点评:We spent two extraordinary days with Pietre Vasiliu, both as our host in Crișan and as our ornithological guide through the Danube Delta. It is difficult to imagine a better person with whom to discover such an exceptional place.
Pietre's knowledge of the Delta is simply remarkable. He seems to know every channel, lake, reed bed and patch of woodland, as well as exactly where to slow down, stop the boat and start looking. His ability to detect birds is astonishing. Very often, while we were still staring at what seemed to us like an empty stretch of reeds or sky, he had already found and identified a bird at an improbable distance, from its silhouette, flight, behaviour or sometimes just a few notes of its call.
And with Pietre, you really do see the great highlights of the Danube Delta. Pelicans, both Great White and Dalmatian, White tailed Eagles, Glossy Ibises, Pygmy Cormorants, Purple Herons, Squacco Herons, Great and Little Egrets, terns and many more of the spectacular species one dreams of seeing when coming here.
But what made the experience particularly special was that Pietre never treated birdwatching as a checklist of famous species. He drew our attention just as enthusiastically to the birds that animate the landscape everywhere: European Rollers flashing turquoise and blue from the wires, European Bee eaters sweeping through the air, Hoopoes, Kingfishers, orioles, shrikes, swallows, wagtails and countless other species that one might easily overlook when focusing only on the headline birds.
And then there were the more elusive encounters, often the most rewarding of all. Thanks to Pietre's extraordinary eye and patience, we also found much more discreet species such as a Little Owl, Long tailed Tits and Bearded Reedlings moving almost invisibly through the reeds. These are precisely the moments when having a truly knowledgeable guide makes all the difference.
Pietre does much more than point out birds. He explains their behaviour, habitats, migrations and relationships with this extraordinary wetland ecosystem. His enthusiasm is infectious, but never overwhelming. He gives you time to watch, listen and understand. His connection with the Delta clearly goes far beyond professional expertise. He knows it intimately and genuinely loves it.
Just as importantly, Pietre understands how the Delta should be experienced: slowly, attentively and respectfully. Rather than rushing from one sighting to another, we explored quiet channels, vast reed beds and open lakes, stopping whenever something caught his attention. Some of our favourite moments were simply spent drifting quietly, watching birds and absorbing the immensity and tranquillity of the landscape.
Our excursion to Letea was another highlight and added a completely different dimension to the experience. After travelling through the waterways, we reached the sandy landscapes of the Letea grind, the traditional village and the extraordinary Letea Forest, with its ancient oaks, ash trees, lianas and patches of dunes. Seeing the horses roaming through the surrounding landscape and discovering such an unexpected forest ecosystem in the middle of the Delta made the day particularly memorable.
Pietre is also an exceptionally warm, generous and thoughtful host. From the moment we arrived in Crișan, we felt genuinely welcomed. Conversations with him greatly enriched our understanding not only of birds and wildlife, but also of life in the Delta, its geography, history, communities and the environmental changes affecting it today.
These two days were unquestionably among the highlights of our entire journey through Romania. The Danube Delta is magnificent in itself, but discovering it with someone of Pietre's knowledge, experience, patience and humanity transformed the visit into something truly unforgettable.
For anyone interested in birds, wildlife, photography or simply in understanding the Danube Delta beyond a superficial boat excursion, I cannot recommend Pietre highly enough. He is an outstanding guide, a wonderful host and a remarkable ambassador for this extraordinary place.
Thank you, Pietre, for two exceptional days. We will remember them for a very long time.
