The thing that probably impressed me the most on this birding trip to Russia in April 2017, was the sheer number of White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla). Where the river Volga meets the Caspian Sea, this species breeds in ridiculous densities. There's so much food but not enough suitable nesting trees, so that some pairs even build swimming nests in the reeds (something I couldn't see myself unfortunately). In parts of the delta, we found nests every couple of hundred meters. Since we visited quite early in the year and many migrants hadn't arrived yet, the eagles were certainly among the most abundant species, with many dozens seen every day. Here's just a small gallery of photos, taken from the small boats which we used to get through the many bayous near Kordon Damchik.
