We had a successful trip with a private group to the Delta with over 180 recorded species including Levant Sparrowhawk, Saker Falcon, Pied Wheater, Paddyfield Warbler, Woodchat Shrike, Sombre Tit.

You can see more images here:

http://birdwatchingdanubedelta.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/early-may-trip/

Male Levant Sparrowhawk

Sakertour team

We had our spring tour in the last days of April and first days of May when the weather was warm and sunny all week long. Though the weather was dry, plenty of temporary wetlands remained after the wet winter, which ensured us great birding in the Hortobágy. In this nice weather even most of the late arriving birds had already occupied their territories so we could record more then 170 species during the week!

We had great views of Ural Owls even one with a mouse prey in its beak, singing male Barred Warblers, Eastern Imperial Eagles and many woodpeckers in the foothills. In the lowlands we had a rather early migrant Broad-billed Sanpiper, singing Moustached Warblers, displaying Great Bustrads and great views of Saker Falcon.

Ural Owl (Photo: Gábor Simay)

Sakertour team

As usual Spring arrived fast and suddenly all the beauties of nature is available. Our photography tours has started and our photographers enjoying great opportunities from our hides! Please see our Hortobágy Photography blog for more images.

White-winged Terns are a great subject in 2013 (Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour team

Some of our team members has spent the last weeks in the Danube Delta area to get as many information as possible about the state of the places and birds before our tours. The birding tours are due to start in a few days while the photography season will start in two weeks time!

You can see more images in our Danube Delta Photo and Birdwatching Blog.

We also have our 2014 tour dates online now for the birding tours as well as for the photography tours!

Citrine Wagtail is a rather scrace migrant but up to 4 were seen (Photo: Gábor Simay)

A male Woodchat Shrike – rare breeding bird – has been located recently (Photo: Gábor Simay)

Spring has arrived to the Danube Delta (Photo: Gábor Simay)

Sakertour team

In the last three weeks the Sakertour team was very busy in finalizing all works on the photo-hides both in Hungary (Hortobágy) and Romania (Danube Delta). The hard work was successful and most of the hides is full operation from this weekend. The first photographer of the season arrived on Wednesday and had a superb day in our Great Bustard Hide. This weekend the photography workshop of Imre Tamás´s photo school takes place and blessed with superb sunny weather!

The is also the very best time to prepare for all the birdwatching tours of the season. More and more species arriving back from the wintering grounds and / or starting the breeding. Our birding tours will start just about a week time!

Male Great Bustard starting to display in front of our hide in Mid April 2013  (Photo: Attila Végh)

Good number sof Red-footed Falcons arrived back by now – an immature male on the image (Photo: János Oláh)

This is the time when the rare White-backed Woodpecker starting to breed (Photo: János Oláh)

April is the best time to see Moustached Warbler as they are singing away all over the Hortobágy (Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour team

Usually the end of February means the end of the eagle photography season too. The March started with an unusually warm weather, when the midday temperature rose even to 14 Celsius degree. Normally, the White-tailed Eagles from the northern populations, which had spent the winter in the Carpathian-basin, left the region by this time.

Well, this year was not like that. Till mid-March, eagles visited continuously the surrounding of the hides, creating excellent opportunities for the photographers. 30-40 eagles turned up daily, and sometimes no less, then 30 birds gathered in the very vicinity (40 meters) of the hides at the same time. The maximum number was 74 individuals around this spot during these days. Also, an immature Eastern Imperial Eagle spent a couple of days around, but, because of the dominating White-tailed Eagles, it seldom managed to get some food.

The warm weather in mid-March ended with an unusually cold, snowy weather. Though the snow melted quite quickly, it was still odd to take pictures with a snowy background this time of the year.

Now, we are preparing for the spring. Around the hides new species and opportunities are turning up quickly!

Sakertour team

Photos: Attila Szilágyi

Photos: János Tar

In 01.03.2013. an immature male Black-throated Thrush was found by Dániel Balla in Debrecen. It was in the well wooded area close to the University around the so called Békás-pond. The bird is still there and it has been seen at the same spot every day since it had been first observed, though it is elusive and often dissapears for hours, prefers to stay high or in the dens coniferous vegetation. (photo: Gábor Simay)

We had an international group of photographers from six different countries! The weather was extremely variable for the tour. On the arrival day it was difficult to drive even on the main roads because of the continuous snowing and gale forced wind. On the first two days there was snow cover on the ground and several excellent images were captured by the tour participants.

White-tailed Eagle calling! Photo: Marco Poggione

White-tailed Eagle catching fish. Photo: Marco Poggione

On the last two days the snow was gone but the eagle activity was just as good in front of the hides! In 2013 / 2014 winter we will run two different White-tailed Eagle photo-tours. Please check out the dates and the tour HERE!

Eagles in front of the hide. Photo: János Oláh

Portrait of a subadult bird. Photo: János Oláh

Sakertour team

The Hortobágy National Park (HNP) made an Eagle count in mid January 2013. During this event the rangers counted the wintering eagles all over national park directorate. The numbers were high with 193  White-tailed Eagle, 11 Eastern Imperial Eagles and one Greater Spotted Eagle. In the strictly speaking Hortobágy area 168 WtE were counted.

Activity at our hides continues to be good with 3-15 eagles visiting each hide daily. Please take a look of a video made from our hide a few days ago by our friend Csaba Lóki. For more images please visit his website as well!

White-tailed Eagles in the 2012/2013 season from our hides. Photo: Csaba Lóki

Sakertour team

Sakertour team