Romania
Hotspots

This salty steppe habitat is very rare in Europe, and has a fragile water balance. There is only a handful of these habitats left in Europe and Histria is or unfortunately was one. Many  of us will probably never see
again this remakable site like it was before the constructions. There were 15 meter high sand mounds from the excavations of different waterholes. One and a half meter high dirtroad were raised which cut through the previously untouched steppe habitat the breeding area of the entire Collared Pratincole population (300 pairs) of the Reserve, but there are hundreds of other rarities, like White-tailed Lapwings, Paddyfield Warbler, Steppe and Marbled Polecat, etc,etc,etc. These constructions destroyed the ecosystem of this extremly valuable and fragile area. The water level will surely drop because of the holes and  the surface water flows are blocked by the new road. At Chituc a new Hotel complex with water sport possibilities is under construction, which will totally kill the whole area.

Absolutely sure that no official permission were given by the Reserve to these works.

I would like to ask you to push this firm strongly who ever did these works to restore the original state of this Ramsar area. All the European Countries by standard has to preserve their own natural heritages. Everybody should protest at the leader of the Reserve ( arbdd@ddbra.ro ) and at Botond Kiss ( jbkiss@indd.tim.ro ) who will collect the petitions. I hope that Proact and other organisations also keen to step against this total trouble on the most remarkable birding site of Europe.

Please everybody send a protest message!
 

Lajos
The GreenEye Ecotours & Images Ltd.
8300-Tapolca, Berzsenyi D. ut. 56.
HUNGARY
Tel.: (+36) 30 302 6432
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E-mail: greeneyehungary@freemail.hu

 
....Birding Romania - A site for birders visiting Romania with info on the 
birds and other wildlife of the Danube Delta, literature, tours, map, links, artwork and an accurate birdlist. Romania is one of Europe's best birding destinations. The most famous area is the Danube Delta but there are also  other fantastic wetlands such as Histria and Vadu (both to the south of the Delta). Many of the typical birds of the Delta can be seen here though in smaller numbers. 
....The Danube Delta - At the end of the great river Danube's 2,860 km 
(1788 miles) journey from the Black Forest mountains in Germany to Romania's Black Sea coast a natural paradise spreads out. Over countless centuries the silt brought down by the river has enlarged the Delta into a network of channels, lakes, reed isles, tropical woods, pastures and sand dunes that now cover nearly 5,640 sq km. (2,200 sq miles). This amazing wetland shelters over 300 species of birds, countless species of fish from royal sturgeon to carp and perch, while its 1,150 kinds of plants range from sinuous lianas in oak forests to water lilies. It is no wonder that UNESCO designated the Delta a "Reservation of the Biosphere".
....Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve - The waters of the Danube,
which flow into the Black Sea, form the largest and best preserved of European deltas. 
....The Danube Delta's Wildlife Paradise  - The Danube Delta, witness
of eventful, century-old history of Romanian people, huge, amazing spread of water, reed and sun, of a unique wealth, biological value, exuberance and variety, is a major target of tourist interest in nowadays Romania. The Danube Delta was included in the UNESCO Project as a Reservation of the Biosphere because its peculiar features and the originality and variety of the ecosystems (more than 25 types of natural ecosystems).
....Birding in Romania - by Gerard Gorman of Pro-Birder. Romania 
is a large country with some of the wildest forests and mountains in Europe in Transylvania and Europe's greatest wetland, the remarkable Danube Delta. Several visits are needed to do this country and it's birds justice. 
....Trip Report: Eastern Europe. June 9-27, 1996 by Anssi K. Kullberg.
We just returned from an unforgettable 3-week journey through the former East Europe. The ornithological highlights of the trip were the Hungarian Puszta, Transsylvania and the Southern Carpates in Romania and the Higher Tatra in Slovakia.
....Trip Report: Danube Delta (Romania), September 6-13, 1997 by Peter
Hirsch. The trip gave us a first introduction to the fabulous richness in bird life. The boat ride through the canals and lakes was rather idyllic, with extensive reed beds, riverine forests and meadows as well as an endless stream of birds passing by. 
....Trip Report: Birding Romania, August 31 - September 9, 2003. By Jyrki
Normaja. Birding in Romania is easy. There are reasonably priced hotels everywhere, the food is good and cheap. There is, however, a language problem: very few Romanians speak English. French is a bit more widely spoken, but you should know some phrases in Romanian, if birding independently. On an organised trip, naturally, there are no such problems.

**..PROBIRDER - Professional Birding... for the Birder- Gerard Gorman
has a decade of experience (over 100 group tours alone) in finding and showing visiting birders from all over the world eastern Europe's special and sought after birds. All types and styles of birding can be catered for, from hard-core listers, twitchers and target birders to those into habitat birding and those with a more relaxed generalist approach. Birding by ear is a speciality and remember Gerard wrote the books that others use (Where to watch birds in Eastern Europe and The Birds of Hungary)! Four new Hungary tours this year! Personal Guiding, Group Arrangements, Itinerary Design, Target Birding All levels of ability and experience catered for.
**..Romania (The Danube Delta and Brown Bears) Saturday 17th – Saturday
24th May, 2003 with Birdseekers Holidays. This tour offers a fantastic opportunity to see the extensive and varied bird life of the Romanian Danube Delta from our comfortable floating hotel, as well as spending two nights in the Carpathian Mountains bear-watching. The Danube Delta is Europe’s most spectacular wetland and is a true wilderness – no roads can penetrate this mosaic of waterways, extensive reed beds and marshes. However, slowly cruising the secret channels will give us an unrivalled opportunity to get really close to some exciting birds. 

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