Month: July 2010

We hosted our Dutch partner BirdingBreaks between 24-31 May for a classic week of birding in the Hortobágy and the Zemplén Hills. Once again the tour was a great success and the group saw all the target birds. Highlights of the tour were Great Bustard, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Saker Falcon, Aquatic Warbler, Moustached Warbler, Ural Owl, White-backed Woodpecker and lot of other supporting cast (Eagle Owl, Little Crake, Roller, Bee-eater, Barred Warbler etc.).

Short-toed lark Photo: Kees de Vries

Bee-eater Photo: Kees de Vries

Lesser Grey Shrike Photo: Kees de Vries

Please take a look at the report of this classic birding tour with a serious of Eastern European specialties!

Sakertour team

Our friend Eusatce Barnes came to recce Hungary and Transylvania for a proposed tour in 2012. The tour will be a new and exciting one with a start in Budapest and a finish in Bucharest. It will cover the main areas within just two weeks!

We had a great time in late May with many exciting birds. Eustace´s party arrived from Poland so the floods were familiar to them but unfortunately the rain continued to fall in Hungary too. It was not as severe as the preceding weeks and did not hamper our birding. In fact the Transylvanian part was blessed with great weather!

Wallcreeper Photo: Zoltán Baczó

Endless flowering meadow in Transylvania Photo: Zoltán Baczó

Sakertour team

Our partner Shetland Wildlife was also pretty unlucky with weather just as our Photo-tour was at the same time! But birdwatching is easier in the rain than photographing and the group managed to see all the main targets on the classic Hortobágy-Zemplén tour.

They started with Broad-billed Sandpiper in the Hortobágy and then Aquatic and Moustached Warblers performed well. For Great Bustard it was a long walk as the muddy conditions did not allow easy access but it was well worth the effort!

In the Zemplén woodpeckers and owls were the main target and once again it was not a problem for us to find Ural and Eurasian Eagle Owls as well as all the woodpeckers, including the secretive White-backed Woodpecker.

You can find a more detailed description in the Shetland Wildlife news section and a report is due to come!

Hopefully next year the sun will shine on Shetland Wildlfie!

Sakertour team

We operated our first ever photo-tour with our partners Wild Images from 16th to 22nd May, 2010. The weather was simply horrific as we did not see the sun for 5 days at all and it rained more or less continously. This has never ever happened to one of our Hungary groups before and it was frustrating and disappointing. Finally the last full day of the tour and the day of departure enjoyed good and sunny weather. This did show to our photographers what could be done from the series of hides. Next time!

Middle-spotted Woodpecker Photo: Tour participants Eric McCabe

Female Red-footed Falcon in the rain Photo: János Oláh

Let´s hope the weather will be kinder for the rest of May and other photographers!

Sakertour team