Year: 2012

In the second week of May we had a successful and memorable birding trip again with our partner company Limosa Holidays. During this very enjoyable 9 day holiday we observed masses of birds, among them such highlights as Saker Falcon, Eastern Imperial Eagle,  Levant Sparrowhawk while hunting/eating lizard, close Booted Eagle, Honey Buzzards, 6 Pallas`s Gulls, colony of Whiskered Terns with Black-necked Grebes, hundreds of White Pelicans, tame Dalmatian Pelicans, Little Bitterns etc.

The detailed trip report with more pictures will be available soon in our Danube Delta blog and on the Limosa Holidays website too.

Pale morph of Booted Eagle over Dobrudja (Photo: Zoltán Baczó)

Skulking Little Bittern in the Danube Delta (Photo: Zoltán Baczó)

Dalmatian Pelican  (Photo: Zoltán Baczó)

Sakertour team

We spent a successful 9 days with our Swiss group visiting the Zemplén Hills, the Érc Mountains in Slovakia and the Hortobágy. Despite we had two rainy and a windy days we saw an impressive range of species, including Pigmy, Ural and Eagle Owls, very good views of Lesser Spotted, Golden and Eastern Imperial Eagles (latter was seen six times during the trip), Saker Falcon, displaying Great Bustards and even a Great Snipe. We also managed to see 9 species of woodpeckers – the rare White-backed was seen not less then three times!

Ural Owl (Photo: Simay Gábor)

Black Stork in the Zemplén Hills (Photo: Simay Gábor)

Sakertour team

Our friends from Shetland Wildlife had a wonderful time in our hides in Hungary (World Heritage Hortobágy National Park) in 2012 again. The weather was simply excellent so as all of our hides. The 2013 tour has only have 2 free places left – so if you want to come to Hungary with Hugh Harrop please do not hesitate to book!

Red-footed Falcon male preening (Photo: Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife)

Hoopoe (Photo: Hugh Harrop / Shetland Wildlife)

Sakertour team

We have finished our Hungary and Transylvania tour with our partner Ribble Bird tours. We had fantastic weather in the Zemplén Hills and in Transylvania but by the time we arrived to the Hortobágy Plain it was windy and raining! Our first afternoon there – before the cold weather front arrived – was something to be long remembered with displaying Great Bustards and singing Bluethroats in full sunshine! Tour highlights were Ural, Eagle and Scops Owls, White-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers, Wallcreeper, Capercaillie, Rock Thrush, Dotterel just to name but a few. We also had 5 Brown Bears. In terms of rarities Stuart found a Red-rumped Swallow in the Zemplén Hills and we also had Sombre Tit in Transylvania alongside with more Red-rumped Swallows and Crag Martin.

Dotterel on the Hortobágy (Photo: János Oláh)

Wallcreeper in the Békás Gorge (Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour team

Our longest and most productive Spring tour just finished with a great success. The 12 days long tour covering all the main habitats of the Carpathian Basin recorded 205 species this year. Our leader Sándor Borza will soon prepare a trip report which will be available at the ´tri report´ section. Highlights were the 9 species of owls seen, 10 species of woodpeckers, Capercaillie, Great Bustard, Saker, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Little Crake and others! Our next year dates for this superb tour is now online with all other information as well, please check it out.

Tengmalm´s Owl in Slovakia (Photo: Gábor Simay)

Sakertour team

We had a wonderful tour with our partner Limosa Holidays yet again with a whole range of exciting species. The weather was fantastic, in fact it was sometimes too hot. We managed to see all European woodpeckers, Ural Owl, Wallcreeper, displaying Great Bustard and a Brown Bear!

If you want to read more about the Transylvanian part of this tour please visit our blog. Also a report will be available soon.

Wallcreeper in Transylvania (Photo: Gabriella Tóth)

The ´bird of the trip´ was Dotterel on the Hortobágy Plains (Photo: Gabriella Tóth)

Sakertour team

On the second weekend of April all of our key destinations in the Danube Delta were visited in order to gain actual information`s and complete preparation works before our photography season starts.  During this time we have made bird observation in the northern part of Delta, along Sulina branch, in the Macin Mountains National Park and around Sinoe lagoons. Beside bird watching our photo boat and drinking hide were improved and now ready for the season!  

