Birding Trip To Lake Balaton

A Winter Birdwatching Day at Lake Balaton: January 5

Lake Balaton, Hungary's largest lake, serves as an important wintering ground for numerous birds migrating from the north. On January 5, under perfect weather conditions—calm and mild—we explored the southern shores of this iconic lake. The day proved to be highly productive, with a total of 80 species recorded.

One of the highlights was observing several rare species for Hungary, including the Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis), Black-throated Loon (Gavia artica), Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus), Greater Scaup (Aythya marila), and Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus).

For me personally, the standout sighting was a Pallas's gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus), a species I had never seen before. This marked my 318th bird species observed in Hungary, making it a particularly memorable moment of the trip.

The day concluded with a visit to Zalavár, a known wintering site for Greater spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga), where we had excellent views of a majestic individual. This area has been a reliable spot for this species for years, and it didn't disappoint.

Overall, it was an excellent day of birding with an impressive array of species and a few remarkable highlights.