| Leading Tours since 1987
Itinerary:
Day 2: Shallow wetlands and fishponds are at the heart of the Hortobágy National Park, offering feeding and roosting conditions for migratory birds. Flocks of Dunlin, Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Eurasian Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit can be found on the muddy shores of empty fishponds. Great Crested and Little Grebes occur in the deeper ponds with Black-necked and Red-necked Grebes and Ferruginous Ducks. Other species found here include Pygmy Cormorant, Bittern, Eurasian Spoonbill, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Water Rail, Pied Avocet, Grey Plover, Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Common Greenshank, Yellow-legged Gull and Common Kingfisher. Great Egrets gather in flocks of several hundreds on the drained mudflats. Overhead White-tailed Eagles and Hen Harriers occur whilst in the reeds parties of Eurasian Penduline and Bearded Tits can be found.
Day
6: After breakfast we leave this remarkable area and
approach the airport along the northern foothills. Depending
on flight times, we finish with a sightseeing tour in Budapest.
Budapest is a cultural and financial centre of Middle Europe
with a rapidly growing economy and numerous historical sites.
We concentrate our exploration in the castle area and the Heroes'
Square. The Hungarian capital is exquisitely laid out on both
sides of the River Danube, claiming one of the most spectacular
panoramic views in all of Europe. You can witness this from
the Buda side of the river, on Castle Hill with Matthias Church,
the Fishermen’s Bastion and the Royal Palace. From here,
the spires of Parliament and the Chain Bridge can be seen. Transfer
to the airport for our flight home. * * * * *
|
This
short birding tour in Hungary during October offers you
an effective and budget birding holiday. Birding on the
steppe of the Hortobágy National Park, a small
piece of Asia inside Europe, is a great experience for
nature lovers. The steppe is host to thousands of Common
Cranes, trips of migrating Dotterels, and magnificent
Great Bustards. Within just 5 days, we visit a range of
bird habitats to observe migrating geese, including the
globally threatened Lesser White-fronted Goose. The majority
of birds originate from Northern Europe and Russia and
are on their way to winter in the Mediterranean Basin.
The Hortobágy is one of the great migration staging
posts of Europe and a wonderful experience to witness.
Day
1: Morning flight to Budapest and transfer to Hortobágy
in the heart of the Hortobágy National Park. This world
Heritage site is famous for its culture and wildlife. Late afternoon
sees us watching the influx of Common Cranes flying to roost.
During this time, there are also extraordinary numbers of White-fronted
Geese numbering over 20,000 birds. 
Days
3-4: One highlight of the tour is the flock of Lesser
White-fronted Goose. We find this globally threatened bird among
flocks of White-fronted, Greylag and Bean Goose. Other birds
to be found include Common Kestrel, Stock Dove, Great Spotted
Woodpecker, Crested Lark, Red-throated and Water Pipits, Common
Stonechat, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Reed and Corn Buntings. We
also visit Debrecen Great Wood for Short-toed Treecreeper, Black,
Middle, Lesser Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers. 
Day
5: We birdwatch today on the extensive open steppe
of the Hortobágy National Park. Flocks of Dotterel are
regular on the Hortobagy before they leave for their wintering
grounds. At the edge of the steppe Great Bustards congregate
in small flocks. Around the barns and farmsteads Little Owls
and Black Redstarts can be found. Large flocks of Fieldfare
are moving everywhere and Great Grey Shrikes perch on treetops
looking for prey. If we are lucky we may find Twite and Lapland
Bunting. The rich rodent population of the steppe ensures healthy
numbers of predators. Among the many Common Buzzards and Marsh
Harriers we may see Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Hen Harrier, Rough-legged
and Long-legged Buzzards and the magnificent Saker Falcon. In
the afternoon we visit a Long-eared Owl roost which sometimes
numbers over one hundred birds. Our last evening programme on
the steppe is to enjoy Common Cranes for the second time coming
into roost.  |
