It has been a great autumn for birding in the Hortobágy region. The very spectacular Crane season, where more than 150.000 Common Cranes are staging inside the Hortobágy National Park was again providing some unforgettable experience for birders visiting the area with seeing them on their night roost being the highlight of every birding tour this time. Of course, other specialities of the area still present at the same time and probably this time of the year is the best to see as many Eastern Imperial Eagles as possible in the region if someone is mainly after the raptors, although Saker Falcon is usually harder this time we still have good chances of finding one.
The other spectacle later Autumn is when the huge numbers of wild geese arriving from Siberia are flooding the area giving a great chance to find the endangered Lesser White-fronted Goose and Red-breasted Goose in the seemingly endless flocks of Greater White-fronted Goose. However, this year the geese were a bit late, fortunately, it seems they arrived in good number by the second half of November and both endangered species are now presenting in good numbers inside the safe borders of the Hortobágy National Park.

Red-breasted Geese about to join others on the ground. Photo by Dániel Balla
The best time for wild geese is in November. Photo by Dániel Balla
September and October are the best months to see Eurasian Dotterel in the Hortobágy where number can go above 200 individuals in better years. Photo by Dániel Balla