Romania and the Last Frontier - Day 3 p.m: Golden Glow

A good day was about to get a whole lot better! so expect a good number of photographs below. After the midday break which included fishing around in the vat of soup on the dining table trying to avoid the bits of carp, downloading cards and backing up and a quick siesta, we were assembled on the jetty at 3.pm ready for the afternoon session.

First stop for the afternoon was going to be some Kingfishers. We had tried this spot the previous year with no sign of the birds but I think we had missed them due to our later trip. The strong current pushing down this channel made positioning the boat upstream and into the margin difficult. This was especially the case as the boat need to be perpendicular to the flow. After about 15 minutes the boat was in position and this was the scene before us.

On the left side of the image you can just see the vertical clay bank where the Kingfishers were nesting. After about 20 minutes the male appear with a fish and landed on the perch. With nice even light from some thin cloud overhead, and the dark green swirling waters providing a back drop, the colours of these birds appeared incredibly vivid. A flash of brilliance in this watery landscape. The bird flew into the nest before re-emerging a short while later and disappearing downstream in a flash of electric blue accompanied by the characteristic high pitched penetrating call. Apologies for the background on these photos which have suffered greatly  at the hands of jpeg compression but do look great on the originals.

Another 30 minutes or so past and the female appeared, distinguished by the red on the lower bill, also carrying a small fish.

The boat swung round due to the force of the current and needed to be re-positioned. Having photographed both birds on the perch I was thinking what else I could do. Typically the birds were landing, moving along the perch and then launching straight into the bank. I thought I might try a flight photo although this was not an easy proposition from a the moving platform of the boat that was gently rocking and yawing in the strong flow. Also probably not a very sensible idea given the light limitations, as you need to lot of camera shutter speed to freeze these small fast moving birds. I kept one photo from these attempts.

In total we spent a couple of hours at the Kingfisher site before we all agreed it was time to move on. As we traveled through the back channels to our next destination, the thin cloud dispersed and the sinking sun broke through. We came out into a very large lake, which I call 'Ibis lake', as we had managed to photograph some of these birds there the previous year. As the boat glided into the lake, to our left was a large area of floating weed that extended out from the the high reed fringed egde. Dotted across this mass of floating vegetation were numerous Squacco and Night Herons, a Little Egret and a couple of Glossy Ibis. With a lack of clouds in the sky this whole area would become beautifully lit in golden light as the sun dropped away.

I thought for this part I would post the images by species rather than in any chronological order as to be honest the whole session is a bit of a blur of birds and the sound of whirring camera shutters. At one point we had a Glossy Ibis, Night Heron, and Squacco Heron in a line in front of us and I was sequential going down the line up taking images. An amazing experience to have these photogenic species in front of you with the light improving with each passing moment. Of course the whole process was accompanied by the constant background chorus of frogs just to add the vibrant atmosphere.

I will start with the Glossy Ibis. We managed to photograph this bird the previous year in some fairly poor light. To really appreciate the beautiful colours of these birds they need some sun on them and this particular bird was in superb plumage. A wonderful combination of deep rusty red with a green and bronze metallic sheen across the wings that changed hue with the direction of light. The further the sun fell the more the colours sang out. The bird was striding across the vegetation which it was constantly probing with its curved beak and occasionally pausing to snap up an aquatic morsel. A small selection of photographs are below.

Occasionally a Hooded Crow would drop in amongst the feeding birds.These corvids seemingly perfectly happy in the water.

Next species was the Little Egret, a familiar species that has become increasingly common since the early 1990's  throughout the UK. However, what a treat it was to have one in such a great setting and light. The bird was showing the typical hyperactive traits of this species, striding around on top of the vegetation looking for food and generally harassing the diminutive Squacco herons. At one point the fish successfully captured a goby (embarrassingly as a trained fish scientist I am unable to tell you which species as thereare several that inhabit the diverse fish community of the delta).

When not feeding the Egret was making life difficult for the numerous Squacco Herons.

If there was ever a bird ideally suited for photography in golden evening light it has to be the Squacco Heron. The golden tones of their feathers really glow and softens the glare off their bright white wings. A range of activities were photographed including stalking prey, and fluttering across the weed having spotted a prey item at distance and shaking out those long feathers.

To finish off this incredible session, the Night Heron. I started off the session with a couple of flight photos as the birds moved in to their evening feeding area.

Typically these birds stand motionless for long periods before a small movement in the floating plants ahead falls under the stare of those large penetrating red eyes. The birds are then spurred into rapid action.

We were fortunate to witness the whole hunt of a frog from capture, to subduing the large meal to it finally disappearing from sight. A couple of photographs from this event are below.

We pulled up alongside a  Pygmy Cormorant was also glowing in the last of the days sun....

......and finished off the session with a Night Heron in the remainder of the light which was now taking on some pink hues

I felt quite drained after such an intense session and with some beaming photographer on the boat,  it was time to fire up the outboard and head back to the hotel for some catfish and tomatoes stew....oh great. Here is a short video clip of us leaving this area just to give you a feel for the number of birds we had in front of us.


Evening on the Delta from Richard Steel on Vimeo.

This had probably been my favourite session on the Danube Delta to date and one that will remaining in the memory, albeit slightly blurry by it intensity, for a very long time to come. I was already looking forward and wondering what the next day might bring.

