We can say that we were very lucky with the group as we encountered only a few quick showers in this very wet spring and the weather was exceptionally nice during the majority of the trip. We started with a nice Eastern Imperial Eagle view, just an hour after the plane touched down at Budapest airport. The Zemplén hills proved very productive and encounters during our two and a half day stay included two Ural Owls, Tawny Owl, male and female White-backed Woodpecker, Corncrake, Barred and River Warblers. A beautiful male Collared Flycatcher chasing away a Great Tit in the leaf litter of the nice beech forest just 5 meters from our feet was a memorable sight, while the view of White and 4 Black Stoks, 2 White-tailed Eagles, a Lesser Spotted Eagle, a Black Kite and a Hobby from one point was also very nice. On the Hortobágy we also managed to pick up the specialities during our four days stay, such as Ferruginous Duck, Stone Curlew, Saker Falcon, Great Bustrad, Aquatic Warbler, Moustached Warbler, many Pygmy Cormorant, many parties of Bearded Reedlings with freshly fledged juveniles, a Penduline Tit nest with the feeding adults, and as a bonus, we encountered two Broad-billed Sanpipers by a small pool. In the last morning in a nearby forest we completed our woodpecker list with Middle-spotted and Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers, and thus we saw all 9 species of this interesting family, which is available in Hungary.

Landscape in the Zemplén hills Photo: Gábor Simay

Ural Owl Photo: Gábor Simay

This spring White-winged Black Terns were numerous over the marshes of the Hortobágy Photo: Gábor Simay

Sakertour team