Daniel Bastaja

Nice male Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). It's almost November yet they are still singing away! 🎶 😄👍 #BirdingHungary #redstarts

This is our mini-crow.. the Western Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula). It's only about 2/3 to 3/4 the size of a Rook. #BirdingHungary #jackdaws #corvids

Speaking of big honkin' beaks, check out the one on this Rook (Corvus frugilegus). I never noticed that it was taking care of some business until I downloaded the photo to my laptop. 😄 #BirdingHungary #BombsAway #rooks #corvids #crows

Another image of Sunday's Northern Nutcracker aka Spotted Nutcracker. I like the latter name better. Short legs, short tail, big head, a big honkin' beak and a voice that sounds like diesel engine with no oil in it! 😂 #BirdingHungary #nutcrackers

Yes? You want something? 😀 Hiding in a fir tree, this Long-eared Owl thought it would be safe from the prying eyes of the birding paparazzi but we found em... along with 14 of his buddies. But we didn't disturb them... they just went back to sleep. #BirdingHungary #owls #BirdsOfPrey #raptors

Another view of Bar-tailed Godwit at Lake Velence. Been in the same location for a month. Getting kind of late for this species. Probably waiting for airfares to come down before heading to Africa. 😂 #BirdingHungary #shorebirds #waders #godwits

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) from today. The godwit was feeing constantly which attracted the attention of this Black-headed Gull. The gull knew there was food here somewhere but couldn't quite figure out how the godwit was getting it. #BirdingHungary #godwits #shorebirds #waders

This Northern Nutcracker has got the nut part, but hasn't quite figured out the cracker part. 😄 It was trying to swallow acorns whole but couldn't quite get them down. #BirdingHungary #nutcrackers

Nice bird today.. Northern Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes). A bird of the mountains. Hungary has very little of that, so it's uncommon around here. But this fall there is a bit of an invasion with multiple sightings in the past week. 😲 👍 #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #nutcrackers

Europe's smallest woodpecker... Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobatus minor). It was in the same tree as the Middle Spotted but just wouldn't come out from behind the trunk. 😀 #BirdingHungary #woodpeckers

Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius) showing off that flaming crest! 😀 #BirdingHungary #woodpeckers

One more pic from #Antarctica. 😀

One more for #BirdOfTheDay A group of Gentoo Penguins. The Gentoo was split into 4 separate species this year, so this group on Petermann Island are now the Southern Gentoo (Pygoscelis ellsworthi) #BlackAndWhite #penguins #BirdingAntarctica

A Gentoo Penguin engaged in a little navel gazing. 😄 #BirdOfTheDay #BlackAndWhite #penguins #BirdingAntarctica

If the theme is #BlackAndWhite the place to go is Antarctica. So many black & white #birds like these two Adelie Penguins discussing dinner. "What do ya wanna eat today?" I dunno... how about fish?" "What.. again! I'm getting tired of that." 😂 #BirdOfTheDay #BirdingAntarctica #penguins

Another one for #BirdOfTheDay .. the big bad Great Gray Shrike (Lanius excubitor) 😀 #BlackAndWhite #shrikes #BirdingHungary

The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BlackAndWhite so here's a good one from the archives... White Monjita (Xolmis irupero). A dazzling flycatcher from Uruguay. #BirdingUruguay #flycatchers

I posted a big black bird. Now here's a big white bird. 😄 Great Egret (Ardea alba) #BirdingHungary #egrets #herons #waders

Another one for #WoodpeckerWednesday Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) trying to figure out what to do with this telephone pole. Don't think there's too many bugs in there. #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #woodpeckers

Seems every time I take a walk in the woods, I'm running into one of these big boys.... Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius). So many around right now. 😀👍 #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #WoodpeckerWednesday #woodpeckers #BigBlackBirds

If you're a bug, this is what you don't want to see... getting eyeballed by a European Hornet (Vespa crabro) 😬 Europe's largest Eusocial wasp. Introduced in North America, it's the only true hornet (Vespa genus) in that continent. #WildHungary #hornets #wasps #bugs #insects #MacroMonday

One of the hazards of banding (ringing)... sometimes the birds fight back! 😠 They can even draw blood. As a ringer, you just have to take it. You can't jerk your hand away suddenly as it might harm the bird. #BirdingHungary #banding #ringing #SongThrush #thrushes

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia). The black tips to the primaries indicates a juvenile bird. Likely a hatch year bird that hasn't figured out the migration business just yet. #BirdingHungary #spoonbills #waders

Here'a another bird you hear a lot more than you see. Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus). Like most #rails they are very shy and like to stay well hidden. I was lucky to catch this one walking along the edge of the reed bed, and perfectly reflected in the water. #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026

The masked bandit of the reed beds.. Eurasian Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus). You hear them a lot more than you see them. #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #tits

