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

Day 6 Saturday, September 1: Travel to Tallya, Zepplin Hills, Hungary

Oroszlanos Borhotel es Vendigo http://oroszlanos.hu/index.php/en

Bill started his day by birding near the pools behind our hotel. He got a Spotted Flycatcher having a bath, as well as swallows and sparrows.



Today, Ross was our guide. Bill requested a stop at the grove of trees where we got such good views of the Red-footed Falcon yesterday. He hoped to see the male falcon more clearly - specifically the red feet. He got some good flying shots of the juvenile falcon, but no red feet in sight.



Next stop was the Long Eared Owls – a surprise for MA who had missed them yesterday. They were snoozing today.



Then we returned to the fish pond area – just in case the Black Woodpecker had returned. No woodpecker - but there were a lot of water birds.



We stopped for a Hungarian lunch in a village café. A honking wedding tour passed by.



Our next stop was at a river park we were driving through. MA struck up a friendship with a man who was fishing for bait minnows. The rest of toured about checking out the birds. Barbara got on a Great Spotted Woodpecker in a grove of trees.



We had to take a ferry to continue on our road. We took a wrong turn, but were absolutely compensated by a large White Stork, which posed for us. A group of Bee Eaters were hanging out on a wire over the road. We spotted bee hives nearby.



Suddenly we were in a land of vineyards on steep hillsides. Sweet white wine is a regional specialty. Ross and MA studied the map carefully to find our way to our hotel – our Google map used street names, which were impossible for us to find in Hungary.



Our historic hotel in Tallya had an extensive wine cellar under it. The receptionist offered us a tour. Lucky us! From the courtyard of our hotel, we noticed Alpine Swifts and House Martins flying around a church steeple.



For dinner we had a sampler of white wines paired for each course.



Birds seen September 1 2012
*new birds bolded

Bird of the Day: Red-footed Falcon

1. Alpine Swift – lifer#53
2. Barn Swallow
3. House Sparrow
4. Red-footed Falcon
5. Long-eared Owl
6. Spotted Flycatcher
7. Common Moorhen
8. Black-crowned Night Heron
9. Sparrow Hawk
10. Grey Heron
11. Squacco
12. Great Egret
13. Western Marsh Harrier
14. White-tailed Eagle
15. Red-backed Shrike
16. European Starling
17. Rook
18. Black-billed Magpie
19. Eurasian Coot
20. Great-crested Grebe
21. Mute Swan
23. Great Spotted Woodpecker
24. White Stork
25. Common Buzzard
26. Western Marsh Harrier
27. European Bee Eater
28. Tree Pipit

Trip Total: 124


Other Nature

frog