Another highlight today was this dapper Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor). This is the winter shrike in Hungary, arriving after the Lesser Grey Shrikes and Red-backed Shrikes have cleared out. #BirdingHungary #birds #shrikes

Another image of today's Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus). Note the white tail with rufous terminal band and the white primary bases showing on the topside of the wing. You never see this in Common Buzzard. #BirdingHungary #raptors #hawks #BirdsOfPrey #buzzards

One of today's highlights was this adult light morph Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus). Uncommon but regular visitor to Hungary, mostly in the far east of the country. The farther west you go, the harder they are to find. #BirdingHungary #raptors #BirdsOfPrey #buzzards

Puncture Vine (Tribulus terrestris) is a common & popular bodybuilding supplement because it is supposed to enhance testosterone production. This is what it looks like growing in the wild.. before it is processed into powder and pills. #WildHungary #tribulus #plants #botany

Another portrait of a Great Bustard (Otis tarda). Lately it has been a Bustard Bonanza in Kiskunság National Park with birds showing up all over the place. #BirdingHungary #bustards #BigBirds

In cities, towns & suburbs, the commonest flycatcher is the Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). They love being around human habitation. They are around all year but scarce in mid-winter. #BirdingHungary #flycatchers #FlycatcherFriday #birds

♂️ Wall Brown (Lasiommata megera) soaking up some rays. The common name comes from its habit of sunning itself on brick and stone walls. #WildHungary #butterflies #insect #bugs

Great Egret (Ardea alba) in flight. Scoping from a single location on Sunday, I counted 109 of these beauties. Common in Hungary most of the year, but they get scarce in mid-winter. #BirdingHungary #egrets #herons #waders #BigWhiteBirds

If you're a bird, your thing is to sing in the spring. But Eurasian Collared Doves (Streptopelia decaocto) are more amorous than your average bird. They coo-coo right through the summer and fall. I even saw one trying to build a nest a few weeks ago. 😲 #BirdingHungary #doves #pigeons #birds

As soon as that Common Reed Warbler saw my camera, she became bashful. "No... don't take my picture! I didn't put on my makeup this morning!" 😄 #BirdingHungary #WarblerWednesday #warblers #birds

Most reed warblers have left for the south, but the ones remaining have been unusually active. Calling, chasing each other and even singing! 😲 Still tough as ever to get a decent photo though. Here is a Eurasian or Common Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) #BirdingHungary #WarblerWednesday

Another portrait of one of the Dunlin (Calidris alpina) I saw on the weekend. #BirdingHungary #sandpipers #waders #WaderWednesday

Only 14 more #WoodpeckerWednesday 's in 2025, so get your woody pics in! 😄 Here is my contribution for today... Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopus syriacus). In Hungary, this species prefers suburban parks & gardens with lots of open space rather than solid woodlands. #BirdingHungary #woodpeckers

If E-Bird is gonna put feral pigeons on the checklist, then I'm gonna upload a photo! 🤪 #BirdingHungary #pigeons #doves

Still a lot of #butterflies around, like this Rock Grayling (Hipparchia semele). A late season butterfly with the imagines not emerging until about August. They don't often rest with the eyespot visible as it makes them more conspicuous to predators. #WildHungary #insects #bugs

High over my head a Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and a Rook (Corvus frugilegus) were mixing it up. I think the Rook was trying to drive the hawk out of the area, but without much success. They were dive-bombing each other for over 5 minutes. #BirdingHungary #raptors #corvids #birds

One more falcon for today.. a nice ♂️ Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) About 25 to 30% bigger than the North American version. #BirdingHungary #falcons #birds #BirdsOfPrey #raptors

♀️Red-footed Falcon engaged in a little navel-gazing. "What does it all mean? Why am I here? Am I really that weird for wanting a hamburger instead of all these bugs? And why does that strange human keep looking at me?" 😂 #BirdingHungary #falcons #BirdsOfPrey #raptors

Big standoff on the weekend between Jerome the Jeep and Bossy the Cow. It was Bossy's turf and HER dyke and she was determined not to move for anybody! 😂 So I had to wait until she decided the grass was greener down the side of the dyke. 😃 #BirdingHungary

I watched the Goldcrest for five minutes, assiduously checking the underside of every leaf for tiny bugs. What a way to get a meal! That's like eating your dinner one pea or one grain of rice at a time. 😄 #BirdingHungary #birds #goldcrests #kinglets

One more image of yesterday's Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) I just can't imagine where the name Goldcrest comes from. 😂😂😂 #BirdingHungary #kinglets #goldcrests #ittybittyburbs

Common Buzzards (Buteo buteo) typically don't allow close approach, but this was was so intent on something it saw on the roadside verge, that it didn't even look up when I rolled up in the jeep. #BirdingHungary #buzzards #raptors #BirdsofPrey #hawks

Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) from yesterday. The same bird I saw at this location a week ago. I can tell from the notches on the left primaries.. specifically P3, P4 and P5. #BirdingHungary #storks #BigBirds #waders #birds

Another European Hornet (Vespa crabro) for #MacroMonday Europe's largest eusocial wasp, they are typically about 1 inch (2.54 cm) long. Fortunately they are not as aggressive as some of those Asian hornets. #WildHungary #wasps #hornets #insects #bugs

While I was digging one of Europe's largest #birds (Great Bustards) thru my scope, one of the continent's tiniest birds popped out of a bush to see what I was up to. 😄 Goldcrest (Regulus regulus). This is the type species for the #kinglets #BirdingHungary #goldcrest