Another image of yesterday's Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus). Her hairdo is a bit of a mess from being inside the ringing bag 😄 #BirdingHungary #bluetails #flycatchers #chats #ringing #banding #FallMigration2026

A beautiful Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) at the ringing camp. A summer resident but a few hang around during mild winters. #BirdingHungary #thrushes #FallMigration2026 #BirdsSeenIn2026

Yesterday I posted a Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) in the reeds. Here's a better look at one. The commonest Phylloscopus warbler around here. Plain, but a distinctive voice and downward tail pump. #BirdingHungary #warblers #chiffchaffs #FallMigration2026

Great bird at the ringing camp today... Red-flanked Bluetail (Tarsiger cyanurus). Rare in Hungary. Shows up about once every 4 or 5 years. #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #chats #flycatchers #FallMigration2026

I hope you're not getting tired of the Bearded Reedling photos. Can't help myself.... they are just so darn photogenic. Here is a male showing off his "beard" which looks more like a moustache. 😄 #BirdingHungary #reedlings

Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) in the morning sun. So many of these around right now, moving south. Their soft "wheet" contact call is a common sound in the forests and brushlands. #BirdingHungary #warblers

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata). With the colder weather, the #shorebirds are clearing out fast but still lots of these around. #BirdingHungary #curlews #waders

Red Admirals (Vanessa atalanta) are one of the commoner late season #butterflies around here, but I just can't pass one up without yet another photo. It is such a zap of colour in the dun landscape of fall. This one is feeding on Daisy Fleabane (I think). #WildHungary #insects #bugs

This little fluffball looking over her shoulder is a female Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus). The reedlings are very active and noisy this time of year. #BirdingHungary #reedlings

European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) sporting some new bling and ready to be released. 😀 #BirdingHungary #ringing #banding

At the ringing camp. Getting caught in the mist net and being manhandled is supremely stressful for the little birdies but it's only for a very short time. Check their condition, then measured, weighed and fitted with an aluminum leg band.. then released. #BirdingHungary #ringing #banding

Short video of the Common Snipe that was kind enough to pose for me after all his buddies took off. 😄👍 #BirdingHungary #shorebirds #snipe #waders #WaderWednesday

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago). Prior to 2003, it was conspecific with North America's Wilson's Snipe. I've seen both and in the field, I can't tell the difference. To me they even sound the same. Have to rely on geography. 😄 #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #WaderWednesday #shorebirds

It's another #WoodpeckerWednesday Here's a ♂️ Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)... the commonest woodpecker around here by a wide margin. This species has a huge range..found all the way from Portugal to Japan. #BirdingHungary #woodpeckers

Graylag Goose .. the goose with all the ansers (Anser anser) 😂 Soon they will be joined by hundreds of thousands of Greater White-fronted Geese. November and December will be prime goose season in the Carpathian Basin. #BirdingHungary #waterfowl #geese

Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus). For reasons that always puzzled me "pishing" just doesn't work as well in Europe compared to North America. This species is the most reliable for a reaction. They are more attracted to that sound than any other bird around here. #BirdingHungary #tits

Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale) ... a sudden splash colour on the dull brown forest floor. Beautiful but deadly. All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested. Native to Europe where it grows in the wild, but also cultivated as an ornamental plant. #WildHungary #wildflowers #WildflowerPower

And here's the reason for all that singing.. a lady Black Redstart. 😄 #BirdingHungary #redstarts #flycatchers

♂️ Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). They're very amourous (or maybe just territorial) .. singing right through from early spring into late fall. #BirdingHungary #BirdsSeenIn2026 #flycatchers #redstarts

You've heard of House Sparrow, House Finch, House Wren and House Crow. Well, here's a new species... the House Egret. 😂 👍 #BirdingHungary #egrets #heron #waders

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata). One of the hardier #shorebirds in these parts. As long as the ground is not frozen and there is no snow, you can usually find a few around even in winter. #BirdingHungary #curlews #waders

Hung around the reeds for half an hour trying to get a flight shot of the Bearded Reedlings. This is the only one I got. Mr. and Mrs. Reedling out for a jaunt. Tough to get a flight pic because they're so small and so fast and there always seems to be reeds in the way. 😀 #BirdingHungary #reedlings

Here's a female Bearded Reedling. Fairly common in Hungary anywhere there is a large, dense patch of Phragmites reeds. #BirdingHungary #reedlings

The Bearded Reedlings (Panurus biarmicus) at Lake Velence were very active today.. flying around and calling like crazy. This male stopped just long enough for me to get a nice portrait. #BirdingHungary #reedlings #BirdsSeenIn2026

One more from the archives for #BirdOfTheDay theme of #waders Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica). An uncommon passage bird in Hungary but this year there have been many more than usual. Likely due to the summer drought and the consequent low water levels. #BirdingHungary #shorebirds #godwits