Hyde Park - August 2024

Hyde Park

Monday 12 August 2024

Today, my family and I took the coach to London to ask for a passport at the French embassy. I heard this as an opportunity for some birding, so I brought our camera to photograph some species, too. We arrived at Marble Arch and walked through Hyde Park, seeing many Egyptian Geese, Greylag Geese and Canada Geese. As we walked along the Serpentine, we saw some Black-headed gulls and a few Moorhens. Near the boat hire on the North side of the lake, there were a few Coots and, a female Tufted Duck that let us take some amazing photographs. As well as many Mute Swans. Sheltered in the bay of a small island on the lake, I saw my lifer Red-crested Pochard! Although they were females and not as beautiful as the males of the species. We had to hurry a bit after that, since the meeting was in only about half an hour later. While hurrying, we passed a Black Swan, a bird which is native to Australia and New Zealand, but many birds have escaped from captivity and found London parks, a great place to live. All this time we were impressed by how loud all the Ring-necked parakeets were, as they flew through the trees of the park. Once we had finish at the embassy, we had a French pancake (crêpe) at a local crêperie. On the way back, we saw a few Great Crested Grebes and some more of the species that we had seen before.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S191175317

Egyptian Geese

Glossy Ibis - Otmoor RSPB

Otmoor RSPB Reserve

Saturday 10 August 2024

This evening, we went for a walk around Otmoor RSPB Reserve, a ten-minute drive from our house in Oxford. We started by seeing a flock of Long-tailed tits and a Chiffchaff at the car park. On the way to the feeders, my father and I saw a male Bullfinch, but my mum and sisters are ahead and didn't see it. The feeders didn't have much apart from the usual suspects; a young Blue tit and a grey squirrel. As we kept walking, we saw two Linnets feeding on the path and a Kestrel hovering over the wetlands. We heard a high-pitched squeak which another birder told us was a young Cuckoo, Oxfordshire #101. Near the wetlands watch hide, we heard a few Cetti's Warblers and saw about 7 Little egrets feeding in the pools. Unlike most times, we didn't stop at the Wetlands watch, since we had heard that there was a Glossy Ibis that came to roost at the 1st screen at around 2100. In the hedges towards the 1st screen, we saw a male Blackbird with a juvenile. At the screen, we saw many wildfowl including Gadwall, Mallard, Pochard, Tufted Duck and 2 Mute Swans. In the tree we also noticed many Cattle Egrets and a couple Cormorants. On the water, we saw some Great Crested Grebes and many Coots. Soon, the person beside us had spotted an impressive 5 Hobbies in the distance, but I only saw two of them, which marked my Oxfordshire #102 and my first for the UK. Soaring over the reedbeds were two Marsh Harriers, one of them a leutistic bird with white patches on it body due to a lack of melanin. It was 20:40 so it was only a matter of time until the Glossy Ibis would fly over us from big Otmoor. While we were waiting, I noticed that the people to the left of us were Suzy and John Buttress, the hosts of the Casual Birder Podcast. I decided I would wait for the Glossy Ibis to come in, to make sure neither of us would miss it. After a few minutes of waiting, we saw the Glossy Ibis fly over our heads and do a few turns around the ponds before flying into the trees to roost, an amazing sight! Once we had enjoyed the show, we had a chat with Suzy and John and my sisters and I got badges and a keychain with the Casual Birder Podcast logo on it. Suzy will include me in her episode on the Glossy Ibis at Otmoor. If you would like to listen to her podcast, go to this website: https://casualbirder.com 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S190981633

Logo of the Casual Birder Podcast

Glossy Ibis

Ythan Estuary - Back to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Sunday 4 August 2024

This time my mum was busy, at a birthday party in Ellon, so my dad brought my sisters and I on a walk at Forvie NNR. We first heard the very loud Grey Herons which nest in the conifers near the Waterside bridge car park. To change things up a bit, we went across Forvie Moor first. On the moor we saw a few Linnets and some Swallows but the wind was making it hard to hear birds. After a while we did see 2 Stonechats. Once at the beach we saw a few Herring Gulls and a Great Black-Backed Gull. On the beach we saw a few Grey Seals and a Sandwich tern. On the way back we saw a Black-headed gull and a few Lapwings resting with some Redshanks. Unfortunately, it was high tide so we didn't see many birds.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S190230990

Birding in Hungary 2024 - Day 21

Birding in Hungary XXI

Saturday 27 July 2024

Belvedere Garten und Botanischer Garten der Universität Wien

This morning we arrived in Vienna, Austria marking my 12th counrty. We came by train from Budapest and saw a few birds along the way such as a Buzzard. From the train station we walked to the Belvedere Garten and took a selfie in front of an amazing castle. We walked towards the Univercity's Botanical Gardens where we enjoyed the beautiful flora along the paths. We didn't seen may birds apart from a stunning male Black Redstart. Also in the gardens were some Red squirrels with one of them being a dark brown individual. I beliveve this is a differnt subspecies or the dark morph of the species. Please correct me if I am incorrect. Unfourcenetly we didn't see many birds in Vienna and we were hungry so we went to a local cafe to have a drink. Afterwards we headed to the airport where I saw Yellow-legged gull and a White Wagtail before we took off towards Amsterdam.

