Monday 27 June 2011

Baie de Somme, Picardy, France, 25th June, 2011

A day out with M.S. and Kevin.

The day started in France the same as it was when we set of at about 02.30 hours from South London, Raining and overcast.
Arrived in Calais via Eurotunnel about 07.00 hours french time.

A drive to Sailly-Bray, still raining, arrived about 08.00 hours, we then followed a farm lane, at 08.30 hours rain stopped, still low cloud,

we saw, in this order

Great White Egret, 1
Grey Partridge, 2 + 2 more later
Little Egret
Bluethroat, 2 m and 2 juv
Reed Bunting, plenty
Sedge Warbler
Curlew, 9 flew over
Skylark singing all the time
Stonechat, f
Bluethroat, White Spot, 1 m, a cracking male showing a very distinctive white spot on throat !
White Wagtail
Hobby, 2
Sand Martins and Swallows
Song Thrush, Blackbirds, House Sparrows, Chaffinch and Starling

Yellowhammer, 1


 Bluethroat

Bluethroat
                            Grey Partridge

leaving this site, a detour of local lanes to the D4, this is a minor road that runs between Le Crotoy and Marquenterre, passing through La Basse, 3 /4 pools on the side of this road produced views of

Black-tailed Godwit, 14 +
Spoonbill, several flying over
Garganey, 1 m
Common Tern, 1
White Stork, flew over
Mallard, Coot, Shellduck, Lapwing, Mute Swan, Black Swan, 2 feral, more Little Egrets

Arriving at the Parc du Marquenterre at about 11.30 hours on the track to the car park saw

Spotted Flycatcher, 1
Long-tailed Tit

a walk through the fir trees seeing

Marble White, 2
Ringlet




then a bit of lunch and into the reserve

Little Ringed Plover
Cattle Egret, 2 adults
Night Heron, 1 juv
Grey Heron, several
White Stork, plenty
Common Crane, 1
Black-necked Grebe, 2 pair, summer plumage
Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe

On one island Spoonbills, 100 +, approx 30 adults, 70 juv with another estimated 50 Spoonbills on the reserve and in the heronary, Total estimated at 150 +

Avocet, 100 +, Redshank, Cormorant


White Stork
Sedge Warbler
White Wagtail
Common Sandpiper
Spoonbill
Lots of Spoonbill
Spoonbill
Avocet
                             Crane
White Stork
                            Little Egret
Left Marquenterre about 18.30 hours and returned to the pools on the D4 by La Basse,

Cattle Egrets, 6 adults feeding in with the horses,
Little Egrets joining in, all close to the road allowing photos
                            Cattle Egret

 Cattle Egret

 Cattle Egret

                            Cattle Egret

                            Cattle Egret
19.30 hours, departed at top speed to return to Calais just catching the 21.20 hours shuttle to GB.
Arrived back in S. London at 23.30 hours.

Top, Top day out.

Thursday 9 June 2011

Balmazujvaros, Hungary, 2nd June, 2011

Holiday finished, today we travel home.

Still we are up and out by 06.00 hours for a wander around local to the hotel.

Seeing

Crested Lark
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Black Redstart

Spotted Flycatcher
Serin


                             Spotted Flycatcher


                             Serin


                             Crested Lark


    Black Redstart


    Great Spotted Woodpecker
Back to hotel at 08.00 hours, no extras to pay, it was all inclusive !

Picked up at 09.00 hours by Arpad and then taken to Budapest for our flight home arriving back in Luton at about 16.00 hours.

Total birds seen by me on this 7 days  =   81 species

Birds photographed for Website  =   42 species


I think I can say that this holiday has been the most busiest, exciting, productive birding adventure that both myself and M.S. could have dreamed off. You could not have written the script.

My gratefull thanks to Saker Tours, Mr. Janos Olah and all his staff who organised and looked after us so well.

I know I will return to Hungary at my first opportunity !

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Hortobagy, Hungary, 1st June, 2011

Day 5, the final day. Rollers.

Usual time, 04.40 hours, we were picked up by Attilla, our guide to take us to the Roller Hide, 4 x 4, travelled over 2/3 miles of basic tractor road, arround the grass and reedbed areas of this vast, flat grassland plain, seeing

Marsh Harrier
Montagu's Harrier, 2 m and 1 f, super display

Perfect light, blue sky, arrived at the Roller Hide.

Roller

    Roller

    Roller


                             Roller


                              Roller


                             Roller


  
                             Roller


                             Roller


    Roller


    Roller

The Rollers came and went for intervals but always in binns vision.
Whilst the Rollers were perched at one of its long distant perching sites a bird came into view at about 150 metres distance, in the grassland.

'Mick, is that a Greylag Goose'.

'No, thats a Great Bustard, a female'

A Great Bustard, (now thought to be a 1st year male) walked out into an area of short grass, immediatly started to display, the full Monty, wings up, the lot, then started to walk towards us,we photographed and watched the bird for several mins, 5 perhaps, then, the Great Bustard simply dissapeared in longer grass, never to be seen  this session. Stunning stuff.

Great Bustard


Great Bustard

This little chap appeared, he liked Mick as you can see !

10.30 hours. the sun had moved round to shade the Rollers, the temperature was very high, time to move on



returning, spectacular views of Montagu's Harriers


    Montagu's Harrier, m


                             Montagu's Harrier, f

                            Montagu's Harrier, f


moved onto our last location of our visit, we were transferred to David's car to be taken to

Woodland Drinking Hide 2
This hide is more open, better light, here saw

Collered Flycatcher, m and f
Red-backed Shrike, m and f

Robin
Chiffchaff

and most of Woodland Drinking Hide 1 species list seen

    Great Spotted Woodpecker

    Red-backed Shrike, m

                             Red-backed Shrike, m

                             Red-backed Shrike, m
    Red-backed Shrike, m
    Red-backed Shrike, f

                              Red-backed Shrike, m

                             Red-backed Shrike, m

    Red-backed Shrike, m

    Collared Flycatcher, m



                             Collared Flycatcher, m

    Collared Flycatcher, m

    Collared Flycatcher, f
 

                             Starling

18.00 hours close of play, back to hotel 19.00 hours
You just can't get better than this !




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