Storks

Our village in the Hungarian countryside is not usually honoured by visiting storks…there is not sufficient food sources to sustain them. They do however live in the neighbouring villages. This young man happened to visit our village (much excitement) and perched himself right outside our bedroom window. As you can see there is no platform for him to build his nest, it is up to the villagers to erect them and then hope for storks to visit and nest. There is one elsewhere in the village but for years they have not taken up residency yet.

Storks preferred foods are small mammals, frogs and large insects such as grasshoppers. In the first weeks after birth, stork parents mainly feed their young earthworms.

This stork was foraging for food in a neighbouring town, we just happened to be driving past the field he was in. He had caught a lizard and is on his way back to his hungry babies. Notice the tag on his back leg. This is a sort of tracking device and can identify where the stork lives and how frequently he returns to his mating nest from his long annual migration. After some research and inquiries it turns out this particular chap had returned seven times to the same spot for mating and nesting.

The average life span of a stork is 22 years. White storks breed throughout Europe and migrate in large flocks South to Africa and Asia for the winter.

This is one of my most recent photos, just before these adolescent storks are about to leave their nest and take the long journey South. I love their facial expressions!

In Hungary, the storks arrive in March, the males arrive first a few days before the females in order to secure the best territories. They are loyal to their breeding site and will return year after year to the same spot. They migrate in September. Most of the storks in our surrounding area have left, some say this is the sign that the end of summer is close.

My final magnificent photo of storks is with their beaks open (as it was extremely hot that day, it is their cooling mechanism) all stood to attention, four in a row and looking rather dandy!

In the Netherlands, Germany and Eastern Europe it is believed that storks nesting on the roof of a household would bring luck to the family below, and maybe the birth of a baby. The Asian cultures also regard the stork as good luck.

Sunflowers

We are very lucky to have numerous sunflower fields in and around our village. The flower heads bob about and give an amazing display to the passer by. The fields are always bulging with a mass of yellows and greens. Quite spectacular.

Hungary is at the forefront of sunflower cultivation, third behind mass producers Ukraine.

This gorgeous field (which is huge) is on the road leaving our village.

In the 16th century Spanish explorers brought sunflowers to Europe. Sunflowers are processed into the well known cooking oil and is also used in Hungarian confectionary products.

Sunflowers symbolise loyalty and adoration and because of their association with the sun, sunflowers are known for being a “happy flower” I could not agree more. 🌻

Did you know that sunflowers are edible flowers? The delicate colourful petals can be used in salads as a pretty garnish. The leaves can also be steeped to make a healthy tea. You can also eat the seeds but remove the shell first as these are not easy to digest. Sunflower seeds are full of healthy nutrients.

As you can see not only humans enjoy sunflower seeds. This photo is taken in our garden. The head was full of seeds until this greedy Redhatch spotted the feeding opportunity and took as many as possible. He managed to stuff three or four at a time into his mouth and fly off to feed his babies only to return 2 minutes later for more. Other smaller birds tried to get a look in but the Redhatch seemed quite dominant and a bit of a bully, chasing off the smaller birds trying to get a look in.

All birds that love sunflower seeds, do not eat the hard shell but crack it open and eat the seed inside. Some examples of birds that adore sunflower seeds, finches, nuthatches, cardinals, woodpecker, robins and blackbirds. For an extra special treat you could buy ready shelled sunflower seeds, they are guaranteed to return again and again.

Sunsets

“Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn“

Our village is nestled in a valley with steep sides. When it came to photographing this particular sunset we had to drive to the top of the ridge to get the best views. It is accessed by a tractor track often rutted from the constant use of heavy tractors. We took our car up the track very slowly and cautiously, thankfully we did not have any damage done to the car or get stuck. (We have in the past got stuck in a rut – not funny!!) It was worth the effort.

“Sunsets are like God’s paintings in the sky”

I love taking photos of the sunset, I also like to add a little interest in the photo. This, I think is what we call in the UK Cow Parsley, please correct me if I am wrong. Incidentally there were numerous cows in the field.

I am always quite surprised at how quickly the sun goes down, then of course it gets dark and the trek down the track becomes a bit precarious with no light, we had to be careful as rabbits were darting everywhere in front of us, their eyes shining in the headlights!

“Every sunset is an opportunity to reset”

Did you know a lover of sunsets is called a “Opacarophile”? That must be me then! Every year, late August, early evening the sky is aglow with multiple colours. Morning sunrise skies tend to be more purply and pink whereas the evening skies more yellow and orange.

I am fortunate to have a decent camera with a specific setting for sunsets. I am thankful for that as it is not good for your eyes.

“Sunsets, a farewell to the day”

My final photo, a glorious sky and the disappearance of the days’ sun, ready to rise again next morning. Sunset in Hungary at the moment is just before 8.00 pm, the nights are closing in but the sky continues to give an every changing beautiful sight.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog about the three “S’s”. Do you like photographing sunsets or sunrises? Let me know in the comments below. 😁

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