Romania and the Last Frontier - Day 3 a.m : A Chorus of Thousands

The irritating relentless beeping of the alarm rose me from my slumber at 4:15 am (2:15 UK time). It was still dark outside, and even through closed windows the incessant chorus of thousands of frogs could be heard, to help remind me where I was and get over the temporary waking moments of disorientation. Some cold water was thrown from the tap in the general direction of face and I slipped into the pre-arranged pile of clothes, picked up the camera kit and was downstairs waiting for breakfast at 4:30am. Coffee and an omelette with a bit of ham and cheese on top slipped down with difficulty but the cold fish on the plate in the middle of the table were certainly not going to be entertained.

By 5 am, the hide boat with the four photographers on board was making its way slightly upstream before cutting right into a narrow channel. Ahead of us the feint creeping glimmer of pink orange light was increasing as the sun moved up towards the horizon. The morning session was going to be spent in what I call 'Grebe Lake' as we had spent a good deal of time there the previous year photographing the Black-necked variety. This was one of my favourite places from the visit last year. The lake is ringed by a perimeter of high reeds with various patches of floating aquatic plants across the placid waters. Being relatively small it conveys a certain feeling of 'intimacy' with the wildlife. A very special and idyllic place to be at first light although not a tranquil one as there is a  tenable throb in the air from the mass of life that inhabits its crystal clear waters.

The boat slowly eased in to the lake and almost immediately encountered a breeding coloured Squacco Heron struggling to subdue its frog breakfast in the soft pre-dawn light. A great start to the session.

The boat continued on in a gentle arc around one side of the lake and it soon became evident that the Black-necked Grebes which were so accommodating the previous year were in a very different mood this time and would not allow approach by the boat. Another change from the threes weeks difference in the timing of our visit. Eventually we came to rest on the edge of large lily patch being used by some Common Terns. Normally when I travel overseas I want to spend my time photographing birds that are difficult to find or absent from the UK. I can find Common Terns speeding around the River Mersey at the end of my street in the UK. However, it is also good to spend some time with familiar birds in different settings.

One of the terns had obviously rolled off the wrong side of its lily pad that morning as it appeared to be less than happy with one of the neighbouring birds.

This resulted in repeated diving attacks and subsequent middle air battles which certainly kept four photographers busy.

It was agreed it was time to move on and see what other avian delights where hidden around this lake. The next bird we came across was a drake Garganey but the bird appeared to have a broken wing so we did not stop and left it in peace and to its fate.

Next stop around this bird photographers' paradise were some Red-neck grebes. I was actually happier that we were getting much better encounters with these than the Black-necked variety given the limited opportunity with them the previous year. They are a fairly small grebe and looked superb in their fine late spring plumage. We spent a while with these birds as they gently cruised around us in front of the boat, occasionally stopping to the preen.

A pair swimming and calling in unison

A interesting feature I noted with the birds is that when the neck is compressed the rusty red tone of the neck become much more intense as shown in the photograph below.

Keeping those feather clean and water tight.

Of course as with all birds every preen is followed by a good shake to get those feathers settled back into position.

This is probably a good moment to tell you a little more about the boat we were on which has been well thought out and is operated by Sakertours. It is very stable and comfortably seats four photographers with all their kit. Being low to the water it gives a good low-level angle whilst photographing birds on the water. A canopy is built over the top of the boat which acts as a hide (blind for those of you in the USA). The boat is fitted with glass windows but we chose not to use them. I personally have a strong dislike of shooting through glass. The boat is carpeted to reduce noise and seating is in the shape of large beanbags or cushions. There are two seats at the front for Romi the boatman and for Zoltan to look out for birds and provides directions with simple hand gestures to get the boat into the right position. Power at the back end is by an outboard motor. A silent electric motor would be preferable but due to the abundance of aquatic plants a more powerful petrol engine is essential.

The  light was rapidly getting more intense and it was time to move on, before leaving the small lake we came across another two more Squacco Herons perched in amongst some lily pads and glowing in the warm early morning light.

The second one quickly dipped into the water in front and plucked a large water beetle off the vegetation which with a quick flick quickly disappeared between its bright blue bills.

With the light intensity and temperature rapidly increasing the boat slipped out of the small lake and into an elongated back channel.  Again this was a reed fringed area with dense patches of lilies, water soldier and water mint dotted with the pale forms of Squacco herons. The fragrance of mint filled the air as the warming sun evaporated the oils of the plants. Here is a brief video as we passed down the channel to give you an idea of the scene.


A back channel on the Danube Deta from Richard Steel on Vimeo.

In the distance we could see a long snake-like neck of a Purple Heron emerging from one of the vegetation patches. This was a bird I was keen to try and photograph on this trip having only previously managed some flight photos of them  in Mallorca. However, they are incredibly wary birds and difficult to get close to. The boat crawled along the edge of the channel to bring us close. The young bird, appeared to catch a newt, before taking off on a short flight and fortunately landed in a patch of water mint opposite us.

This was certainly the highlight of the morning so far. The bird eventually took off away from us and soared over the tall reeds behind in long ponderous wing beats.

We back tracked along the channel to where we had seen another Red-necked Grebe. This one was having a bit of territorial dispute with a Great Crested Grebe. Presenting the two contenders...

The larger Great crested Grebe appeared to win the skirmish.....

....leaving the Red-necked grebe little to do but shake down in defeat.

Drifting back along the channel we picked up another Squacco heron and our first Night Heron of the trip before calling it a morning and heading back to base and the inevitable carp broth that was awaiting for lunch and a quick siesta.

What an excellent morning it had been and you can probably see why I have had to split these days over two blog posts especially as, unknown to us at the time, we had a wonderfully productive evening session in some glorious light to come later that day.