A winter sunset in the Argeș Delta

Last summer, I often went biking to the Delta of the Argeș River (Southern Romania). I would walk slowly along the artificial dam walls, attempting to see as many birds as possible before the sun set. I could sometimes photograph a few birds. Other times, they flew by too quickly for me to capture a clear image.

But the delta always had a surprise ready for me. Once, a cuckoo was resting on the ground. We were both looking at the water and did not notice each other until we were only a few metres apart. We scared each other away. Another day, it was a sneaky fox or a bird species that I hadn’t seen before. However, I would constantly be surprised by a family of swans, which always made their presence known at sunset.

September came, and I went back to the Netherlands to study. The fall semester of my second year came and passed, and I returned to my parents’ house. I’m here for a few weeks until I start my spring semester. So, it was the perfect time to go back and visit the Argeș Delta, knowing it always had something prepared for me. This time, I was surprised by the stillness in the air and icy lakes. The cuckoo I saw left for Africa at the same time I left for the Netherlands. But the fox and the family of swans most likely hid in warmer places nearby.

The sun set silently, shining light across the icy water. But I knew that the next time I would visit, the Delta would be filled with commotion again, and I would have a chance to see the family of swans once again.