Another long distance traveller... Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea). One of several I saw today. #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #sandpipers #waders #shorebirds #WaderWednesday

One of my fav #shorebirds ... Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) in the morning sun. Uncommon passage bird in Hungary. The ones in Europe don't migrate quite as far as the Pacific version, but still an impressive traveller. #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #WaderWednesday #waders #godwits

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) is the only shrike about right now. The summer Lesser Grays have left and the winter Great Grays haven't arrived yet, although they should start showing up at the end of this month. #BirdingHungary #shrikes #birding #birds

Adult Short-toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) from Saturday. A summer visitor to Hungary. Post-breeding dispersal in late summer is usually the most reliable time to see these magnificent #raptors #BirdingHungary #eagles #BirdsOfPrey

A Great Egret (Ardea alba) looking.. well.. great! What else? 😄 #BirdingHungary #egrets #herons #waders #BirdsSeenIn2026

A Dunlin doing the Dunlin thing. I think Dunkin's Donuts should change the name to Dunlin's Donuts. 😂 They would get a lot more birders in there! 😄 #BirdingHungary #shorebirds #waders #dunlin #sandpipers

Saw lots of these yesterday.. Dunlin (Calidris alpina). This is the commonest "peep" in Hungary. I guess that nickname for the small Calidris #sandpipers is only used in North America. Don't even know where the term comes from. 😀 #BirdingHungary #shorebirds #waders #dunlin

A few phonescope snippets of one of today's Collared Pratincoles. A very unique shorebird. #BirdingHungary #pratincoles

Lousy phonescope photo of a great bird from this afternoon. Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola) juvenile. If you crossed a tern with a plover, this is what you might get. Much scarcer in the Kiskunság in recent years because of habitat loss and human disturbance. #BirdingHungary #pratincoles

One more from Lake Balaton today... Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus). Not a great photo because thru my scope. Uncommon in Hungary but this year there have been a lot more around than usual. #BirdingHungary #oystercatchers #waders #shorebirds

Little Stint (Calidris minuta) at Lake Balaton today. This and North America's Least Sandpiper are the smallest #shorebirds in the world. #BirdingHungary #sandpipers #waders #peeps #BirdsSeenIn2026

The south shore of Lake Balaton continues as a #birding hotspot right now thanks to low water levels. 20 species of #shorebirds today including a pair of Ruddy #Turnstones (Arenaria interpres). #BirdingHungary #waders #sandpipers

Black Redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros) seem to be everywhere right now. I think a lot of the #birds around now are northern birds moving south, although they don't go very far. Just to the Mediterranean Basin for the winter. #BirdingHungary #redstarts #flycatchers

I think this Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) was a little too ambitious. The stone was just too big and heavy for it to flip over. It needs to get in the gym! 🏋️‍♂️ 😄 #BirdingHungary #turnstones #shorebirds #waders #sandpipers #FallMigration2026

Curlew Sandpipers, Dunlin and a Common Ringed Plover tanking up for their migration. 😀 #BirdingHungary #sandpipers #shorebirds #waders #FallMigration2026

Here's a ♀️ Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus). Widespread and relatively common in Hungary anywhere there are dense Phragmites reed beds. #BirdingHungary #reedlings #birds #birding #birdphotography

One of the more photogenic #birds in these parts... ♂️ Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus). Very unique species. Belongs in it own monotypic family and has no relatives in the bird world. Taxanomically speaking, it's an oddball. 😀 #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #reedlings

Young Imperial Eagle circling above my head. Figured it wouldn't be paying attention to me, but it was watching me the whole time. #Eagles don't miss much! 😳 Note the tawny brown body, black tail and flight feathers with pale windows on the inner primaries #BirdingHungary #raptors #BirdsOfPrey

Speaking of hanging out on stone or brick, this Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio) found a nice, comfortable perch to warm up in the morning sun. 😀 #BirdingHungary #shrikes

Still a few European Rollers around. This one was warming up in the morning sun. #BirdingHungary #rollers #BirdsSeenIn2026