Hungary & Slovakia
Wednesday 6th May to Saturday 16th May 2009
AA9005
This
special 11-day tour cherry-picks the best birding habitats in Slovakia and
Hungary, exploring a wide variety of beautiful landscapes to maximise both your
enjoyment and the number of species seen. In the High Tatra Mountains
woodpeckers drum loudly, owls are hooting. Local guides take us to
perfect areas for highlight species such as Spotted Nutcracker, all ten European
woodpeckers, Wallcreeper, Pygmy &Tengmalm's Owls. In Hungary we discover the
tranquil Danube Bend; the birding treasures of the Hortobágy National Park with
its fishponds, reedbeds and steppe habitat; the plains where Sakers and eagles
hunt and the beautiful beech-woods of the limestone Bukk Hills with Hawfinch,
flycatchers and woodpeckers. Raptors abound and migration is well underway!Day 1: After landing at Budapest Airport where we are met by our English speaking guide, we follow the majestic River Danube through the spectacular city of Budapest to the famous Danube Bend. From here there are marvellous views of Visegrad Castle high above the river. Mouflon and Deer are often on the rocky crags and Rock Buntings breed nearby. Nightingales sing lustily by our Hotel in the evenings and Golden Orioles greet the morning.
Overnight - Danube Bend
Days 2 - 4: We travel north to our lakeside hotel in Northern Slovakia, stopping at good birding spots en route to the beautiful Tatra Mountains. “Eyes in the sky” for surprise raptors and Black Storks and we’ll be on the watch for typical mountain species such as Ring Ouzel, Crossbill and Dipper. A lakeside walk near our hotel often turns up migrants & gives good views of interesting terns, ducks & waterbirds. Lesser Spotted Eagle has been viewed well here. Wrynecks call loudly in the Hotel grounds! We will take a day’s medium hike along forested mountain tracks in the Tatra National Park. These are good areas for Golden Eagles, Black, Grey Headed, Three-toed & White-backed Woodpeckers and there is even a chance of Tengmalm's & Pygmy Owls. Another day we stroll in a pretty valley with a steep rock-face, looking for woodpeckers and Spotted Nutcrackers. It looks excellent Wallcreeper habitat.
Overnights - Liptovska Sielnica, Northern Slovakia
Days 5 & 6: We travel south through Slovakia towards the fascinating rock formations of the Limestone karst region of the Slovensky Kras. With our expert local Slovak guide, we will search for Ural Owl, Eagle Owl, Tengmalm’s & Pygmy Owls. All ten European species of woodpecker occur and a number of Interesting butterfly species also occur.
Overnights - Medzev, Southern Slovakia
Days 7 & 8: We leave Slovakia crossing the border to north-eastern Hungary, an area where Eastern Imperial Eagles hunt. Arriving in the Bukk Hills, we’ll discover several scenic areas in the Bukk National Park, an excellent area for Hawfinch, Wood Warbler, woodpeckers, Red-breasted & Collared Flycatchers. Fire Salamanders can often be seen on the pathway that follows a sparkling stream around our picturesque accommodation. We can find Lesser Spotted, Middle Spotted, Syrian & Black Woodpeckers in a pretty valley nearby and there are breeding Rock Bunting and Raven. Eagle Owls have been heard and seen.
Overnights - Nosvaj, Hungary
Days 9 & 10: We travel across raptor feeding grounds to the exciting Hortobágy NP wetland area. White Storks’ nests adorn the village telegraph poles. In the heart of the National Park we should find Great Bustard, Stone-curlew, Red-footed Falcon, Montagu’s Harrier and Tawny Pipit. To the north the grassland is full of Suslik and the steppe has a higher proportion of wooded patches, where we can expect to find many birds of prey including White-tailed Eagle and Saker Falcon. The fishponds should be alive with Little & Great White Egrets, Squacco & Purple Herons, Eurasian Spoonbills, Great & Pygmy Cormorants and Glossy Ibis, while the reedbeds conceal Bearded & Penduline Tits. There is a good chance of River, Savi’s, Moustached & Barred Warblers, Roller, Bluethroat, Great & Little Bitterns and crakes. Three species of marsh tern are present in large numbers and Ferruginous Duck is a speciality.
Overnights - Hortobagy
Day 11: Morning birding stops en route to Budapest airport for an afternoon flight to Heathrow.