Birding Trip To Tiszaalpár-January 29

Birdwatching Trip Report: Tiszaalpár - 57 Species on a Sunny January Day

On January 29, we went on a birdwatching trip to Tiszaalpár and its surroundings. It was a beautiful, sunny day with unusually warm weather for January, reaching 13°C. We explored various habitats, including wetlands and agricultural and grassy areas around the village.

We started at the Nagy-tó (Great Lake), a vast wetland and marshy habitat located in the floodplain of the Tisza River. Here, Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) were already busy building their nests. We spotted several flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) flying overhead. On the lake, there were Eurasian Wigeons (Mareca penelope), Northern Pintails (Anas acuta), and Caspian Gulls (Larus cachinnans). One of the highlights was an immature Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) flying over the area.

Next, we visited the open plains around the village. Here, we saw more Eastern Imperial Eagles (Aquila heliaca) circling near an old, previously used nest. Additionally, we observed a majestic White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). For me, the best sighting of the day was a Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug), which was my first observation of this species this year. On the plains, we encountered large flocks of Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris), Eurasian Linnets (Linaria cannabina), and Corn Buntings (Emberiza calandra).

We also visited a salt lake in the area, where approximately 2,000 Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) gathered, though we couldn't spot any other goose species among them. Notable sightings here included Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) and Penduline Tits (Remiz pendulinus).

The final stop of the day was a peat mining lake. This area is ideal for woodpeckers due to the abundance of deadwood surrounding the lakes. We were fortunate to see both Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers (Dryobates minor) and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocoptes medius). I was particularly delighted by the Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius), as it was my first sighting of the year.

Overall, it was an excellent birdwatching day with unusually warm January weather. We managed to spot a total of 57 species.