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A Report from birdtours.co.uk

Hungary: 25 July- 26 July + 29 July 2005,

Ed.O`Hara and John O`Hara

Subject: 3 day birding Trip to Western Hungary.

The following is a report of a trip in July 2005  to several locations in Western Hungary on a tour run by HungarianBirdwatching.com, a birding tour company based in Budapest.          

As my son John [14] was not a birder, the trip would consist of two initial days birding followed by two days sightseeing in Budapest and the final day, birding.

Getting there: 24 July 2005

We flew from Dublin to Budapest with Aer Lingus - a 2 1/2 hour flight.Unfortunately the baggage handlers went on strike as we arrived and so we had to wait three hours before we could claim our luggage.                                              

Dr. Karoly Teleki the tour organiser was waiting for us when we finally cleared passport control. We immediately drove to Tata and reached our destination at 11 pm.

The accommodation for the first two nights was at the Hotel Casablanca in Tata. The room and food were excellent and the staff very friendly and courteous. I would have no hesitation in recommending this hotel to anyone staying in this area.

Tata itself is situated on the edge of the Old Lake, and is one of the 21 areas in Hungary named as a wetland site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The lake is drained each winter and this attracts up to 30000 geese and ducks, remarkable when you consider the lake is 2km2.

25 July: Tata Woods and Gerecse Hills

Weather: Dry and sunny: Temp - 26C.

Dr. Teleki and Antal Bagdi, our guide for the first two days met us after breakfast and we went for a walk in the woods around the hotel for woodpeckers. Within a few minutes we were observing Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Short-toed Treecreepers, Green Woodpeckers, Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, Syrian Woodpeckers and perhaps the most impressive of all the genus, Black Woodpecker. Several other woodland species were also seen Tree Sparrow, Golden Oriole, Nuthatch, Hawfinch Collared Flycatcher, Marsh Tit, Common Buzzard, Sparrowhawk.

In the afternoon we travelled circa 15 Km north to the Gerecse to locate one of my target species for the trip. We climbed a small hill overlooking a village and scanned the woods to the north within a few minutes a White-tailed Eagle flew over, giving a great view of this huge bird.

However within a few moments the bird I had come to see appeared over the woods, in fact three of them, the majestic Imperial Eagle. We watched these birds for over an hour soaring over the forest, a fantastic sight. On our return down the path to the  village we found a family party of Red-backed Shrikes and several Black Redstarts at the village edge.

In the evening a walk along the edge of the lake produced a Siskin and several Night Herons leaving the woods to feed. An owl was briefly observed, probably Long-eared Owl but view was too quick to properly identify.

26 July: Tata Ponds, Kecsked and Ferencmajor Ponds

Weather: Dry, sun in morning, cloudy afternoon: Temp: 25C.

In the morning we travelled to Tata Ponds and after a short walk along the track we observed, Savi`s Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Penduline Tit, Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Turtle Dove, Great White Egret, Little Egret, Spoonbill, Night Heron, Little Ringed Plover, Spotted Redshank,Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Black Tern, Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Curlew, Sandpiper,Black-winged Stilt, Little Stint, Temminck`s Stint, Black Tern, Serin.

After a successful mornings birding, four lifers we drove south to a glider airfield at Kecsked.

The packed lunch provided by the company was excellent and we set up the equipment to await my next target species, Saker. However as the temperature rose so did several gliders stationed at the airfield and any chance of close views were in doubt, so we decided to try the Ferencemajor pond area.

The afternoon birding at Ferencmajor proved very productive. As we arrived we got brilliant views of a White Tailed Eagle overhead, leaving the car three Black Storks flew over and landed in trees only 200m distant. This was followed by Purple Heron, Little Bittern, Great White Egret, Kingfisher. A bird of prey was observed at a great distance, possible Saker. As we walked along the path we observed Savi`s, Reed , Great Reed and Willow Warblers. In the ponds were Greylag Geese, Great Crested Grebes, Grey Herons, Common Terns and Black Terns.

27 / 28 July: Budapest

Weather: Sunny and very hot: 38C

John and I then spent two days in Budapest, to see the museums and the river Danube. The city was very nice but a heatwave was developing over Hungary and the temperatures rose well above 35C which was hot, even for Hungary. However the street cafés were nice and the ice cream was great.

29 July: Kiskunsag Pusta

Weather: Hot and sunny: 37C.

John and I were relieved to be leaving the city and heading out into the countryside once more to escape the heat, it was a little cooler out of the city. Today we were guided by two new staff members Bence Kokay, our guide and Janos Matolcsy who was driving. Our first stop was an electricity pylon just inside the city limits and there I got my first view of Saker Falcon sitting near a nest box. After a few minutes it flew to the next pylon, the views were terrific. We next tried a site for Little Crake on the Little Danube, without success.

We then proceeded to Kiskunsag and had an excellent packed lunch prepared by Janos. We ate under the veranda of a pub with the temperature at 37C in the shade!. A White Stork flew over, as we ate our meal. Our next stop were fish ponds in Kiskunsag NP and near the pools we saw  Roller, Bee-eater Corn Bunting, Montague`s Harrier, Red-backed Shrike, Stonechat, Hooded Crow, Buzzard, Pheasant, Wood Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Kestrel, and another target species for me Lesser Shrike.

