Hortobagy, Hungary, 13th July, 2011

Day 4

Our 3 day photo break with Saker Tours is over.

Still we are up at 05.30, usual two strong coffees and out on our own about 06.15 hours for a wander local to the hotel.

M.S. had done some good homework before this trip, his google map showed an area of water not 10 mins walk from the hotel.

Approaching this area we immediately saw

Spoonbill, 18 flying over

then we found the area was in fact a large reed bed area

we found

Sedge Warbler
Reed Warbler
Great Reed Warbler, 2 +
Cuckoo
Penduline Tit, 1
Reed Bunting

Purple Heron, flew over
Great White Egret, flew over

    Cuckoo

                             Penduline Tit

                            Great Reed Warbler

walking back to hotel at 08.30 hours saw

White Wagtail
House Martin
Swallow
Black Redstart
Goldfinch
House Sparrow
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove

An excellent 2 hours out.

Breakfast, then picked up at 10.00 hours by Arpad to be taken to Budapest Airport for our 15.15 flight home to London Gatwick.

Arrived home in South London at 18.00 hours

A big thanks to Mr. Janos Olah and his staff at Saker Tours who organised this photo event for us.

Hortobagy, Hungary, 12th July 2011

Day 3

Tuesday morning and again up at 03.45 hours, usual two strong coffees and picked up at 04.30 hours to be taken again to the Red-footed Falcon Hide to arrive at 05.00 hours.

The sky is clear and the day looks good.

A different route was taken due to the heavy overnight rain, lots of water on the tracks making the trip very difficult and slippery for the 4 x4, however it also made large areas of water with a lot of birds where we had very good views of

Wood Sandpiper, 20 +
Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Redshank
Spotted Redshank
Ruff, m
Greylag Goose
Black winged Stilt
Common Buzzard
Hooded Crow

Eagle, unidentified, probable Lesser Spotted Eagle ?

                            Wood Sandpiper

    Black-winged Stilt

    Little Ringed Plover


from the hide we also saw

Red-footed Falcon
Roller
Kestrel
Jackdaw
Purple Heron
Grey Heron
Great White Egret
Marsh Harrier
Lapwing
Sedge Warbler
Lesser Whitethroat
Tree Sparrow
Wood Pigeon
Swallow
Pheasant, m

Eagle, very big !, unidentified but later discussion with our guide was decided it was White-tailed Eagle.

     Red footed Falcon, m

     Red footed Falcon, m

    Red footed Falcon, f

    Red footed Falcon, f

    Red footed Falcon, m

    Red footed Falcon, f

    Red footed Falcon, m

    Red footed Falcon, m

    Jackdaw


Picked up at 13.30 hours to be taken again to the Great Wood drinking hide.

Very quiet after the heavy rain of yesterday, water every where for birds to drink !

We saw

Nuthatch
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Blackcap
Nightingale, juv
Red-backed Shrike
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Hawfinch
Blackbird
Song Thrush

                             Nightingale, juv

                            Nightingale, juv

    Nightingale, juv

    Nightingale, juv

    Great Tit
Finish at 19.30, back to hotel for 20.00 hours.

Hortobagy, Hungary, 11th July, 2011

Day 2

M.S. and I was up at 05.45 hours, two cups of strong coffee, picked up at 06.30 hours to be taken to the Great Wood drinking hide 1.

Nuthatch
Hawfinch
Greenfinch
Chaffinch
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Marsh Tit
Middle Spotted Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker, m and f
Collared Flycatcher, juv
Red-backed Shrike,
Tree Sparrow
Blackcap, m and f
Robin
Song Thrush
Blackbird

                             Robin, juv

                            Marsh Tit

    Hawfinch, juv

    Hawfinch, juv

                             Hawfinch, juv

                             Hawfinch, juv

    Song Thrush

                             Red-backed Shrike

                            Middle Spotted Woodpecker

                            Great Spotted Woodpecker, f

                             Great Spotted Woodpecker, f

    Great Spotted Woodpecker, m

Day finished at 19.30 hours.

On route back to hotel a thunder storm was brewing, we reached the hotel as the thunder, lightning and torrential rain started.

Hortobagy, Hungary, 10th July, 2011

This 3 day photo holiday was organised by Mr. Janos Olah, Saker Tours

M.S. and I travelled to Hungary to arrive at Hortobagy late evening on Saturday 9th July.

Day 1

Sunday, 10th, we were up at 03.45 hours, a couple of strong coffees and then picked up at 04.30 hours to be taken to the Red-footed Falcon hide, arriving at 05.00 hours.

On route we saw

Grey Partridge
Stonechat

A very nice blue sky and the temperature rising

from the hide we saw

Red-footed Falcon
Roller
Red-backed Shrike, (only 1 brief showing)
Sedge Warbler
Marsh Harrier
Kestrel
Common Snipe (1 fly past)
Great White Egret
Night Heron
White Stork
Reed Bunting, m
Nightingale, juv.
Lapwing, Swallow, Magpie, Starling, Blackbird,
Tree Sparrow, Blackcap, f
Crow, Mallard and Wood Pigeon

                            Red-footed Falcon, m

                            Red-footed Falcon, m

                            Red-footed Falcon, m

    Red-footed Falcon, f

                             Roller

                             Roller

    Roller

    Roller

    Roller

    White Stork

                             Tree Sparrow

                            Kestrel

At 13.00 hours, VERY HOT, we were picked up and taken to the Great Forest drinking hide 1.

Here we saw

Chaffinch, m and f
Hawfinch, m, f and juv.
Greenfinch
Red-backed Shrike, m and f
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Song Thrush
Blackbird
Turtle Dove
Nuthatch
Blackcap, m and f
Great Tit
Blue Tit
Jay
Robin
Wood Pigeon

    Red-backed Shrike

    Red-backed Shrike

    Red-backed Shrike

                             Greenfinch

    Hawfinch

Day finished at 19.45 hours.
We then was told that the temperature this day had reached 39* C, yes, a VERY HOT day.