Short video of some of the Great Bustards from today. These two figured I wasn't worth the effort of flying, so they just casually strolled away. 😀 #BirdingHungary #bustards #BigBirds

Saw quite a few Great Bustards (Otis tarda) today. Sometimes they fly and sometimes they just walk away. 😀 #BirdingHungary #BigBirds #bustards

Short video of the Short-toed Snake Eagle's hovering technique (a bit shaky because hand held). Their habit of hovering while hunting is a useful ID indicator as not many #eagles in these parts do that. #BirdingHungary #eagles #raptors #BirdsOfPrey

Adult Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) hovering over my head today. Probably trying to figure out if I was edible. 😂 #BirdingHungary #eagles #BirdsOfPrey #raptors

Short video of the very coöperative Dunlin (Calidris alpina) pair. 😀👍 #BirdingHungary #shorebirds #sandpipers #waders

A pair of Dunlin (Calidris alpina) from today. Now why.. WHY couldn't I have had that damn Sociable Lapwing this close! 🤯 😄 #BirdingHungary #shorebirds #waders #sandpipers

Short video thru my scope of this morning's Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius). I slowed it down so you can see the characteristic wing pattern. Jet black primaries and pure white secondaries forming a bold white triangle on the trailing edge of the wing. #BirdingHungary #lapwings #shorebirds

Terrible photo of a great bird from this morning. The critically endangered Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius). Rare but regular visitor to Hungary, usually in October. Much too distant for a decent photo, even thru the scope. #BirdingHungary #lapwings #plovers #shorebirds

A young Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea). A reasonably common breeder in Hungary that winters in Africa. They have a huge range extending all the way to Indonesia. #BirdingHungary #herons #waders #BigBirds

Another Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) from yesterday... this one a ♂️. As he was blasting past, he looked back at me as if to say.."It's that crazy birder again! Let's get the heck outta here! " 😂 #BirdingHungary #harriers #BirdsOfPrey #raptors #birds

🎵 I'm just a little frog lost in the middle. Life is a maze and love is a riddle... 😀 #WildHungary #FroggyFriday #frogs #amphibians #Lenka #TheShow

Hungarians have a saying.. "lower than a frog's ass." For this photo, I WAS lower than a frog's butt.. literally! 😂 This Tree Frog (Hyla arborea) climbed up the observation tower and was sitting sphinx-like above my head. 😀 #WildHungary #FroggyFriday #frogs #amphibians

The wide open spaces of Kiskunság National Park about 70 km (44 miles) due south of Budapest. Scoping from this position I counted 86 Red-footed Falcons. #BirdingHungary #birds

♀️ Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus). Despite constant flapping, she was stationary because she was going into a stiff wind. I watched her hovering in the same spot for a full 5 minutes. Must have been something down there that interested her. #BirdingHungary #harriers #hawks #BirdsOfPrey

Nice to see a Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) yesterday as it is getting late in the season for these big boys. #BirdingHungary #storks #waders #BigBirds

Short phonescope video of a few of the 95 Great Bustards (Otis tarda) I saw yesterday. Getting spruced up for fall. 😀 #BirdingHungary #bustards #birds #BigBirds

Sometimes Great Bustards (Otis tarda) can be hard to find. Not today. This morning, they were lining up to get their photo taken. I told them I was going to make them famous, and they were like, "Really? Oh boy! Let's do this!" 😂 #BirdingHungary #bustards #InglouriousBustards #BigBirds

As long as I'm posting #falcons , here's another cool one from today. A distant Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug). Endangered & hard to get a decent photo. Can never get close to them, and if you dare approach a nest, the national park rangers come & shoot you! 😂 #BirdingHungary #BirdsOfPrey #raptors

Still lots of Red-footed Falcons (Falco vespertinus) moving through. Saw over 100 birds today. Here is a portrait of one of them.. a dapper juvenile. 👔 #BirdingHungary #falcons #raptors #BirdsSeenIn2025 #BirdsOfPrey

Here is a ♂️ Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus). Checking me out as I'm checking him out. Like the song.. me watching you watching me... 😄 #BirdingHungary #falcons #BirdsOfPrey #raptors

Another ♀️Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) floofing up in the wind. This one has no rings so a different bird than my previous post. #BirdingHungary #falcons #raptors #BirdsOfPrey #birds

This ♀️Red-footed Falcon has two rings (bands) on her left leg. Didn't report it because I just couldn't see the full designation on the lower metal ring. "EST 366 (or 866)" was all I could make out. Lots breed in Hungary so it was likely ringed locally. #BirdingHungary #falcons #BirdsOfPrey

Autumn Lady's Tresses (Spiranthes spiralis).. the only fall-flowering orchid in Hungary. It's such a tiny plant ... easy to overlook in the grasslands. #WildHungary #wildflowers #WildflowerPower #orchids

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo), the type species for the Buteo genus. Members of this genus are called buzzards everywhere in the world except North America, where a buzzard is a vulture. Not sure birders there would get used to Red-tailed Buzzard. 😀 #BirdingHungary #hawks #buzzards #BirdsOfPrey

Here's another meet & greet for #MacroMonday ... European Hornet (Vespa crabro). I call him Horney McHornetface. 😂 Imagine if you were a small bug and saw this coming at you? 😱 #WildHungary #hornets #bugs #insects