Hungary - 12-19 June 2011

Owen and Conor Foley, Robert Vaughan.

Images by Owen Foley and Robert Vaughan 

Arrived late in the evening to Budapest airport on Sunday 12th, flying with Aer Lingus. Hired a car (a Ford Fusion) from Fox Auto Rental at a cost of 285 Euro for the week. Species seen are logged on the days they were encountered.

Left the airport environs at 9 p.m and drove straight to Josvafo, in Aggtelek hills. Tawny Owl was encountered en route. This took the guts of 3 and a half ours, with stops for food etc, and meant an over night in the car as it was too late to get a hotel. This was not exactly comfortable, but we rose with the sun and found interesting birds straight away, including numerous Hawfinch feeding on the common wild cherry trees, Syrian Woodpecker, Golden Oriole, Willow and Marsh tit, Nuthatch, Wood Warbler and Little Owl.

Golden Oriole

Aggtelek - Superb Woodland Birding

We then moved to the crossroads recommended by Gosney, finding River Warbler, Red Backed Shrike, Grey headed Woodpecker, Wryneck and Great Spotted Woodpeckers here.

Red-Backed Shrike

We then moved on to the White Backed Woodpecker sites also listed by Gosney, and these woods were particularly productive, with numerous Syrians, Great Spotted and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers. The track at the top of the hill was jam packed with Barred Warblers.

Species encountered day one listed below. In some cases subsequent sites and sightings are listed also.

Mallard several in flight as we drove, common in all wetland areas

Quail surprisingly scarce, several heard

Corncrake none heard, a bird dangling from a passing sparrowhawks talons looked like one!

Pheasant very common

Great Crested Grebe common at all wetland areas

Grey Heron as above

White Stork ridiculously common – Many villages had multiple families

White Stork

Eastern Imperial Eagle 1 sub ad from the town of Kumjati(Aggtelek area) on the 13th, 1 In Bukk Hills on 15th

Lesser Spotted Eagle one ad seen very well over a ploughed field near Kumjati, caught a rat on 13th and 14th and flew west

Lesser Spotted Eagle 

Booted Eagle one seen distantly circling from Kumjati on the 13th

Buzzard Very common

Honey Buzzard Common and seen in small numbers daily in the mountains

Sparrowhawk seen throughout

Grey Headed Woodpecker Surprisingly difficult to connect with, many heard, 2 seen in flight between woodland patches

Kestrel seen throughout

Hobby scarce, but seen almost daily

Coot common in larger wetland areas

Black Headed Gull as above

Whiskered Tern common and widespread in the wetland areas. 1 seen Aggtelek area

Whiskered Tern 

Common Tern present in small numbers at most larger water bodies

Stock Dove a few seen in the hills

Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon common

Wood Pigeon common

Collared Dove common

Turtle Dove common

Turtle Dove

Cuckoo common

Tawny Owl Heard around our hotel at Josvafo and one flew across in front of our car near the airport

Little Owl Heard at Josvafo, seen well at the Hortobagy, late one evening

Hoopoe Heard at a few sites, finally seen at the Hortobagy

Great Spotted Woodpecker common

Syrian Woodpecker common

Middle Spotted Woodpecker small numbers and family parties in the hills at Josvafo and Bukk

Wryneck common in woodlands and open country with trees

Wryneck

Skylark Common in steppe and farmland

Sand Martin Common

House Martin Common

Barn Swallow Common

Swift Common

Tawny Pipit a few in surprisingly varied habitats, particularly Hortobagy and Kiskunsag

Tawny Pipit

Song Thrush Common

Grey Wagtail Common along rivers/streams

White Wagtail common

Robin common

Nightingale common

Wren common

Black Redstart common

Stonechat common

Blackbird common

Mistle Thrush a few in the hills

Barred Warbler a good few singing above Aggtelek WBW site, one showed well in the Hortobagy

Blackcap common

Garden Warbler scarce, heard more than seen

Whitethroat scarce but widespread

Lesser Whitethroat a few seen in scrubby areas around Svilsvasvarad

River Warbler a few seen well in the hills at Aggtelek

Reed Warbler common in all reed areas

Marsh Warbler only a few seen, but 1 showed very well

Marsh Warbler

Great Reed Warbler common

Great Reed Warbler 

Wood Warbler common but spread out

Chiffchaff common

Collared Flycatcher common in the Bukk hills, surprisingly scarce in the Josvafo area

Collared Flycatcher 

Great Tit common

Blue Tit common

Willow Tit common

Marsh Tit common

Long-Tailed Tit Common

Nuthatch common

Lesser Grey Shrike pairs in most areas

Lesser Grey Shrike 

Red Backed Shrike common

Magpie common

Jay common in the wooded areas

Hooded Crow common

Raven common

Starling common

Golden Oriole common

House Sparrow common

Tree Sparrow common

Chaffinch common

Linnet common

Goldfinch common

Greenfinch common

Serin small numbers around most towns

Hawfinch amazingly common in the hills, early mornings produced great views

Yellowhammer common

Corn Bunting Common in farmland

Black Woodpecker a pair behind the hotel at Josvafo, common in the Bukk hills

Black Woodpecker 

Tuesday 14th June Josvafo to the Bukk hills

Bukk

After some more woodpecker hunting and raptor watching in the Aggtelek area, we made for Bukk hills, in the hope of seeing White Backed Woodpecker. We took a somewhat roundabout route, choosing the Village of Svilsvasvarad as a base. From here you could drive right into a particularly productive area of the national park, and all species of Woodpecker were observed in this area, sadly though, only one of our group (Conor) saw the White Backed Woodpecker, though we all heard them drumming. I would highly recommend Svilsvasvarad for the visiting birder. Cheap and available accommodation, good restaurants and good birding.

