HUNGARY

one of the great European bird spectacles

Cranes in flight. Phil Palmer.

This tour is an exciting blend of woodland, wetland and grassland birds and is timed to coincide with the spectacular passage of tens of thousands of Common Cranes through the east of the country. At this time of year a huge number of wildfowl also stop off in the Hortobagy on their way south including the rare Lesser White-fronted Goose.

We will see the Hortobagy at its peak, as one of the great European migration staging posts, and widely regarded as one of Europe's best birding areas. In October the grasslands (the famous 'Puszta') and huge fish pond systems of this vast plain are the hunting grounds of various rare birds of prey. Great Bustards are doing well here and provide one of the highlights of the trip.

In the Zemplen foothills we will search, with the help of local guides, for owls, woodpeckers and much more. Woodland birds like Hawfinch that are often thought of as scarce and difficult are common and widespread here. This is also a very good area for birds of prey such as Goshawk and Eagle Owl.

Finally before leaving Hungary we will have time for a little sightseeing in the elegant city of Budapest, which is actually two cities, Buda and Pest, one on either river bank. The gentle pace of life gives rural Hungary a peaceful ambience. The evening quiet is only broken by the horse-drawn farm carts trundling home. Then the distant calling of the cranes begins…. We will spend two nights in the Zemplen Hills and five nights in the Hortobagy. Throughout, we will have the guiding skills of a Sakertour bird-guide, and official access to the best sites with support from various wardens. Sakertour is Hungary's premier birdwatching holiday organiser.

ITINERARY

ZEMPLEN FOREST RESERVE

From Budapest we will drive for three hours through pleasant scenery into the Carpathian mountains. We will spend the first two nights at the Borto Pension, a hotel near to the confluence of the rivers Tisza and Bodrog. It is in the small and colourful town of Dorgoi, close to the forest. This reserve is one of the most easterly points in Hungary and one of the most charming too.

Onion-domed churches rise above the landscape virtually untouched since the last days of the Hapsburgs. Horses pull farm equipment across ancient meadows dotted with haystacks evoking an era long gone in Britain. Driving through this idyllic landscape we soon reach the Zemplen Forest Reserve where one of our prime targets will be Ural Owl. Outside the breeding season it is not easy to find this beautifully camouflaged owl, but we have never failed in this prime habitat and with local help.

The list of other species found here is impressive and includes six species of woodpecker; Black, Lesser Spotted, Middle Spotted, Great Spotted, Grey-headed and with luck White-backed Woodpecker. Green and Syrian Woodpeckers can be found nearby.

Wintering Alpine Accentors may already be present at this time of year so we will search some of its regular spots, including an old castle ruin in the hope of notching up what can be a difficult bird. We will scan for raptors in the wide open valleys of the Zemplen foothills where there is a good chance of Eastern Imperial, Golden and Short-toed Eagles as well as Goshawk. On our last evening we will look for Eagle Owls amongst the rocky outcrops.

HORTOBAGY NATIONAL PARK

On day three we will drive to Halasto, our base in the heart of the Hortobagy National Park, for a stay of five nights. This World Heritage site is famous for its culture and wildlife. After time for settling in we will take a short drive for about twenty minutes into the steppe to see the massive influx of Common Cranes (up to 70,000) flying over our heads to their roosting areas. During this time there will also be extraordinary numbers of Bean and White-fronted Geese (up to 100,000). The shallow wetlands and fishponds are the great birding epicentres of the Hortobagy National Park, offering very good feeding and roosting for many migrant birds.

Tens of thousands of shorebirds and ducks feed out on the extensive steppe and among the crop fields, coming to the ponds mostly to drink and roost. Flocks of Dunlin, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit can be found on the muddy shores of empty fishponds. Amongst the Great Crested and Little Grebes in the deeper ponds we will look for Black-necked and Red-necked Grebe, Black-throated Diver and Ferruginous Duck.

Other species found here include Great and Pygmy Cormorant, Bittern, Spoonbill, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard, Water Rail, Moorhen, Coot, Avocet, Grey Plover, Lapwing, Snipe, Greenshank, Black-headed, Common and Yellow-legged Gulls and Kingfisher. Even Great White Egrets gather in flocks of several hundreds on the drained mudflats. Hunting White-tailed Eagles disturb these concentrations of bird from time to time, sending up huge flocks of wildfowl and waders. Hen Harriers glide low over the reeds where Penduline and Bearded Tits abound. Moustached Warblers are also here but are less easy to find.

One highlight of the tour is the flock of Lesser White-fronted Geese. This globally threatened species is found among the large goose flocks which are dominated by White-fronted, Greylag and Bean Goose. More birds to be found in this area include Stock Dove, Crested Lark, Water Pipit, Tree Sparrow and Corn Buntings. Against a background of feeding cranes we can see trips of Dotterel before they leave for their wintering grounds. At the edge of the steppe on the freshly cut alfalfa fields Great Bustards are gathering in flocks at this time of year.

Around the barns and picturesque farmsteads Little Owls and Black Redstarts can be found. Large flocks of Fieldfare are moving everywhere on the steppe while Northern Grey Shrike watch from their treetop perches. If we are lucky we can find one or two of the scarce winter inhabitants of the Artemisia steppe like Twite, Lapland and Snow Buntings.

The rich rodent population ensures a healthy number of predators. Among the many Buzzards and Marsh Harriers we should see Peregrine, Merlin (right, Phil Palmer), Rough-legged Buzzard and Hen Harrier from the north and a few wandering Long-legged Buzzards from the east. This is one of the few places where you can see these three buzzard species together.

There is also an excellent chance of Saker, perhaps Europe's most enigmatic falcon. Another star attraction is the huge White-tailed Eagle, arriving here in good numbers and feeding on the plentiful fish.

One afternoon we will go to see Long-eared Owls at a daytime roost; sometimes over a hundred birds are to be found, giving incredible views.

Amongst the thousands of migrants, a few unexpected species are usually found. This season has proved to be the peak time for Hungarian rarities, including, for instance, Great Black-headed Gull, which has been annual in recent times. On our last evening we will watch the Common Cranes at a favoured site as they appear far away on the horizon, flying towards and eventually low over us, in long lines, to their roosting place on the drained fishponds.

The steppe is quiet at this time of the evening, the sun is setting and the wild evocative calls of the cranes grow louder and louder as they approach. Eventually there is a concert of some sixty thousand calling and flying birds making this an unforgettable wildlife experience.

On day eight after an early breakfast we will take in some good birding habitat on our way to Budapest where we will finish our tour with some sightseeing in the capital, an exquisitely laid out city, on either side of the Danube.

PACE Breakfast will be taken about 8am most mornings. Optional pre-breakfast walks will be possible in the vicinity of the hotels. Basic fitness is all that is required. There will be a certain amount of uphill walking on one or two days but this will be at a relaxed pace.

ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD Full board accommodation is provided with two nights at the Borto Pension near the Zemplen Forest Reserve and five nights at the Halasto Oreghas Lodge in the Hortobagy. Both hotels are clean and comfortable, with en suite bathrooms.

PRICE INCLUDES ….. All birdwatching excursions with expert leader, full-board accommodation, soft drinks, local transport by mini-bus, flight to Budapest, and flight and airport taxes.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED Cost of travel insurance, payable at the time of booking. Items of a personal nature, alcoholic drinks, laundry, etc.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS Return flight from London Heathrow to Budapest using the scheduled services of British Airways. Outbound flight departs mid-morning, return flight arrives back late afternoon. Connecting shuttle flights are available on this tour for £60 return (due at time of booking), from Manchester and other regional airports.

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