°32 '- 23°33'E
Area: 3.2 ha
Altitude: 43 m
Accessibility: the area is on the southern road from the Urzicuţa commune, at the Baboia River crossing. The Baboia or Eruga River is a tributary of the Desnăţui River in Romania.
Legal status (Declaration Act): Decision CJ no. 26/1994
Code: 2395
Major habitats: wetland
Types of habitats: freshwater reeds, salt-tolerant vegetation.
General characteristics of the protected area
a. Geological / geomorphological aspects
The territory is part of the Oltenia Plain at the Baboia or Eruga River. The grassland at Baboia is of Holocene age, and is covered with clay textured parent materials in the lowlands, and in the highlands by clay. In its lower area is a network of ponds and swamps and ridges reminiscent of meanders in the Baboia river, though less prominent. The general slope of the Baboia meadow/grassland from west to east is less 0.001%.
b. Soil aspects
On the levees of loess material on the Baboiei meadow is a Solonetzic chernozem (Solonetzic soils are grassland or grassland-forest transition soils whose features reflect the influence of sodium on soil horizon formation) weak in depth and even the surface of the blade due to ascending currents groundwater capillary located at a depth of 1 to 2.5 m lower surfaces near the ground water surface (0.3 to 0.7 m) in the meadow were held gleyzation and sodium enrichment processes, forming weak lăcovişti solonetizate even stronger lens sodium enrichment. The lowest land, with water aforiment, formed lăcovişti swampy.
c. Hydrological aspects
The territory is located in the Danube basin in sub Baboi - a small stream with source in the southern Piedmont Piedmont, with permanent flow, but variable, depending on the amount of rainfall. In terms of chemical water pr. Baboi is alkaline (pH 8.7), slightly brackish, with fixed rezidiu 0.748 g / l and hardness index 21.84 a residual sodium carbonate (CSR) index = 1.2 and sodium absorption ratio (SAR) has low value and specific electrical conductivity shows a capacity of salinization drinking, medium to high.
d. Climatological aspects
The climate is continental moderate, with slight Mediterranean influences, hot summers, the average temperature of 23 ° C hottest month (July) the number of days with tropical character (above 30oC). Precipitation: annual average is 563.7 mm with maximum in May (60.8 mm) and minimum in August (28.8 mm) and large variations from year to year. Prevailing winds are south-east, west, north-east and the intensity of the west and north-west.
e. Species of flora
The pond lily - Butamus umbellatus, Zannichellia palustris, willow - Salix pentandra, osier - Salix viminalis, horsetail - Equisetum telmateia, fern - Dryopteris filix-mas, tooth fucking - Polygonum hydropiper, foxtail - Adonis geniculatus , Loboda wild - Atriplex hasta, cress - Salicornia europaea, barilla - Salsola soda, otrăţelul - Aldrovanda vesiculosa, milkweed pond - Euphorbia palustris, Lytrum tribracteatum, Callitriche palustris, the marsh basil - Scutellaria hastifolia, pennyroyal - Mentha pulegium, avrămeasca - Gratiola officinalis, limbariţa - Colonialism Plantago-aquatica.
f. Species of fauna
Moles - Talpa europaea, hedgehog - Erinaceus europaeus, Neomys anomalus milleri, weasel - Mustela nivalis, hamster - Cricetus cricetus, field mouse - Microtus angularis, water rat - Ondatra zibethica, hooded crow - Corvus corone, crops crow - Corvus frugilegus, cuckoo - Cuculus canorus, owl - Athene noctua, goldfinch - Carduelis Carduelis, field lizard - Lacerta agilis, lake frog - Rana ridibuna, brotăcelul - Hyla arborea, Libellula depression, field cricket - Gryllus campestris , mantis - Mantis religiosa.
g. Protected species
Mammals: Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), The Departed (Talpa europaea) Birds: little egret - Egretta garzetta, glossy - Plegadis falcinellus, bully - Philomachus pugnax, Tern with white cheek - Chlidonias hybridus, besides the pool - Sterna hirundo, Reptiles Turtle - Testudo hermanni, Amphibians: salamander - Salamandra salamandra; Insects: mantis - Mantis religiosa, butterfly skull - Acherontia Atropa.
