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And what a trip to Hungary it was! Before I get into the nitty-gritties of my awesome birding experiences in Hungary I thought I would just share a few of the shots that I got during the trip. My year list also jumped by a whopping 122 species! I’m baaack! Enough chatter – on to the pictures!
The Barred Warbler , otherwise known as Sylvia nisoria , is one of those species that is aptly named if you only ever see an adult male. Should you have the misfortune, or rather, good fortune (they are rather skulky) to see a female or an immature you might wonder why they are called Barred Warbler rather than Bland Warbler.
Neither of us had ever seen any species of hedgehog and it is no wonder that we were both surprised and excited to see such a cool little creature. There are seventeen species of hedgehog found across Europe, Asia, and Africa, the only places where hedgehogs are native. New Zealand has a host of hedgehogs but they are introduced.
Acrocephalus arundinaceus is considered a Species of Least Concern by BirdLife International because of their extremely large range and population, though there does seem to be a downward trend in population levels. So, North American birders, get yourself to the old world and make sure to check out this easy-to-identify old world warbler.
Sure, their field guide, The Collins Guide , claims six species but two, the Corsican Nuthatch and the Algerian Nuthatch , have extremely limited ranges and one of those two isn’t actually found in Europe. That leaves only two species with a decent range and a distinct look.
I have asked myself that same question many times over the last six months, until last week, when I was involved in an opening ceremony of five new bird hides at the Palic Lake, by the town of Subotica in the very north of Serbia, along the border with Hungary (all photos are from that area). They got the message right. And so did I.
It is a fascinating world of swampy forests of willow and poplar, inhabited by Black Storks , White-tailed Eagles , Eastern Olivaceous and Icterine Warblers (above), among more than 200 other species. What I have always missed there and what I still miss is to experience presence of the European Beaver. Nevertheless, Nagy was right.
Attila Steiner, who I was lucky enough to meet while I was in Hungary , was ecstatic to see a rare rail in Ghana: It was my last afternoon in Ankasa Reserve, Ghana. I even managed to shoot a video with hands trembling of excitement, probably a first of the species. I have chronicled the experience on my blog.
Understanding a pointed finger may seem easy, but consider this: while humans and canines can do it naturally, no other known species in the animal kingdom can. It’s no coincidence that the two species that pass Hare’s pointing test also share a profound cross-species bond.
White-backed Woodpecker was one of the major target birds of the Bükk Hills portion of the trip to Hungary and though I would probably have preferred seeing what I now believe to be the mythical Black Woodpecker , the White-backed Woodpecker was a nice consolation prize. Not only that but I managed to get more horrible photos!
There are two species in the Old World woodpecker genus that sounds like birds that birders would never be able to see. Until a month ago I had never seen the Eurasian Wryneck either, but the trip to Hungary took care of that gap on the life list easily. They are literal jinx birds in that their genus name is “ Jynx.”
It’s a unique bird, even its scientific name is wonderful, so it’s not surprising that Gerard Gorman, Woodpecker Expert Supreme, has written a book all about the species. I was surprised to learn that there are two Wryneck species in the Jynx genus: Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla, and Red-throated Wryneck, Jynx ruficollis.
Yet, it takes great logistical effort to organize the census all the way from Germany to Austria, Hungary and Serbia in the same day, to count on numerous volunteers and hope for the best February weather. Yet, David, who has much more experience with bustards, isn’t convinced: “In winter, some females develop bristles, too.”.
Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills goes on to give greater detail of the former nesting sites in Europe: it could once be found “in southern Germany and Austria, in the valleys of the upper Rhine and Danube Rivers, and in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy and Germany, and perhaps in Hungary and Greece”.
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