Crossbills in Kisújszállás

Last few days we saw Crossbills in Kisújszállás. These birds feed on the pines, but here in the middle of the Great Hungarian Plan we have not much evergreen trees: these trees are in the churchyards, cemeteries and here in the Kisújszállás high square. The birds are very friendly, so Ádám tried to take photos. He was successful: this picture was taking by his mobilphone. Congratulation Ádám!

Redstarts in the cemetery

This morning I went to the cemetery with Ádám, because yesterday he saw a few Crossbills there. On the trees was a flock of finches: green and goldfinches. On a headstone we saw a redstart and later other two birds. The morning was good to observe the leaf warblers too: in the shrubs Chiffchaffs were moving. Later we found two Crossbills and a Swift as well.

Batwatching in the daytime

Today I saw a interesting black point in the sky: it wasn't a bird, but it was moving, flying and comming... It was a bat and an other one and the next. I realized just later, that it was a flock of the migratory bats. These animals moved from the breeding area towards the wintering areas, what are somewhere in the mountens, because they roosting in caves, mines. In the bigest wintering caves have thousand of bats: horseshoe bats, Mouse-eared Myotis, Lesser Mouse-eared Bat...

Day at the Hungarobirds ricefields

Today we went to birding to our ricefields, where most of them are harvested, so they are good places to feed lot of biilrd species. In the area we observed: Black Storks (100 birds), Great White Egrets (150), Purple Herons (20), Imperial Eagle (1), geese, harriers, Water Rails, Cranes. We saw a few other animals as well: roe deers, swallowtail and Danube Crested Newt.

Early wintry days in Hungary

Since last week we have rawness days in Hungary. The temperature cooled down, it rains, the mornings are chilly. This early wintry weather was surprise for many song birds: swallows, warblers, flycatchers are not migrated to their wintering areas. Thousands of birds died of growing cold and hunger.

photo by Gábor Nagy

Lesser Spotted Eagles' weekend

On Saturday I went to help for my father to Jászapáti. Near Hevesvezekény we saw about 40-60 Red-footed Falcons which were hunting along the road. When we came back from Jászapáti I realised two buzzards and a eagle. Lesser-spotted Eagle!
On the next day I observed another one above Central of Kisújszállás!

White-Tailed Eagles

Today I went to visit the fishponds of Telekhalma. The weather was terrible: the wind was blowing and the rain hadn't stopped all day long. The list of the most interested species today: Ferruginous Duck, White-tailed Eagle, Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Whiskered Tern, Eurasian Penduline Tit.

Owls and birds of prey tour

We have a new tour: Owls and birds of prey. The tour is organised for everybody, who like to wait for a good picture half day long or who like to observe a long-eared owl near at hand (this owl is more interesting if it is in a roosting place, where other 100 owls are :)). In the harsh Hungarian winter we feed the raptors, so in this place we can take a few nice pictures: White-tailed Eagles, Imperial Eagle, Buzzards, Rough-legged Buzzards...

Red-footed Falcons' night

This evening Ákos and me went to check a roosting place of Red-footed Falcons. We hade counted more than one hundred Falcons until sunset. There were two Sakers and one Osprey as well.

Bee-eaters in the sky

This morning I saw a huge flock of Bee-eater in Kisújszállás. 72 birds were moving towards the south.

Cat-burglars at the Kisujszállás Fishponds

Today I meet with three cat-burglars at the Kisujszállás Fishponds, where I was observing the birds. The first was a White-tailed Eagle: the bird came and caught a carp (this fish was probably an ill). The other two were Ospreys. They caught the daily rations and they were just resting afterwards. Later I saw a Short-toed Eagle as well.

Huge flock of Ferruginous Duck

This afternoon we went to Telekhalma fishponds, where the bigest pond is drained. On the pond we observed a few interesting birds:

Great Black-headed Gull

Caspian Tern

Little Gull

Red Knot

Turnstone

Red-necked Phalarope and

380 Ferrunginous Ducks on the next pond

photo by Ákos Monoki