Anthropogenic activities in the protected area
Spa facilities (sporadic).
Land regime
Community property
Administration
Primaria Urzicuţa
Management Plan
None existing.
- Necessities: more warning and explanation signs, solid waste collection system.
Sources of documentation: A.P.M. - Dolj and A.B.A. Jiu photo - Adrian Gheorghe
Data for bird species recorded in Baile Ionele Protected Area, Subject to Conservation.
Chlidonias hybridus (Pallas, 1776)
Whiskered Tern
Taxon: Class Aves, Order Charadriiformes, Family Sternidae
Description of species: body length - 25 cm, Black Tern similar behavior (restless flight, acrobatic, high above the small ponds, and meadows), plumage colour varies according to age and seasons: summer, adult plumage is dark grey throughout the ventral (abdomen, chest, neck), and grey on the back, his face is white under the black dome of the head, beak dark red; adult in winter plumage is similar to White-winged Tern, but is different but by no blackish spot on side of neck, larger, longer and more massive beak. The young bird back is reddish-brown yellow, with broad transverse bands, light-colored wings, supracodale (rump) white, dark stain on the neck ends in the right eye (it is not continued in the ear), tail is grey with a dark, narrow terminal band.
Photo: Marek Szczepanek
Permission: GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version.
Biology, ecology and the specific situation:
Range: temperate zone of Europe and Asia, wintering in Africa, South Asia and Australia
Number: the European population is estimated at approx. 26 500 brooding pairs, of which about 8 000 pairs are registered in Romania, it is considered that this species is territorial.
Migration and reproduction: summer guest (IV-IX), nests in colonies on the plains and marshes of the Danube Delta, the nest is located on floating clumps of aquatic vegetation in shallow water.
Diet: consists of small aquatic animals, mostly amphibians and insects.
Biotope: ponds, wetlands.
Conservation status: the species is declining in Europe.
Potential threat factors: engineering, and draining wetlands, watercourses modernization.
Protective measures: the species is protected by European Directive 79/409/EEC - Birds, Law 13 of 1993, under which Romania ratified the Berne Convention, Law 13 of 1998 under which Romania ratified the Bonn Convention, Law 89 in 2000 for ratification of the Hague, GEO 57 of 2007 on the regime of protected natural habitats of wildlife, hunting law "prohibited hunting" 407/2006.
Conservation measures proposed: conservation of wetlands and natural conditions of aquatic habitats, banning fishing and other activities in the territories where nest.
Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766)
Little Egret
Taxon: Class Aves, order Ciconiiformes, family Ardeidae
Description of species: total body length ca. 60 cm, 92 cm wingspan. Entirely white plumage, with ornamental back and crown feathers (egrets) on the adult bird, beak black (the root blue), toes and soles of feet black with yellow, yellow iris.
Photo: J Malik
Permission: GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version.
Biology, ecology and the specific situation:
Range: Southern Europe, Central Asia, wintering in Africa and India.
Number: In Europe it is estimated between 30 000 and 40 000 pairs of brooding., Of which about 3 000 nesting pairs in Romania, especially in the Danube Delta. Global livestock have a positive trend as a result of protection required.
Migration and reproduction: summer guest (in months IV-IX). Nests in reed or tree vegetation in marshes and islands of the Danube, V-VI/VII months in mixed colonies with other species of herons.
Diet: small fish and other aquatic animals, usually caught in shallow stagnant water or along the banks.
Biotope: ponds and large lakes, but also shallow water with reed and clusters of trees.
Conservation status: endangered species nationally, declared monument of nature.
Potential threat factors: increase in the hydrological basins, burning or cutting of marsh macrophytes.
