Birding in Hungary

The Saker called Janos was found dead under a pylon a few days ago. It was on of 3 adult Sakers carrying a satellite transmitter in the framework of a LIFE project in Hungary.

After raising its first chick this summer he spent the winter not far from Budapest. He died when he wanted to land on an uninsulated pylon. There are still many such pylons in Hungary creating a threat for raptors, storks and owls and killing many thusands of these protected animals.

Saker Falcon is a resident bird in Hungary and it can eaily be seen during the Hungary tours of Ecotours.

This spring we had some fabulous birding tours in Eastern Europe countries. Our groups visited Hungary, Croatia&Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia and Poland. Species seen during the holidays included Dalmatian and White Pelican, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Levant Sparrowhawk, Saker and Eleonora's Falcon, Great Bustard, Great Snipe, Eagle and Pygmy Owl, Three-toed, White-backed, Middle Spotted and Grey-headed Woodpeckers, Pied Wheatear, Aquatic, Paddyfield and Olive-tree Warblers, Semi-collared Flycatcher and many more exciting species.

Our Crane Spectacular tour was finished last week with great success. 129 bird species were seen including Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted Goose, Imperial, White-tailed and Greater Spotted Eagles, Saker Falcon, Dotterel, Black, White-backed, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers, Spotted Nutcracker and many more birds, mammals and other wildlife.

For photos and a more detailed account of the tour visit the blog Birding in Hungary and Eastern Europe.

Euro Birdwatch was organised again last weekend in may countries of Europe. Hungary is traditionally among the first countries with regards to events, participants and number of birds. This was the case again this year as Hungary finished third in number of participants with 2028 and number of bird specimens with 210 475.

The most common birds were Starling, Coot and Chaffinch in Europe and Starling, Greylag Goose and Black-headed Gull in Hungary.

For more information n birds of Hungary visit our blog Birdwatching in Hungary and Eastern Europe.

A cold front reached Hungary 2 weeks ago with rain and low temperatures and it stayed for more than a week. It came unexpectedly for the hundreds of thousands of migrating Barn Swallows, House and Sand Martins. They could not find any flying insects and without food they died during the cold nights. Thousands were reported dead along the roads of Hungary trying to hunt low over the roads and got hit by the vehicles. Many flew into buildings and factory warehouses to escape the cold nights. They moved into cities for warmer temperatures and food, many were seen hunting over downtown buildings in Budapest. The same happened last year in September in Hungary.

Other birding news from Hungary in the blog Birdwatching in Hungary and Eastern Europe.

We participated at the British Birdwatching Fair for the 8th time consecutively. This year's fair was better in terms of weather as there was much less rain than last year.

We also had a very succesful presence with many people interested in our tours. Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria were the most popular destinations, but many visitors showed interest in our Romania and Slovakia holidays, bear watching, butterfly and dragonfly tours.

Our worldwide holidays also attracted Fair visitors and Ghana, Mexico, Costa Rica, Cuba and Ethiopia were popular.

The first Bat watching holiday ended succesfully in the middle of July. Participants enjoyed many exciting bat species, wonderful scenery in the Aggtelek NP in Hungary and in the adjacent Slovak Karst NP, colourful butterflies and birds.

The tour was lead by local bat experts and it was conducted in a way not to disturb the bats more than the usual annual ringing and population monitoring campaigns would require.

We had a very succesful birdwatching tour to Bulgaria this June. We have seen most of the target birds with Dalmatian and White Pelican, 22 raptor species including Black Vulture, Levant Sparrowhawk, Imperial Eagle and Eleonora's Falcon, Terek Sandpiper, Eagle Owl, Paddyfield, Olive-tree, Eastern Orphean and Eastern Bonelli's Warbler, Semi-collared Flycatcher, Masked Shrike and thousands of Rose-coloured Starlings.

You can find more information and photos on the blog Birding in Hungary and Eastern Europe.

Early April is exciting at the wetlands of the Kiskunsag. Marshes are full of birds and every day brings new arrivals.

We start the day at the small scale agricultural fields where Great Bustards started lekking. There are at least 20 birds present in loose groups. A female Hen Harrier patrols the fields nearby and scares up a Grey Partridge, Lapwings and Black-tailed Godwits call from the grass. A Saker enters our view field and flies away rapidly in search of prey.

Then we move on to the fishponds. A small flock of Avocets greets us in a shallow pond where they bred last year. There are some Teals, Garganeys and Shovelers on the water and a flock of Ruffs on the muddy shore. Other ponds hold a few Pygmy Cormorants, Ferruginous Ducks, Little Grebes and many coots. We are delighted to see a Black Stork in a drained fishpond feeding with Black-tailed Godwits.

The huge marshlands are the next site and we are not disappointed. Hundreds of Teals, Wigeons and Shovelers, fewer Pintails and Gadwalls are swimming in the water. The first Black-winged Stilts have arrived along with Wood Sandpiper and Spotted Redshank. Spoonbills feed in the shallow water and Grey-legged Geese lead their day-old gooslings. A Peregrine causes some uproar but soon the hundreds of Ruffs and Black-tailed Godwits settle to continue feeding. We find Marsh and Green Sandpipers and Dunlins too, and the long staying vagrant American Wigeon drake is still there. Black-headed Gulls are already mating and the gull roost attracts two fine adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls of the fuscus race and a Caspian Tern.

For more information on Birding in Hungary and Eastern Europe visit our other blog Birdwatching in Hungary and Eastern Europe

Although the weather was cold and rainy throughout the week birds are really indicating spring. Great Tits and Blackbirds sing their heart out and more and more species arrive back from the Mediterranean and African wintering grounds.

The first White Storks, Barn Swallows, House Martins were all seen and the wetlands are full of migrating waders including Whimbrel, Kentish Plover and the early arriving Redshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Ruff, Lapwing and Golden Plover.

You can read more about rare birds and spring migrants in the blog Birding, birdwatching in Hungary.