BIRDIES! (as if you haven't seen enough of my fuzzy avian photos!)

(If you click on the photos, you get an enlarged view - takes you away from this page - press "back" arrow to return)

Woodlark (better pic than the one I put on while in Spain)

Woodchat Shrike (Spain)

Blue Rock Thrush (Pre-Pyrenees, Spain)

 

Black Wheatear (Pre-Pyrenees, Spain)

 Pied Wheatear (Kaliakra Bulgaria),

erm ... let me see?

If you can ID this, I'll give you a refund! (Bulgaria)

And this ....? (Spain)

White Stork (Croatia)

Great White Pelicans in formation (Danube Delta)

A beautiful female Grey Wagtail, just where she should be by a babbling stream (Transylvannia)

Coo ...!

Red-backed Shrike (should've got a much better pic than this, there were so many on my travels)

Grey Heron doing balancing act

THAT Bluethroat! this the view I got for 10 mins or more ... then ...

.... he turned round ... can't resist putting this in again! (Bierbza Marshes. Poland)

Thought this was a Citrine Wagtail for ages but it's a Yellow Wagtail (juvenile, I think)

Black Stork (at nest in Extramadura, Spain)

White Stork for comparison

(white in the wings at shoulder,

white head & neck)

And finally ... maybe the best bird of the trip; Three-toed Woodpecker ... because I really didn't think I'd see it at all and also because it is so rare, local and difficult to find. This one hung about less than 20 metres from me for over 10 minutes - so good!

Modes of Transport

Well ... of course, ole faithfull! (Packed up and ready to go at Yanitsa Hotel near Shabla on the Black Sea in Bulgaria)   















Boats!

Large (ferries, three in all)

Medium (floating hotel in Danube Delta)

Small.4 days moving around small channels in the Delta. You can see the seats we had to see all those fabulous birds. This little boat took us to & from the floating hotel which also moved each day

Tractor & trailer (for getting through wet forest & sand dune habitat in Danube Delta)

Four wheel drive (especially in Bulgaria!)

Horse & cart (I got a lift in this one, 2km up the track, gave them some chocolate as a thank you. Offering money seemed crass)

I also had rides in two minibuses and a few cars but no photos of that ... oh yes I do! See the mini bus in the background - that's one of them ... interesting, eh?! (hello again to all from Eger, I guess you're all home now?)

More Trip blog dogs!

Puppy in cafe where I lost my phone (Arles, Sth France). So relieved to get it back from cafe owner, I stayed & had a coffee for an hour. This little chap kept pestering me. His name was Manuc  or something.

Second appearance for Zoya! (Hello Ali & Colin)

Little guy in Melnik, Bulgaria

Ok so it's a horse - close!

Tex, the guard dog at Poda Nature centre Burgas, Bulgaria on Black Sea coast

Think this one would've eaten me. Not very friendly but nice looking Romanian chap.

She came birding with me in Eger Hungary and freaked out all the birds!

Seem to be going backwards - we're in Spain now. Boletas dog in the Pre-Pyrenees

No idea where this one came from, just friendly

This looks cruel but he gave me a fright by shoving his whole head through this hole in the gate at El Recuerdo, near Trujillo, Spain, my first pre-booked stop (hello Martin Kelsey). The hole is there so you can reach in and undo a bolt. This is obviously his window on the world!

Pyrenean mountain dog. Well, it was in the Pyrenees, they're mountains and he is definitely a dog - so there! (in fact, all the dogs looked like this here - Broto in the Pyrenees)

Lucky, the welcoming Slovakian Spaniel at a "Family Pension" (B & B, without the second B!)

There were many more Trip Dogs but I couldn't get photos of them all!

Esbjerg, last foreign place before ferry/charity donations/blogged out & THANKS!

Writing this from a cafe in Esbjerg where the owner/manager made me a coffee, let me use a PC in the cafe and then refused any money! If you read this - THANK YOU very much (you will see from other parts of this blog that internet access has been difficult).

Today, I rode the bike the last stage to Esbjerg in Denmark (only 45 mins), having arrived by ferry in Kiel, Nth Germany from Klaipeda in Lithuania (more or less 24hours sailing). I stopped off in a town called Kolding and had almost the most trouble finding a hotel of the whole trip! As mentioned before, the cost of the one I found was more than I was expecting but apparently this was quite cheap for Denmark at 610 Krone (about 70 Pounds). It was good though - especially the very comfy bed for the bad back!

Esbjerg is lovely (photos later if I can ... I just did!) & worth a visit but I'm now in getting home mode so not keen on exploring. I'm off to the ferry soon anyway.

Esbjerg town square

My faithfull steed! How far it has taken me and never a hiccup - what a machine. (The couple on the bench were having a picnic and enjoying watching the rtiual dismount, now with with bad back ... somehow, I don't think it looked very cool! But they smiled and nodded appreciatively.

I'm blogged out now so will do final update from home.

Now that I've (almost!) completed my journey, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO DONATE TO THE CHARITY LINKS if you have been intending to ... I'm a fair bit off the target still (I'd like the MS one to get there if pos), thanks.

This is the last entry from foreign soil so ...

THANK YOU TO ALLL WHO HAVE VISITED THE BLOG, ESPECIALLY THE FOLLOWERS AND MORE ESPECIALLY, THOSE WHO LEFT COMMENTS. THEY WILL REMAIN FOR POSTERITY. I INTEND TO WRITE THIS SOJOURN UP IN SOME FORM AND WILL TRY TO INCLUDE COMMENTS OR REFERENCE TO THEM. WHETHER SUCH SCRIBBLES EVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY, WHO KNOWS BUT I HOPE YOU GOT SOMETHING FROM IT.

THANKS ALL. WILL SAY FAREWELL FROM HOME WITH A FINAL ENTRY. CHEERS!

R

Photos from Bierbza Marshes Nth Poland

These are some pics from my last place in Poland, the Bierbza Marshes, another hugely extensive area, this time of marshes, reed beds and wet pine forest (with Elk)

First, another star bird ... forgive me for puitting it first but ... just look at it! Bluethroat (white spotted variety). I didn't think I'd see one, let alone get a pic like this. Thank you beautifull Bierbza!

 Sunset over Bierbza

Oh my God - it's a Bluethroat!

No it isn't - it's an Elk!