Full-Day Birding trip at Apaj - April 13

Birdwatching Trip from Budapest to Bugyi and Apaj – April 13

On Monday, April 13, we started a full-day birdwatching tour from the city center of Budapest. The weather was really spring-like, with sunshine and light wind.

We reached the areas around Bugyi in about 40 minutes, where we observed a small group of Great Bustards (Otis tarda) from a watchtower. Luckily, at this time of the year the male bustards were displaying, which was very interesting to watch. In this area we also saw a White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), a Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus), and an Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca).

After this, we visited a small forest area near Apaj to try to find woodpeckers. Unfortunately, there was not much woodpecker activity, but we saw a Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops), migrating Tree Pipits (Anthus trivialis), and also a Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), which was my first one of the year.

On the way to the fishponds, we saw an Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) sitting on a tree. This species does not breed in Hungary, it is only a migratory bird here.

Then we headed towards the fishponds, where there was a real spring atmosphere. In many places we heard singing Savi's Warblers (Locustella luscinioides), Sedge Warblers (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus), Common Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), Bluethroats (Luscinia svecica), and Bearded Reedlings (Panurus biarmicus). The Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) were already sitting on their nests.

We also saw a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) (my first this year), a Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), a Black Stork (Ciconia nigra), a White Stork (Ciconia ciconia), a Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmeus), and two adult Little Gulls (Hydrocoloeus minutus) above one of the ponds, which was also my first this year. At the ponds we saw Ferruginous Ducks (Aythya nyroca) and Red-crested Pochards (Netta rufina) in several places.

After this, we checked the flooded areas next to the ponds, where we observed many waders. Among others, we saw Marsh Sandpipers (Tringa stagnatilis), Common Greenshanks (Tringa nebularia), Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus), Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa), and hundreds of Ruffs (Calidris pugnax). I was especially happy to see the Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis), because I only see it a few times each year.

We finished the day at this habitat around 4:30 PM, and in total we observed 80 species.