Protective measures: the species has the status of Natural Monument (Nature Monuments Commission of the Romanian Academy) and is protected by European Directive 79/409/EEC - Birds, by Law 13 of 1993, under which Romania ratified the Berne Convention, Law 13 of 1998 under which Romania ratified the Convention in Bonn, GEO 57 of 2007 on the regime of protected natural habitats of wildlife, hunting law "prohibited hunting" 407/2006.
Conservation measures proposed: protect species and habitats, maintaining an optimal level of water
Philomachus pugnax (Linnaeus, 1758)
Ruff
Taxon: Class Aves, order Charadriiformes, Subord. Charadrii, family Scolopacidae
Description of species: males (body length 30 cm) are much larger than females (23 cm) and presented in the months from May to June, varied colorful ornamental plumage (feathers white, rust or other color, extend the chin and the back black bows neck and head), and to "deny" yellow or reddish brown, females are brown above showing black spots, large legs variable in color: red, orange, brown, yellow or green. Late summer juveniles are yellowish brown neck and back dark brown with pale feather edges.
Photo: Breeding female ruff, DickDaniels (http://carolinabirds.org/)
Permission: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Biology, ecology and the specific situation:
Range: Northern and Central Europe, Asia, winters in Africa and India.
Numbers: population estimated for Europe is made up on average of about 120 000 breeding pairs, mostly concentrated in Scandinavia. In our country bully is the largest species of birds waders (offshore), the area of our website you can see hundreds of copies (compact flocks) during the passage of spring-autumn and summer season (May-July) only isolated specimens.
Migration and reproduction: in the south the species is common in the passage of spring (May III-IV) and autumn (May VIII-IX / X), nesting in swamps / marshes with short vegetation, usually in the tundra of northern Eurasia.
Diet: Feeds on various invertebrates and in autumn completes its diet with seeds (wheat, etc.)
Biotope: shores, marshy pasture, open land arable or grass.
Conservation status: the species is at the European level.
Potential threat factors: the water level increases special rest areas (natural and artificial), grazing and other activities near water or on their shores
Protective measures: the species is protected by European Directive 79/409/EEC - Birds, Law 13 of 1993, under which Romania ratified the Berne Convention, Law 13 of 1998 under which Romania ratified the Bonn Convention, Law 89 in 2000 for ratification of the Hague, GEO 57 of 2007 on the regime of protected natural habitats of wildlife, hunting law "prohibited hunting" 407/2006.
Conservation measures proposed: prohibiting access of grazing animals and other disturbance factors in the territories where they feed.
Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Glossy Ibis
Taxon: Class Aves, order Ciconiiformes, family Threskiornithidae
Description of species: total length - 60 cm, 90 cm wingspan, dark green plumage with dark metallic gloss copper and purple, long and down-curved beak, green-beige legs. Winter plumage is black-brown, sprinkled with small white spots. Their long neck is stretched out in flight.
Photo: AKA, masked and with background blurred by debivort
Permission: CC-BY-SA-2.5.
Biology, ecology and the specific situation:
Range: Eastern and Southern Mediterranean region of Europe, central and southeastern Asia, Australia, Central America, Africa.
Number: global number is declining, in Europe is about. 15 000 pairs, of which max. 3 500 pairs in Romania, most of them concentrated in the eastern delta and isolated country. In the wetlands we investigated their presence is rare and the number of individuals recorded ranges from 7-11 individuals.
Migration and reproduction: summer guest (in months IV-IX). Nests in mixed colonies (with mallard, egrets, cormorants), usually in reeds, during IV-VI.
Diet: Feeds on small fish, mollusks, aquatic insects, leeches.
Biotope: swampy areas, lakes and ponds with extensive shallow water (feeding habitat), with reeds and willows (habitat for nesting).
Conservation status: vulnerable species, rare in our country and in Europe.
Potential threat factors: human activities (disturbance, water pollution, cutting of aquatic macrophytes) leading to degradation and limited habitats.
