Читать книгу The Danube Cycleway Volume 2. From Budapest to the Black Sea онлайн

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There is a wide range of interesting birdlife. White swans, geese and many varieties of ducks inhabit the river and its banks. Cruising above, raptors, particularly buzzards and kites, are frequently seen hunting small mammals. Birds that live by fishing include cormorants, noticeable when perched on rocks with their wings spread out to dry, and kingfishers. These exist in many locations, mostly on backwaters, perching where they can observe the water. Despite their bright blue and orange plumage they are very difficult to spot. Grey herons, on the other hand, are very visible and can often be seen standing in shallow water waiting to strike or stalking purposefully along the banks.

Perhaps the most noticeable birds are white storks. These huge birds, with a wingspan of two metres, nest mostly on man-made platforms. They feed on small mammals and reptiles, which they catch in water meadows or on short grassland. They are common throughout the route, particularly in southern Romania where many villages have what looks like avenues of stork nests balanced precariously on almost every telegraph pole.