Richard Smith - Birdwatching Days Out: May 2011

Hortobagy, Hungary, 31st May, 2011

Day 4, with the prospect of the chance to have a warmer day, more sunnier and better light chances which would give more activity from the Bee-eaters, we had asked Mr. Janos if M.S. and myself could re-visit the Bee-eater Hide

Usual time 04.40 hours we were on our way, by car this time, David again dropped us of at the Bee-eater hide, better light, more bee-eaters, more activity

10.30 hours the sun had moved to create shade.

We moved on to the Woodland Drinking Hide 1

Birds were a bit slow in numbers, midday, early afternoon. M.S. thought ? ? ? Then the birds started coming on a regular basis, drinking, bathing

Blue Tit
Great Tit
Marsh Tit
Nuthatch
Blackcap
Song thrush
Yellowhammer
Blackbird
Tree Sparrow
Chaffinch
Starling
Green Finch
Wood Pigeon
Hawfinch
Mistle Thrush
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
Collared Flycatcher, m and f
Red-backed Shrike, m

Nuthatch

Hawfinch

H
awfinch

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Blackcap

Blackcap, f

Song Thrush

Early finish 18.00 hours, woodland light fading fast, slow shutter speeds, back at the hotel for 19.00 hours.

Good choice of day out, thank you Janos, Excellant, full on, cracking day out !

Hortobagy, Hungary, 30th May, 2011

Day 3 was planned for an all day session in the Pigmy Cormorrant Hide

The day started at 04.40 hours, picked up at hotel and taken to the hide.

Scenic views on route of the Hortobagy grassland with the early morning mist and a glorious sunrise.

At the hide saw

Pygmy Cormorant
Great White Egret
Grey Heron
Little Grebe
Gadwell
Mallard

Marsh Harrier, pair, all day, food passing, must have been nesting very close

Reed Bunting
Great Reed Warbler

Bittern, many flying over
Purple Heron, many flying over
Night Heron, 4 flying over

Pygmy Cormorant

Marsh Harrier

Purple Heron

Great White Egret

Great White Egret

This was a long day,14 hours, picked up at 19.00 hours, back to hotel for 20.00 hours.

A marathon session.

Hortobagy, Hungary, 29th May, 2011

Day 2 was planned for a visit to the Bee-eater Hide in the morning and the Reed Bed Hide in the afternoon.

A thunder storm and a lot of rain overnight, the day starting of overcast, by 10.30 hours light improved, by afternoon blue skies again and very hot.

Outside the hotel

Syrian Woodpecker, 1

Set out at 04.40 hours, 4 x 4 again, David the driver, on route seeing

Whiskered Tern, 4
Great White Egrets, at least 40, all in one area of water beside the road

Bee-eater site
The temperature was cool ! Not much activity ! Light, dull

Sand Martins, nesting in the same bank as Bee-eaters
Hoopoe, 2 feeding on the grass close by
Golden Oriole, seen and heard all the time in the surrounding trees

Sand Martin

Bee-eater

At about 10.30 hours, light improved, bee-eaters became a bit more active, allowing decent photos to be taken.

Leaving this site at about 11.00 hours to go to the Reed Bed Hide saw

Wheatears, 5

At the Reed Bed Hide saw

Whiskered Tern, 4
Bearded Tit, many
Ferruginous Duck
Pochard
Greylag Goose
Mallard
Morehen
Marsh Warbler

Purple Heron, fly over
Spoonbill, fly over
Pygmy Cormorant, fly over
White Stork, fly over
Bittern, fly over