Protective measures: the species is protected by European Directive 79/409/EEC - Birds, by Law 13 of 1993, under which Romania ratified the Berne Convention, Law 13 of 1998 under which Romania ratified the Bonn Convention, Law 89 of 2000 for ratification of the Hague Ordinance 57 of 2007 on the regime of protected natural habitats, flora and fauna, Law of hunting: hunting off between March 16 to August 14.
Conservation measures proposed: preservation of natural possible conditions in aquatic habitats.
Sterna hirundo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common Tern
Taxon: Class Aves, Order Charadriiformes, Family Sternidae
Description of species: 35 cm body length, plumage colour varies from one season to another and the age of the bird, the plumage of black head cap Suite is observed, red-orange beak with black top, short legs red, grey dorsal plumage, ventral white wing tip feathers, dark primary and secondary forms beneath a clear white spot, the bird at rest do not exceed the tail wings. Juvenile has white forehead, yellow-orange bill with black tip, past the edges of the wings are dark, the colour lăţindu into the shoulders, slightly wavy dark spots behind.
Photo: Badjoby
Permission: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Biology, ecology and the specific situation:
Range: throughout Europe (except extreme north), the temperate zone of Asia, North Africa and North America, wintering in South Africa, India and Ceylon, Central and South America.
Number: the total European population is about. 200 000 pairs, in Romania the number is estimated at 4 000 - 8 000 pairs, widespread in the Danube Delta wetlands and lowland regions.
Migration and reproduction: summer guest in our country (IV - X), small nests in monospecific or mixed colonies on sandy beaches or islands / sand dunes within the ponds, sometimes floating plant debris or vegetation.
Diet: Carnivore, consisting of aquatic creatures (fishes, insects, crayfish, molluscs).
Biotope: shore waters, wetlands, swampy.
Conservation status: the species is at the European level.
Potential threat factors: reduction and systematisation of wetlands and watercourses modernisation.
Protective measures: the species is protected by European Directive 79/409/EEC - Birds, Law 13 of 1993, under which Romania ratified the Berne Convention, Law 13 of 1998 under which Romania ratified the Bonn Convention, Law 89 in 2000 for ratification of the Hague, GEO 57 of 2007 on the regime of protected natural habitats of wildlife, hunting law "prohibited hunting" 407/2006.
Conservation measures proposed: preservation of natural conditions in wetlands, banning fishing and other activities in nesting areas.
Baile Ionele, mid July
Samples of water from Baile Ionele.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 12th July 2012
Although the Baile Ionele area looks deserted and lifeless, this is not the case. In the hole dug by people to get water to treat rheumatism, we find life, small frogs who have burrowed into the clay to survive the hot dry summer, amphibians who live on even smaller life, invertebrates.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 12th July 2012
Here we can see the subtle differences of microclimate and microenvironments which allow salt and water tolerant plants to survive at Baile Ionele. The plants actually create an environment which allows them to increase and take over areas of the barren landscape.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 12th July 2012
A green spotted frog and orange spotted reptile (salamander?) at Baile Ionele.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 12th July 2012
This may be a Grey Heron in one of the sweet water lakes in the Baile Ionele area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 12th July 2012
These sweet water lakes in the Baile Ionele area are havens for bird life.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 12th July 2012
Baile Ionele in early July
Baile Ionele is now dry, only a few people come here to dig holes to find water to use it for rheumatism.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th July 2012
There is no hint of former times, 20 years ago, when this location was full of people, with facilities for tourists, and in good condition for their use.
Most of the area is desolate, just a mud and clay pan.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th July 2012
This is a sweet water lake nearby to Baile Ionele, in the Urzicuţa area.
Now, after the local people have destroyed everything around this beautiful lake, they are waiting for EU funds to rebuild it, without doing anything to improve the situation by local work. They could flood the clay pans with water, or just make a few facilities for tourists.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th July 2012
This is a sweet water lake nearby to Baile Ionele, in the Urzicuţa area.
Adrian has searched the entire system of lakes for the body of a dead bird, those important terns, but he has found only these feathers, which may be useful for identification by specialists.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 5th July 2012
This is a sweet water lake nearby to Baile Ionele, in the Urzicuţa area.