For more information please visit our Danube Delta blog.

Little Gull in the Danube Delta (Photo: János Oláh)

Isabelline Wheatear in the Măcin Mountain National Park (Photo: János Oláh)

First Collared Pratincoles arrived to Sinoe lagoons – and found rain lots of it… (Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour Team

Our first photography guests arrived and busily clicking away in the variety of subjects already on offer! This is still the very beginning of the photography season but some subjects already good enough. We have two pairs of Common Kestrels and a Long-eared Owl already breeding near the ´Red-footed Falcon Tower Hide´ and also the first Redfoots arrived on the 17th April. We also have a hide for Hoopoe and the ´Pygmy Cormorant Hide´ already performing well.

                                                 Spoonbill scratching                                                    (Photo: Hansruedi Vögeli)

                                                 Spoonbill and Great White Egret                                 (Photo: Hansruedi Vögeli)

The weather is variable and we also had some rain recently but still being a very dry Spring and all the drinking hides have lots of activities. Black Woodpecker was photographed two days ago. The shorebird hide is also in operation with up to 5-6 species daily. Our new aquatic hide has an amazing start with a Black Stork regularly visiting it!

                                                 Adult Black Stork                                                         (Photo: Hansruedi Vögeli)

      Adult Black Stork                                                                                (Photo: Hansruedi Vögeli)

Sakertour team

Our team has been working hard in the last few weeks on our hide-system in Hungary. We have been installing new hides, maintaining the classic ones and elaborating new feeding places. Our season just about to start from mid April when the Great Bustard hide will be accepting the first photographers. By the last week of April we will have our full system of 8 hides ready for the season!

In mid April the Flacon tower and the shorebird hide offering photography possibilities. The former for mating Kestrels while the latter for waders and ducks.

Eurasian Teal (Photo: Gábor Simay)

Black-tailed Godwit (Photo: Gábor Simay)

Sakertour team

A  flock of 80!! Lesser White-fronted Goose staging in the Hortobágy at the moment (2012 April 5th). Last time we had such a large flock together was back in 1997. In 2011 they had a great breeding year in Norway largely because of the eradication of red foxes. The project is still strongly implemented so in the autumn of 2012 we very much hope to see over 100 Lesser Whitefronts on the Hortobágy Plain!

Sakertour team

This weekend we have started to check out our extensive network of owl nest-boxes in Hungary, Slovakia and Romania (Transylvania) and we can already see a good year coming up! We have lots of Ural Owls in boxes and also Eurasian Pygmy Owls very active. We have heard several Tengmalm´s Owls in different territories but its a touch early for nesting (two more weeks). So all in all we are hoping for a good owl year!

Calling male Pygmy Owl at dusk in March 2012 in Slovakia (Photo: János Oláh)

Male Pygmy Owl in March 2012 in Slovakia (Photo: János Oláh)

The weather can be tricky in early Spring. The completely Spring feeling was changed

in a single night as you can see on the snow-covered trees (Photo: János Oláh)

Carpathian Crocus (Crocus heuffelianus). Photo: János Oláh

Sakertour team

Early Spring is the very best time to capture Hawfinches. This time there is no foliage in the forest and up 100 individuals visiting our drinking hide daily. 2012 March is particularly good as we have an absolute rainless period and the forest is very dry. It is simply amazing to watch  the Hawfinches in all sort of plumages and their behaviour.

We created a gallery on our facebook page where you can see a lot more images. Please check it out!

If you like Hawfinches you need to come and see it yourself!

Male Hawfinch (Photo: János Oláh)

Male and female fighting (Photo: János Oláh)

Adult males threatening each other (Photo: János Oláh)

Adult male drinking (Photo: János Oláh)

Face to face (Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour team

The weather continous to be unusually warm and dry. Following the driest autumn for 50 years with very little winter precipitation and a rainless early Spring we moving into a dry Spring in Hungary!

The winter is over now as most of the geese are leaving the Hortobágy region. A few days ago we still had many Red-breasted Geese in the hords of Greater White-fronts but the numbers are decreasing daily.

Red-breasted Geese in March 2012 in the Hortobágy                                    Photo: János Oláh

Red-breasted Geese in March 2012 in the Hortobágy                                    Photo: János Oláh

Still plenty of White-tailed Eagles around but they dont visit our feeding stations any more.