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS)

This evening we arrived at Amsterdam at around 21:00 on the grass paralele to the runway, I saw a Yellow-legged Gull my first for the Netherlands. It was dark soon and I didn't see any birds while waiting for the flight to Aberdeen. 

Birding in Hungary 2024 - Day 19

Birding in Hungary XIX

Thrusday 25 July 2024

Kígyósi Nagyerdő tanösvény és kilátó

This morning, my mother and I went cycling down to the castle and the reserve south of it. On the way we saw a few Marsh Harriers and a Great White Egret. We stopped to explore the castle grounds for a bit since we were hearing many birds. We found a mixed flock of Long-tailed tits, Blue Tits and Great Tits as well as two Golden Orioles. After watching the male Peacocks who were also walking around I noticed some drumming in the trees. This turned out to be my lifer Lesser Spotted Woodpecker! Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are sparrow-sized woodpeckers that are very rare in the UK, however in Hungary and the rest of Europe they are relitively common. After seeing the rest of the castle we clycled to the forest and continued birding. We first saw the many Wood Warblers which were feeding the canopy of the trees. Afterwards, we heard a Nuthatch and saw a pair of Spotted Flycatchers. We cycled to the lookout tower seeing Song Thursh on the way. Once at the tower we admired at the number of Bee-eaters flying right next to us! Of these we saw some juviniles being fed by the adults. On the way back, we went throught the fields instead of the woodland where we saw Skylarks and many Rollers. My mum was very happy to see these and we got quite good views of the perching on hay bales and telegraph poles as well as on the ground. Nearly at the village we had a flyover Lesser Grey Shrike.

Birding in Hungary 2024 - Day 18

Birding in Hungary XVIII

Wednesday 24 July 2024

Kardoskuti Feher-to

Today my Grandpa drove me to Feher-to, about an hour's drive from their place. We stopped on the way in a small village where my second-cousins live. We stopped for a chat (which lasted about an hour) so I walked around the garden seen a Wasp spider and a flyover Yellow Wagtail. Once arrivied I noted a distant pair of Red-footed Flacon and a Kestrel. We stopped at the first lookout tower seeing nearly 20 White Storks flying right over us! We got back in the car and drove to the second lookout tower where we were told we could see the lake. While driving we saw 2 Stonechats and many Lesser Grey Shrikes flying out from the hedges along the side of the road. On the tower we didn't see much apart from a few Kestrels and more Lesser Grey Shirkes and Red-backed Shrikes. We were scanning the area for about 20 minuets until we decided to have our sandwiches and then go home. As I was sitting in the car boot I noticed to strange birds in the distance. Once they came closer, I identified the birds as my lifer Roller! I grabbed the camera from behind me and snapped about 20 pictures in 2 seconds (manually). Although the pictures weren't great I was still over the moon about my sighting since it was (along with Bee-eater) my most wanted species on the trip. By now we had to start heading home so we got in the car and drove towards the next town, to get back on the highway. On the way my Grandpa spotted a Hoopoe and a Red-backed Shrike and I saw the Rollers again in the distance. Near the village, we saw a flock of Helmeted Guineafowls (escapees) and another Lesser Grey Shrike. 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S188569349

A record shot of one of the Rollers

Birding in Hungary 2024 - Day 17

Birding in Hungary XVII

Tuesday 23 July 2024

Kígyósi Nagyerdő tanösvény és kilátó

Today, my sister joined my Dad and I, cycling to a woodland south of Csaba-to, which is also a part of the  Koros-Maros Natioal Park. After ariving we saw a surprising amount of Wood Warblers and a Robin (my first for Hungary 2024). Later we saw a few Spotted Flycatcher and a Blackcap. Not too long afterwards, we saw a Hare and 2 Song Thrushes. On the way back we didn't see many birds but did relocate a few Wood Warblers. Cycling past Csaba-to, we saw a Black-headed Gull and a Lapwing.