Note that this circled bird on the right looks to be a Black Headed Gull, as shown in the picture on the left.
The Black-headed Gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident. Some birds will also spend the winter in northeastern North America, where it was formerly known as the Common Black-headed Gull.
This gull is 38–44 cm (15-17½ in) long with a 94–105 cm (37–41 in) wingspan. In flight, the white leading edge to the wing is a good field mark. The summer adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, despite the name), pale grey body, black tips to the primary wing feathers, and red bill and legs. The hood is lost in winter, leaving just dark vertical streaks. This is a noisy species, especially in colonies, with a familiar "kree-ar" call. Its scientific name means "laughing gull".
It breeds in colonies in large reedbeds or marshes, or on islands in lakes, nesting on the ground. Like most gulls, it is highly gregarious in winter, both when feeding or in evening roosts. It is not a pelagic species and is rarely seen at sea far from coasts.
The Black-headed Gull is a bold and opportunist feeder and will eat insects, fish, seeds, worms, scraps and carrion in towns, or take invertebrates in ploughed fields with equal relish. This species takes two years to reach maturity. First-year birds have a black terminal tail band, more dark areas in the wings, and, in summer, a less fully developed dark hood. Like most gulls, Black-headed Gulls are long-lived birds, with a maximum age of 63 years recorded in the wild.
Text: Adapted from Wikipedia
Photo: (left) Fottry55i6
Permission: licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Photo: (right) Adrian Gheorghe 5th July 2012
Baile Ionele in May
Alexis continues to study the special place known as Baile Ionele Lake. Since we were in the area, we collected water samples from the lake in order to conduct chemical analyses of it.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 17th May 2012
Previously, the lake was dry, so Adrian had to dig a hole to collect the water. Also, because the water was very salt, no worms or plants and animals could live in it.
This time, however, the lake was starting to fill with water, partly from rain, but certainly also a large part of it came from deeper underground. Aurelian Popescu, a specialist from Oltenia
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 17th May 2012
An unusual fact is that from time to time, the lake is there…. or not! Perhaps this depends on the rain, weather, temperature or some other reason.
However it was very interesting that there were a lot of small birds, only on the surface of the lake, not in other parts of the area. They did nothing but sit there and scream!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 17th May 2012
It would be interesting to discover the reason for this behaviour. Alexis and Perpetuum from Bulgaria want to apply for an EU project over the area of the lake to improve this important target for tourism and the environment.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 17th May 2012
The birds are Whiskered Terns.
The Whiskered Tern, Chlidonias hybridus, is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details.
This species breeds in colonies on inland marshes, sometimes amongst Black-headed Gulls, which provide some protection. The scientific name arises from the fact that this, the largest marsh tern, show similarities in appearance to both the white Sterna terns and to Black Tern.
The size, black cap, strong bill (29–34 mm in males, 25–27 mm and stubbier in females, with a pronounced gonys) and more positive flight recall Common or Arctic Tern, but the short, forked-looking tail and dark grey breeding plumage above and below are typically marsh tern characteristics. The summer adult has white cheeks and red legs and bill. The crown is flecked with white in the juvenile, and the hindcrown is more uniformly blackish, though in the winter adult this too is flecked with white.
The black ear-coverts are joined to the black of the hindcrown, and the space above is mottled with white, causing the black to appear as a C-shaped band. The sides of the neck are white; this sometimes continues across the nape. The collar is less sharply defined. All through the year the rump is pale grey. In the juvenile, the mantle (279 mm) has a variegated pattern. The feathers of the back and scapulars are dark brown, with prominent broad buff edgings and often subterminal buff bars or centres. There is usually an admixture of new grey feathers, especially on the mantle, quite early in the fall. The mantle is silvery-grey in the adult. The call is a characteristic krekk.
