HUNGARY - SPRING
I spent a week in late April 2016 in the Hortobagy National Park, which is about 200km east of Budapest.
As in the UK, Spring was late and some migrants were only just arriving in Hungary, but
there were still plenty of birds to photograph, and a selection is shown below.
Red-footed Falcons & Kestrel
Several pairs of Falcons were nesting in an area where nest boxes had been provided. The images below
show birds pairing up and flying around this site. The male Red-footed Falcon is dark grey, and
the female is paler with an orange chest. The male Kestrel has a greyish head
and a chestnut-coloured back.
_I8A5488 Red-footed Falcon pair
_I8A5508 Red-footed Falcons mating
_A5A9915 Red-footed Falcon (f)
_H2P8208 Red-footed Falcon (f)
_H2P8047 Red-footed Falcon (f)
_H2P8007 Red-footed Falcons mating
_H2P8012 Red-footed Falcons mating
_H2P8179 Red-footed Falcon (m)
_H2P8025 Kestrel (m) perched
_H2P8143 Kestrel balancing (m)
_H2P8144 Kestrel balancing
Hoopoe
A pair of Hoopoes were nesting in a hollow log and were regularly bringing food items to their young. These images were taken from a nearby hide.
_H2P7333 Hoopoe with grub landing
_H2P7209 Hoopoe perched with grub - cres
_H2P6944 Hoopoe in flight
_H2P7071 Hoopoe in fllight
_H2P9460 Hoopoe in flight
_H2P9470 Hoopoe in flight with grub
_H2P9663 Hoopoe flying to nest hole
_H2P9666 Hoopoe flying to nest hole
Wading Birds
The images below were taken from a low hide at water level on the edge of a marsh. Ruff, Stilts and Wood Sandpiper were among several wader species that fed and nested here.
_I8A6138 Reeve (female Ruff))
_H2P9353 Stilts after mating
FISHPOND BIRDS
A large pond containing Carp and Catfish attracted a number of Herons, Egrets, Spoonbills and Storks.
The large image below show several of these birds around the pond.
_A5A9320 Grey Herons and Egrets
_I8A3945 Grey Heron landing
_H2P6578 Grey Heron bathing
_I8A3937 Young Grey Heron sunbathing
_H2P6325 Grey Heron with Catfish
_H2P6163 Grey Heron with Catfish
_H2P6168 Great White Egret
_H2P6240 Great White Egret
_H2P5867 Great White Egret with Catfish
_H2P6481 Great White Egret with Catfish
_H2P6779 Great White Egret with Carp
_I8A3970 Great White Egret
_H2P6256 Spoonbill preening
_I8A3844 Spoonbill preening
_I8A3546 Spoonbill with Carp
_I8A3854 Spoonbill with Carp
_I8A3678 Spoonbill catching fish
_I8A4233 White Stork feeding
_A5A9554 White Stork & Herons
_I8A3374 Black Stork & Herons
_I8A3393 Black Stork preening
_I8A3256 Black Stork fishing
_I8A3407 Black Stork with Carp
_I8A3274 Black Stork with Catfish