Spotted Flycatcher surprisingly scarce in Aggtelek, Common in Bukk

Yellow Wagtail common in Farmland

Black Stork a few seen, 1 seen well at Kumjati, others encountered near Bukk and in Hortobagy

Black Stork

Crested Lark scarce but in most areas

Crested Lark

European Bee-Eater wide-spread, common in some areas

European Bee-Eater 

Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker small numbers in the Bukk hills

Marsh Harrier common everywhere but the hills

Marsh Harrier 

Osprey One seen at large gravel pit pools en route to Bukk, South of Miskolc

Wednesday 15th June Bukk hills

Stayed over for more woodpecker hunting. Saw lots of various species, but sadly White Backed eluded 2 of the group. Incredible numbers of Collared Flycatcher seen providing regular flashes of black and white delight.hhh

Goldcrest only one seen

White Backed Woodpecker one female seen by Conor, heard drumming in the Bukk hills also.

Thursday 16th June Bukk hills to Hortobagy

Hortobagy

Stayed over yet again for one last crack at White Backed, but alas we could not relocate the birds we had heard. We then drove on to Hortobagy after breakfast. Hortobagy was simply an astounding place. Gosney says that the Halasto Fish Ponds are incredible and that you have not done Europe until you have done these. He is right. It has to be seen to be believed. The sheer wealth of birdlife is breathtaking.

Coal Tit a few family parties in the Bukk hills

Kingfisher only 1 seen at a random lake in the Bukk hills

Night Heron very common in the Hortobagy

Night Heron

Cormorant common

Pygmy Cormorant common

Pygmy Cormorant 

Great White Egret common

Great White Egret 

Little Egret scarcer than great, small numbers

Squacco Heron Common

Purple Heron Common

Purple Heron

Glossy Ibis small numbers seen in flight only

Red Footed Falcon common in a few areas, colonies are a must visit!

Red Footed Falcons 

White Winged Tern common

White-Winged Tern 

Black Tern only a few seen with white wings

Savi's Warbler several heard and a few seen at the hortobagy

Savi's Warbler 

Bearded Reedling a few seen flying over the reed beds, wind probably didn't help, a few recently fledged chicks also seen at reed bases

Penduline Tit commonly heard a few seen well

Northern Wheatear Small numbers in Hortobagy area

Sedge Warbler common

Long Eared Owl one in a nest box at the Hortobagy fish ponds

Moustached Warbler one seen at the entrance to the fish ponds

Gadwall small numbers on the fish ponds

Little Grebe as above

Bittern several heard along the road in the Hotobagy, 2 seen in flight

Little Ringed Plover 1st seen displaying over a tesco car park, seen commonly in more typical habitat after

Curlew small numbers in open steppe areas

Yellow Legged Gulls a few sizable flocks in heat haze, nothing scarcer or strange could be picked out

Common Sandpiper heard a few times at the fish ponds,

Water Rail heard only

Moorhen common

Mute Swan a few seen

Bluethroat several in song

Bluethroat

Friday 17 June 2011 Hortobagy

Reed Bunting several males

Green Woodpecker adult and juv at a nearby campsite

Wood Sandpiper several seen in a few wetland spots, seen also at the Kiskunsag

Ruff common

Teal small numbers

Garganey small numbers

Shoveller small numbers

Snipe a few displaying birds

Black Tailed Godwit small numbers

Redshank small numbers

Black Necked Grebe a couple of pairs in a wide channel along the road

Red Necked Grebe a couple in the same channel as above, and more, including juveniles at another nearby wetland

Red-Necked Grebe

White Tailed Eagle a 1st year and a sub adult flew over us while watching the above grebes, monstrous!

Saturday 18 June 2011 Hortobagy to Kiskunsag

After a couple of days enjoying Hortobagy, we made for the northern end of the Kiskunsag area, close to Budapest, for our last stint of birding. An early morning with a guide (necessary for Great Bustard) produced great birds such as Great Bustard, Saker, Long Legged Buzzard and Montagu's Harrier. A fortunate choice of motel for the night, revealed a great section of heathland behind the building, which produced numerous Nightjars showing well and Woodlark the following morning.

Little Bittern amazingly only 2 seen, female flew over the road while waiting a guide, and a male at the fishponds

Great Bustard 2 imm males seen with the help of a guide, great views. More seen at Kiskunsag

Great Bustard

Saker A pair in the Hortobagy and another in the Kiskunsag

Long-Legged Buzzard a pair in the Hortobagy and the Kiskunsag

Montagus Harrier only one male in the Hortobagy, an ad male and an imm male around the Kiskunsag

Montagu's Harrier 

Spotted Redshank a few summer adults seen

Black Winged Stilt small numbers, including 2 recently fledged at the Kiskunsag

Black-Winged Stilt

Whinchat small numbers scattered around the Kiskunsag

Nightjar one of the trip highlights, one male seen brilliantly, churring behind our hotel on the final night, 3 heard, 5-6 seen in flight

Sunday 18th June 2011 Kiskunsag to Budapest airport

Our last morning was nice and relaxed, just loafing around the steppe watching Monty's, Bustards, Sakers, Long legged Buzzards, Hobby, Rollers, Bee-eaters and Tawny Pipits.

Woodlark 2 seen and heard in the same area as the previous night's nightjars

Goshawk a sub adult female flew over us near the Kiskunsag, another as we were packing up our things outside burger king in Budapest!

Green Sandpiper 1 flushed from a scrape in the Kiskunsag

Red Crested Pochard a female with chicks in the ponds at the Kiskunsag

An amazing country for birding with some beautiful landscapes to boot. Highly recommended.