Birding in Hungary 2024 - Day 16

Birding in Hungary XVI

Monday 22 July 2024

Csaba-to

After being away to visit family at our yearly family gathering, we were back at Csaba-to once more. Walking towards the lakes we saw a juvinile Green Woodpecker and a Jay. Later on, we saw a flyover Bee-eater and a pair of Common Sandpipers. We didn't go very far since it was nearly 9am meaning the heat was right around the corner. We turned back hearing Golden Oriole and a Red-backed Shrike. We also saw 2 caudatus group Long-tailed tits and 3 Spotted Flycatchers.

Birding in Hungary 2024 - Day 12

Birding in Hungary XII

Friday 19 July 2024

Csaba-to

Unfortunately no birding could be done yesterday since time with family and rest from yesterday's drive meant we stayed at home but early on Friday morning my dad and I cycled to a local castle to do a bit of birding. On the way we didn't see much apart from a few Red-backed Shrikes and a Purple Heron. Near the castle, however we saw two Stonechats my first for the Bekes region in Hungary. We didn't stay long in the castle grounds but we did hear a Golden Oriole and a Nuthatch.  

Birding in Hungary 2024 - Day 10 - HORTOBAGY

Birding in Hungary X

Wednesday 17 July 2024

Sarud

On Wednesday morning, my dad and I woke up early again to go for a walk around Sarud again. On the way we heard the Turtle doves again and saw many Red-backed Shrikes. Soaring overhead, we saw a Raven with a few Hooded Crows. After about twenty minuets I heard a faint call some kind of bird in the grass in the fields nearby. We stopped for a bit until it started calling again and we could confirm my lifer Quail! Apart from a couple Kestrels and a small flock of Corn Buntings, we did not see to much after that so we walked back home.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S187345756

Hortobagy Nemzeti Park - Hortobagyi Halastó

Once we said goodbye to our family, we started driving east towards the Horotobagyi Fishponds. Just as we got out of the car we noted a Hoopoe and a soaring White-tailed Eagle, a nice start to an amazing session. After paying a hefty entry fee of nearly £18 (8,300HUF), we started walking along the lakes. We soon noticed the large amounts of Whiskered terns, which I had only gotten on my life list yesterday. unfortunately the first hide was closed so we walked a bit further to scan the birds on some smaller pools along the main trail. Using my scope I found Lapwings, Little Egrets, Squacco Herons, Curlews, Great White Egrets and my lifer Spotted Redshank! As we continued we got very close to many Squacco Herons and tried to get pictures of the many Whiskered Terns. On the way to the first tower, we saw Green Sandpiper and Wood Sandpiper both good surprises as well as a few Snipe in the distance we saw a Black-winged Stilt in some muddy pools we saw a Greenshank, and a couple Common Sandpipers, a Ruff, 3 Black-tailed Godwits and my lifer Glossy Ibis! At the watch tower we saw many Pygmy Cormorants and Whiskered Terns. We also got glimpses of Bearded Tit, Great Reed Warbler and Savi's Warbler. Later we met a local birder named Istvan who told us about some of the birds here and where to find them. After we had lunch and had a Kingfisher fly past us, my mum and I walked towards the next tower to join Istvan while my sisters, who wanted to go home would go with my dad back to the car. After waiting out the storm we started scanning the flocks finding a few Great Crested Grebes and many Mallards. After talking for a bit Istvan pointed a Ferruginous Duck and a Hungarian rarity, the Caspian Tern, both lifers! Later after scanning a huge flock of birds that had arrived, Istvan also found my lifer Whimbrel (I don't know why this was still a lifer)! On the way back we saw a Black Stork and had a Swallow land on a wire only a metre away from us.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S187433839

Hortobagy Nemzeti Park - Falcon Lookout Tower

Back at the car, we drove towards Debrecen and the Falcon Lookout Tower, where we were hoping to find Red-footed Falcon. Arriving in the car park we already had a Kestrel hovering in the grassland. Within a few minutes, we had Red-footed Falcons flying right over our heads, my 7th lifer of the day! After photographing them for about 20 minuets we got back in the car and called it a day - not just any day, a day I will remember for the rest of my life - Wednesday the seventeenth of July two-thousand and twenty-four.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S187485607

Juvenile Red-backed Shrike at Sarud

My lifer Ferruginous Duck

Spot the Whimbrel!

Common Snipe

Green Sandpiper

Spotted Redshank(Left)

Ruff (Right)

Record shot of the Caspian Tern

 

Whiskered Tern

Squacco Heron

Glossy Ibis (Top Left)

Lapwing (Right)

Wood Sandpiper (Bottom Left)

Close-up Swallow