One-Day Birding Trip in Southern Hungary – June 14

One-Day Birding Trip to Southern Kiskunság

On June 14, we started our trip from Kecskemét at 7 a.m. The weather was clear and sunny, a real summer day. We decided to visit the southern parts of the Kiskunság National Park.

Our first stop was Tiszaalpár, where we visited some wetland habitats. Here we saw Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida), Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina), Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin), River Warbler (Locustella fluviatilis), Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmaeus), Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida), and Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca).

In the village, we had a great view of a Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus) sitting on a wooden electric pole. After that, we explored the grassy areas around Tiszaalpár, where there was very good raptor activity. We saw Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus), Hobby (Falco subbuteo), Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus), Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), and Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug).

The Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus) was the bird of the day for me, because it was the first time I have seen this species in this area.

Then we continued towards the Pusztaszer Nature Reserve, where we visited the Csaj Lake, an artificial fishpond system. Here we saw Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), and Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus).

On the way back to Kecskemét, we decided to check an area outside the town where a Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala) was seen a few days earlier. Unfortunately, we could not find the bunting, but we saw Crested Larks (Galerida cristata) and Northern Wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe), and two Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) were circling above the area.

Overall, it was a very nice day with an impressively strong raptor movement.