Hungary Bee-eater Bonanza 2023

A new Bee-eater colony

I haven’t been to Hungary in the summer for four seasons. That is why I felt an urge to go back and reconnect to see what have happened during my time away. So, in that respect this was a recon trip for me. I knew for instance that my guide had found a new promising Bee-eater colony and it did deliver.

Only spent one morning there as I wanted to try other places as well. Still those few hours gave me plenty opportunities to work with this colorful bird. Bee-eaters are one of my favorite birds, so it was great to once more visit them. Due to climate change we now have a few colonies in Sweden, which is great for twitchers but not for us.

An extra Tower hide

I knew there was a plan to hopefully construct a new tower hide in a mixed colony of Red-footed falcons and Common Kestrels. The permits were in place and the tower as well. This was completely new for me as I never had photographed in a colony like this. That is why I opted for two morning sessions there.

Both mornings gave an insight into the lives of these two smaller birds of prey. To my astonishment the female Common kestrel often refused to eat the lizards the male brought back. At one instance it even felt like she dropped it to the ground on purpose.

The second tower hide with the European rollers was very active. The Rook colony used the fields in front of the hide in search of food, which meant there were a lot of begging youngsters just in front of the hide. It was interesting to see how full the crop could be when the adults came to feed the youngsters.

All in all good activity at both Tower hides.

New species on the menu

One of the first evening was spent photographing the Common cuckoo. You can always hear it, but now there is a reliable way of getting a few shoots away on this shy species. It was fun as it meant being out in the fields playing the waiting game. I managed to grab a few decent ones, but hopefully I might do something better next time.

Also took the opportunity to work with the European Stag Beetle, a well-known and sadly Near Threatened species. I have seen them on a few occasions, but this time my guide knew where to find them. So, this was also a first for me and something one hopefully a species one can photograph there each summer.

Good to be back

I had a few lovely days back in Hungary. As usual the Bee-eater Bonanza in Hungary delivers even if I couldn’t work with the Eurasian Hoopoe. That was a bummer as well as the low activity at Lake Tisza. Still, I would say I got more photo opportunities that I thought. I know there might be a few new hides for the 2024 season. It is good when things aren’t stale and the guide add more opportunities for you and your guests.

Please check the photo album. I hope you will find a few good pictures in there.

Photo album: Hungary Bee-eater bonanza 2023