In the ponds were Yellow legged Gulls, Great White Egrets, Little Egrets, Spoonbill, Purple Heron, Grey Heron, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Little Bittern, Greylag Goose, Black Tern, and an unexpected target bird Pygmy Cormorant. Two birds were sitting on a branch at the edge of the ponds with a Common Cormorant and the difference in size was clearly seen.                                                   

We then drove across the pusta to see if we could see the Great Bustard but without success. As evening approached we had to return to the airport to catch our flight home.

We had a wonderful time in Hungary, the birds seen were excellent especially for July which is probably the worst month to go birding, even without the heatwave we experienced during our stay.

I would like to thank the HungarianBirdwatching.com team for their hospitality during our visit and for their additional help they gave us for our visit to Budapest.                                                                                                     

 

Hungarian Trip List July 2005

     
 

English Name

Scientific Name

TP+Gerecse

Tata+F`major

Kiskunsag

1

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollis

x

x

x

2

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

 

x

x

3

Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

x

x

x

4

Pygmy Cormorant

Phalacrocorax pygmeus

   

x

5

Little Bittern

Ixobrychus minutus

 

x

x

6

Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

x

x

 

7

Little Egret

Egretta garzetta

x

x

x

8

Great White Egret

Egretta alba

x

x

x

9

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

x

x

x

10

Purple Heron

Ardea purpurea

 

x

x

11

Black Stork

Ciconia nigra

 

x

 

12

White Stork

Ciconia ciconia

   

x

13

Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

x

x

x

14

Mute Swan

Cygnus olor

x

x

 

15

Greylag Goose

Anser anser

x

x

x

16

Mallard

Anas platyrchynchos

x

x

x

17

Pochard

Aythya ferina

   

x

18

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

x

x

 

19

Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

x

x

x

20

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

   

x

21

Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

x

x

 

22

Buzzard

Buteo buteo

x

x

x

23

Imperial Eagle

Aquila heliaca

x

   

24

Kestrel

Falco tinnunculus

   

x

25

Hobby

Falco subbuteo

 

x

 

26

Saker

Falco cherrug

   

x

27

Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

 

x

x

28

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

 

x

x

29

Coot

Fulica atra

x

x

x

30

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

x

x

x

31

Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubius

x

x

 

32

Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

x

x

x

33

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

 

x

 

34

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

 

x

x

35

Dunlin

Calidris alpina

   

x

36

Ruff

Philomachus pugnax

 

x

x

37

Snipe

Gallinago gallinago

   

x

38

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

 

x

x

39

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

 

x

x

40

Redshank

Tringa totanus

 

x

 

41

Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

 

x

 

42

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ocropus

 

x

 

43

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareola

 

x

 

44

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

   

x

45

Black-headed Gull

Larus ridibundus

x

x

x

46

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus cachinnans

 

x

x

47

Common Tern

Sterna hirundo

 

x

x

48

Black Tern

Chlidonias niger

x

x

x

49

Rock Dove

Columba livia f. domestica

 

x

50

Woodpigeon

Columba palumbus

x

x

x

51

Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

x

x

x

52

Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

x

x

x

53

Kingfisher

Alcedo atthis

x

x

 

54

Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

   

x

55

Roller

Coracias garrulus

   

x

56

Green Woodpecker

Picus viridis

x

x

x

57

Black Woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

x

   

58

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

x

x

 

59

Syrian Woodpecker

Dendrocopos syriacus

x

   

60

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos medius

x

   

61

Skylark

Alauda arvensis

   

x

62

Sand Martin

Riparia riparia

x

x

 

63

Swallow

Hirundo rustica

x

x

x

64

House Martin

Delichon urbica

x

x

x

65

Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

   

x

66

White Wagtail

Motacilla alba

 

x

 

67

Robin

Erithacus rubecula

x

   

68

Black Redstart

Phoenicurus ochruros

x

x

x

69

Stonechat

Saxicola torquata

x

x

x

70

Blackbird

Turdus merula

x

x

 

71

Song Thrush

Turdus philomelos

x

   

72

Savi's Warbler

Locustella luscinioides

x

x

 

73

Sedge Warbler

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

x

 

74

Marsh Warbler

Acrocephalus palustris

 

x

 

75

Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

 

x

x

76

Great Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

x

x

77

Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

x

x

 

78

Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

x

x

x

79

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

x

   

80

Collared Flycatcher

Ficedula albicollis

x

   

81

Bearded Tit

Panurus biarmicus

 

x

 

82

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

 

x

 

83

Marsh Tit

Parus palustris

x

   

84

Blue Tit

Parus caeruleus

x

x

 

85

Great Tit

Parus major

x

x

 

86

Nuthatch

Sitta europaea

x

   

87

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

x

   

88

Penduline Tit

Remiz pendulinus

 

x

 

89

Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

x

x

 

90

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

x

x

x

91

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lanius minor

   

x

92

Magpie

Pica pica

x

x

x

93

Rook

Corvus frugilegus

   

x

94

Hooded Crow

Corvus corone cornix

 

x

x

95

Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

x

x

x

96

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

x

x

x

97

Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

x

x

x

98

Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

x

   

99

Serin

Serinus serinus

x

 

x

100

Greenfinch

Carduelis chloris

   

x

101

Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

 

x

x

102

Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

x

   

103

Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

x

x

 

104

Corn Bunting

Miliaria calandra

   

x

Ed. O`Hara                                         13-Aug-05                                          

 

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