In winter, the forehead becomes white and the body plumage a much paler grey. Juvenile Whiskered Terns have a ginger scaly back, and otherwise look much like winter adults. The first winter plumage is intermediate between juvenile and adult winter, with patchy ginger on the back.
The Whiskered Tern eats small fish, amphibians, insects and crustaceans.
Text above: Wikipedia
Baile Ionele
It was a very cold day, with a cold rain, cold wind and cloudy sky, over the entire Oltenia area. As part of an application for a European project for the rejuvenation of Baile Ionele Lake, Urzicuta village, by the Mayor of Urzicuta, in partnership with the Alexis Project, under the management of the consulting company conducted by Miss Gabriela Antonova, Bulgaria, we have made today another important step in the completion of this application, to collect water samples from the lake, in order to establish its water quality, for this EU project.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 9th October 2011
With the help of the Mayor of Urzicuta village, as well as other people from the village, water samples were taken from one and a half metres underground from the middle of the lake.
The elders of the village said that there is, somewhere, a hot water spring - perhaps the Alexis hypothesis about the ancient Aquae is not just a dream! and we will search for it.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 9th October 2011
Adrian and Alexandru went to the Baile Ionele Lake region to visit the tumuls of this area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th April 2011
The tumuls are a striking feature of the landscape, and are barrows, or huge earth mound graves from ancient times.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th April 2011
Under these tumuls or earth burial mounds are sleeping ancient warriors, slumbering still in the rich black earth of the region.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th April 2011
The tumuls are shown in this Google Earth image.
Photo: Google Earth 28th August 2011
The salty and muddy waters of the lake were cold and uninviting on this chilly day.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 15th April 2011
Photo: Google Earth 28th August 2011
Photo: Google Earth 29th August 2010
In early November, Adrian and Alexandru went again to Baile Ionele, near Urzicuta village, Dolj County, where the lake which had almost disappeared just a month ago has come back again completely, with no logical explanation.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 6th November 2010
Adrian and Alina Neagoe and some others were at Baile Ionele lake, to find out more about it.
They found a very strange fact. During the hot summer, the lake was full of water, with a lot of birds near and on it.
Today the entire lake is almost empty. Where has the water gone, when it is now cold and windy weather in autumn?
The lake is not fed by a river, it is fed by a very deep Pliocene spring underground.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 3rd October 2010
There seem to be at least eight Tumuls or barrows or earth mounds over graves in the area.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
Many years ago, there was a large centre here for the treatment of rheumatism, much as the town of Herculane is today on the Cerna River.
However, today the road to Ionele Bai is full of dust, like one might see in the Paris-Dakar Rally, but here the dust is free!
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
A general view of the lake shows a lake full of water but with grass everywhere, without any facility for tourists.
Even the name of Ionele is now only in the memory of a few people.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
There are many ruins of once substantial buildings for the tourist trade. This was formerly a WC.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
The clay was once used as part of the treatment of people with rheumatism, along with the water which was heated from the lake. The fact that this clay has been put here indicates that tourists still come here occasionally to bathe in the waters, and coat themselves with the therapeutic clay.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 29th August
Ghost House Olt County
On the road between Caracal and Corabia, Olt County, at GPS points 44.03111°N, 24.40562°E there is a ghost house. Many houses like this were built before the two World Wars, having rich owners, but during the communist period they were given as offices to agricultural authorities or other government bodies.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th October 2010
Now they have been given back to their former owners or their families, but in a bad condition, and even with a lot of money, the ancient building could not be rebuilt, so the building is lost.
A few of them are historical monuments, but no one has taken care of them, as we can see here.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th October 2010
The Alexis Project members have met ghost buildings such as these everywhere, such as houses, castles, factories and so on. It is thus important to record the images of these buildings for future generations, before they are lost forever.
Often it is not possible to learn the history of these buildings, such as for this example, and the buildings are left alone in the bare agricultural fields, empty, like a ghost.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th October 2010
Google Earth image in which the ghost buildings can be clearly seen.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 10th October 2010
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RC J/263/230/2007 CIF 21464151
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