Adult White-tailed Eagle                                                                                  Photo: János Oláh

Sakertour team

The report of our 2011 tour with Wild Images has now been uploaded and you can see it here. We are delighted to tell that Wild Images will run two tour to Hungary in 2012. The first one is fully booked but there is still some places left for the second tour!

Great White Egret in the early morning sun by tour participant James Brier

Sakertour team

It has been a while since we gave any news from Sakertour. Not because February been quiet but more because we were way too busy! 2012 February was one of the best White-tailed Eagle photography month in recent years. We had a proper severe winter with -15C for several weeks (in fact sometimes below -20C) and a good snow coverage too. Up to 22 White-tailed Eagles were counted at one hide in a single day and up to 40 eagles were visiting regularly our hides. Our guests managed to photograph many colour ringed White-tailed Eagles from all over Europe. A total of 12 ringed eagles were photographed and identified.

White-tailed Eagle at one of our hide                                                                         (Photo: János Oláh)

In late February and the beginning of March the weather slowly changed. Daytime temperature is up to 10C now but at night it is still -6C or below. Hords of grey geese arriving now to the Hortobágy region and many Red-breasted Goose a few Lesser White-fronted Goose can be seen.

The photography season has finished and we do the hide maintanance now, preparing for the Spring Season which is starting with Great Bustard photography in April!

Great Bustard (Photo: János Oláh)

It is still winter in the mountains but some of the Carpathian foothills like the Zemplén Hills is getting alive. Several Ural Owls has started to breed now and the woodpeckers starting to defend their territories and their loud drumming can be heard. This is the best time locate the territories of the rare White-backed Woodpeckers!

White-backed Woodpecker                                          (Photo: János Oláh)

We looking forward a very busy birdwatching and hide photography season and most certainly will keep you posted about the happenings!

Sakertour team

The winter of 2011/2012 is a very mild one so far. We had 2 days of -8C in early December and then 2 days of -7C in mid January. Snow cover is almost non-existent though we had 8cm on the 22nd January but it was gone in a single day! The last weekend of January brought some wintry weather and apparently this will last a few days. We shall see!

Birding is slow but several thousands geese can be found and many Red-breasted Goose were seen in December and January. About 100 in the Hortobágy region (and up to 200 in the Buharugra region).

The vole population is very strong so Short-eared Owls, Hen Harriers and Rough-legged Buzzards are rather common this winter. Merlins are also plentyful.

Our eagle hides are operational and we will keep you posted about the Skua Nature group and also our own Sakertour January tour. The mid January eagle count in the Hortobágy region yielded 154 wintering White-tailed Eagles, one Eastern Imperial Eagle and two Greater Spotted Eagles.

Apart from the winter birds of the ´puszta´ we also have our bird feeding station where hundreds of tits and many woodpeckers can be seen daily. In some days up to 17 bird species were photographed from the hide by the feeding station in January.

Hen Harrier male (Photo: János Oláh)

Short-eared Owl (Photo: János Oláh)

Juvenile White-tailed Eagle enjoying the sunny, clear weather over the steppe (Photo: János Oláh).

Hawfinch is regular on the feeder is small numbers (Photo: János Oláh)

Middle-spotted Woodpecker is also daily visitor on the feeder

(Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour team

Although it was our first eagle photo-tour of the season the images came just recently from the tour with our partner in December 2012. They have enjoyed a terrific time yet again in the Hortobágy National Park with White-tailed Eagles, Long-eared Owls and woodpeckers. They will be back in February for a second tour!

White-tailed Eagle in action                                           Photo: Erwan Balanca / Terres Oubliees

We still hope to see many images from our participants. Our partner tour with SKUA Nature in Italy is just running and we will keep you posted about the success!

White-tailed Eagle in action II.                                        Photo: Erwan Balanca / Terres Oubliees

Meanwhile 2012 January did finally produced a bit of snow today but we are not sure how long it will last. The eagle activity is surprisingly good however considering the very mild winter and in the first days of January there were up to 15 White-tailed Eagles seen from the hides.

White-tailed Eagle in action III.                                       Photo: Erwan Balanca / Terres Oubliees

Sakertour Team