Birding in Apaj - February 04.

Afternoon Birding in the Apaj Region.

On February 4, I had some errands to run in the Upper Kiskunság area. Fortunately, I managed to finish everything by around 1:30 PM, and since the weather was beautifully sunny, I decided to take the opportunity for an afternoon of birding in one of Hungary's fantastic wildlife areas—specifically in the Apaj region, which was about a 20-minute drive from where I was.

I initially chose to explore the agricultural and grassland areas. One of my long-time hopes is to spot a Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus), which has eluded me so far this year. Despite spending about 40 minutes scanning these fields, I wasn't lucky enough to see one. However, I did spot three Great Bustards (Otis tarda) landing in one of the agricultural fields not far from the road—a fantastic sight! Additionally, an old White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) flew overhead.

After that, I decided to check out the wetland area near Apaj. The afternoon light here is usually stunning, and the site is grazed by buffalo, making it attractive to shorebirds and wintering geese. The eagles were quite active, which likely kept the number of geese lower than usual. I observed two Eastern Imperial Eagles (Aquila heliaca)—one immature and one adult—as well as another White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla).

Among the dabbling ducks, there was a good variety, including Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Gadwall (Mareca strepera), Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope), and Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). I also saw numerous Northern Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) and Eurasian Curlews (Numenius arquata), which were delightful to watch.

To wrap up my afternoon, I visited the nearby fishponds. I was thrilled to spot a Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) for the second time this year. Several Pygmy Cormorants (Microcarbo pygmaeus) were also present across different parts of the ponds. Two more White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) patrolled the area as well. On the tall poplar trees lining the fishponds, I saw large flocks of Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris) and Hawfinches (Coccothraustes coccothraustes). I carefully scanned through them, hoping to spot a Redwing (Turdus iliacus), but unfortunately, I wasn't successful.

Overall, it was a fantastic afternoon of birding, with a total of 63 species observed. I left the area feeling grateful for the beautiful weather and memorable sightings.