Hungary-Slovakia Birding Trip: August 27- September 10, 2012

Day 5 Friday, August 31: Hortobagy National Park, Hungary with Sakertours guide Sandor

Balmaz Hotel http://www.hotelbalmaz.com/en.html
Sakertours http://www.sakertour.com/
Hortobagy NP http://www.hnp.hu/index_en.php

Sandor met us after an early breakfast and off we went. MA stayed in town where she rented a bicycle to explore. She also wanted to check out the pools and hot springs at our hotel.



We first explored the Hortobagy wetland/fish pond area. A Black Woodpecker was perched on a large dead tree. A Purple Heron stood by the water; a Black Stork flew over. Ducks, geese, coots, tits, sandpipers, widgeons, an avocet, dunlin, grebes, a reedling, spoonbills, egrets, gulls, terns – it was a lively spot. Sandor’s scope and our binoculars gave us good views of the many species.



Sandor and Ross climbed up a viewing platform but we decided to stay down in the shade – it was another very hot day. Ross also vaulted up on a hay bale for a better perspective.



A White-tailed Eagle was a special sighting.



Ross asked Sandor about owls nearby. Sandor knew of a roost in Balmazujvaros, but did not think they would be there at this time of year. Nevertheless, he called Janos at Sakertours and got a tip that there were about thirty, so off we went. There was indeed a large group of long-eared owls roosting in trees. Some local children helped us spot them.




On the way out of town we saw the spectacular European Roller on a wire. Bill got a shot of the roller and a kestrel flying off together.



A stop at a wetland gave us good views of plover, stilts, stints, sandpipers and teal, all busily feeding.



As Sandor returned us to our hotel, we thanked him for his excellent two days of professional guiding. We all agreed our time together was very rewarding.

At the end of the day, it was our turn to try out the hotel pools and hot springs before dinner.

Birds seen Aug 31 2012
*new birds bolded

Bird of the Day: Long Eared Owl

1. European Starling
2. Ring-necked Pheasant (male)
3. Western Marsh Harrier
4. Long-tailed Tit – lifer#35
5. Chiffchaff Warbler
6. Song Thrush
7. Black Cap – lifer#36
8. Kingfisher
9. Greenfinch
10. Hawfinch – lifer#37
11. Great Cormorant
12. Spotted Flycatcher – lifer#38
13. Black Woodpecker – lifer#39
14. Willow Warbler
15. Purple Heron
16. Common Moorhen (juvenile)
17. Golden Oriole – lifer#40
18. Black Stork
19. European Bee Eater
20. Bearded Reedling
21. Ferruginous Duck
22. Penduline Tit
23. Blue Tit
24. Great Tit
25. Graylag Goose
26. Great Spotted Woodpecker
27. Mallard
28. White Stork
29. Great Cormorant
30. Common Snipe
31. Great Egret
32. Grey Heron
33. Little Egret
34. Pied Avocet – lifer#41
35. Dunlin
36. Curlew Sandpiper
37. Eurasian Spoonbill – lifer#42
38. Black-headed Gull
39. Black-tailed Godwit – lifer#43
40. Caspian Gull – lifer#44
41. Common Sandpiper
42. Eurasian Coot
43. Eurasian Widgeon
44. Great-crested Grebe
45. Whiskered Tern – lifer#45
46. Black-billed Magpie
47. Northern Lapwing
48. Sedge Warbler
49. Red-backed Shrike
50. Mute swan (not feral)
51. Water Rail (heard, not counted in trip total)
52. Common Pochard
53. Sparrow Hawk
54. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
55. Squacco Heron – lifer#46
56. White-tailed Eagle – lifer#47
57. Long-eared Owl
58. House Sparrow
59. Common Buzzard
60. Barn Swallow
61. European Roller
62. Common Kestrel
63. Turtle Dove
64. White Wagtail
65. Rook
66. Whinchat
67. Ringed Plover
68. Little Ringed Plover – lifer#48
69. Black-winged Stilt
70. Common Teal
71. Little Stint – lifer#49
72. Temminck’s Stint – lifer#50
73. Eurasian Reed Warbler
74. Reed Bunting – lifer#51
75. Greenshank
76. Blue Throat – lifer#52

Trip Total: 122

Other Nature
1. red fox