Birding half day trip in Apaj - April 27

Birdwatching Trip – April 27

On April 27, we had a wonderful half-day birdwatching trip. The weather was beautiful: sunny, warm, and perfect for spring birding.

We started our tour in the center of Budapest at 8:00 in the morning. Our first destination was the steppe area near Bugyi, south of the city. This place is good for special birds.

Here, we saw many interesting species. We were happy to find the Stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), walking quietly in the dry grass. Then, we watched a beautiful male Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) flying low over the field. We also had great views of some Great Bustards (Otis tarda), walking proudly in the open land. Two colorful species also showed up: the bright blue European Roller (Coracias garrulus) and some calling European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster) flying high in the sky.

After this, we drove to the wetlands near Apaj. The water levels were good, and many birds were active.

At this second stop, we saw a group of elegant Collared Pratincoles (Glareola pratincola), flying fast and low over the meadows. We also watched several Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus) and some beautiful Whiskered Terns (Chlidonias hybrida), flying over the water. One of the highlights here was the Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), with its black and white body and long upcurved bill.

In total, we observed 65 bird species during the trip. It was a great spring day with many exciting birds and perfect weather.