Europe's greatest river, the Danube, has formed a vast delta on the Black Sea. Hidden within a beautiful landscape of willows, water and reeds, there is an abundance of life. Carp and catfish grow to a massive size in the murky waters, yet even they are dwarfed by the primeval sturgeon. Pelicans, cormorants and fishermen live off the wealth of fish. Herons, egrets and ibis probe the shallows, and islands of reeds hide snakes, frogs and terrapins.
Today, this last stronghold of the white pelican has a precarious existence on the edge of industrialised Europe. Each spring around 5,000 birds return from Africa to nest in the dense reeds - but for how much longer?
BBC Bristol
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