翻译:我们与皮特雷·瓦西里乌共度了两天极为美好的时光——他既是我们在克里尚的东道主,也是带我们游览多瑙河三角洲的鸟类学向导。很难想象还有谁比他更适合带我们探索这样一个非凡的地方。
皮特雷对三角洲的了解简直令人惊叹。他似乎熟悉这里的每一条水道、每一个湖泊、每一片芦苇丛以及每一片林地,还清楚地知道何时该减速、何时该停船并开始观察。他识别鸟类的能力也相当出色。常常是这样……当我们还在盯着那片在我们看来空无一物、只有芦苇或天空的区域时,他早已从鸟的轮廓、飞行姿态、行为习性,有时甚至只是几声鸣叫中,辨认出了远处的一只鸟。
而在皮特雷的带领下,你确实能领略到多瑙河三角洲的绝美风光:大白鹈鹕和达尔马提亚鹈鹕、白尾海雕、彩鹮、侏鸬鹚、紫鹭、大白鹭以及小白鹭等等。燕子等众多令人梦寐以求的珍稀鸟类,都是人们来到这里希望看到的。
但让这次体验格外特别的是,皮埃特雷从不把观鸟当作一份“著名物种清单”来对待。他以同样的热情引导我们去留意那些随处可见、为景色增添生机的鸟儿:在电线上闪现着绿松石色与蓝色光芒的欧洲蜂虎、在空中翱翔的欧洲蜂鸟、戴胜、翠鸟、黄鹂、伯劳以及燕子。还有那些更难以发现的鸟类,往往也是最值得一看的。多亏了皮特雷非凡的眼力与耐心,我们还发现了许多极为隐秘的物种——比如小鸮、长尾山雀以及长有胡须的苇莺,它们几乎悄无声息地穿梭在芦苇丛中。正是在这样的时刻,有一位真正知识渊博的向导就显得至关重要了。皮特雷的作用远不止于指认鸟类。他会讲解这些鸟类的行为习性、栖息环境、迁徙规律以及它们与这片非凡湿地生态系统之间的关系。他的热情极具感染力,但又不至于让人应接不暇。他会给你足够的时间去观察、聆听和理解。显然,他与这片三角洲的感情远非单纯的专业联系所能概括——他对它了如指掌,也由衷地热爱着它。
同样重要的是,皮特雷明白人们应当如何体验这片三角洲:要慢慢地去感受。我们专心而恭敬地观察着。我们并未急于从一个观察点赶往另一个观察点,而是沿着宁静的水道、广阔的芦苇丛和开阔的湖面慢慢探索,每当有事物引起他的注意时便停下来观看。我们最喜欢的时刻,就是静静地随波漂流,观赏飞鸟,沉浸在这片景色的浩瀚与宁静之中。
这次前往莱泰亚的游览同样是一次难忘的经历,为整个旅程增添了全然不同的色彩。在沿水路航行之后……我们抵达了莱泰亚沙地平原,看到了传统的村庄以及那片非同寻常的莱泰亚森林——那里有古老的橡树、白蜡树、藤本植物,还有成片的沙丘。看到马儿们在周遭的旷野上自由驰骋,又在三角洲的中心地带发现了如此独特的森林生态系统,这一天便变得格外难忘。
皮特雷也是一位极其热情、慷慨且体贴入微的主人。从我们抵达克里桑的那一刻起,就切实感受到了发自内心的欢迎与款待。与他的交谈极大地丰富了我们的认知——不仅关于鸟类与野生动物,还有三角洲地区的风貌、地理、历史、当地社群以及当前影响着该地区的环境变化。
这两天无疑是我们整个罗马尼亚之旅中最精彩的时刻。多瑙河三角洲本身就已美不胜收,而能有这样一位拥有渊博知识、丰富经验、极大耐心与人道主义情怀的皮特雷相伴,让我们的游览体验变得真正终生难忘。对于任何对鸟类、野生动物、摄影感兴趣,或者希望深入了解多瑙河三角洲而非仅仅进行一次浅尝辄止的乘船游览的人而言,我极力推荐皮特雷。他是一位出色的向导、贴心的东道主,也是这座非凡之地的杰出使者。
感谢你,皮特雷,让我们度过了无比美好的两天。我们会将这段时光铭记许久。