In the last few weeks White-tailed Eagles have been regular visitors to our eagle hides. Also Common Buzzards are daily guests in good numbers.

Fighting Common Buzzards Photo: Miroslav Zítek

Three days ago the Hortobágy got snow-covered so the eagle photography likely to be even better now. Two days ago there were 12 White-tailed Eagles in front of eagle hide II.

Adult White-tailed Eagle Photo: János Perényi

For more images from these hides recently please visit our hide gallery:

http://www.sakertour.com/hidegallery.php?hide=1&author=&text=

http://www.sakertour.com/hidegallery.php?hide=19

Sakertour team

We have just uploaded a few new images to our ever growing Awards archive. This time a regular guest and friend Csaba Lóki shared a few more of his 2009 winning images from our hides. Please check them out: http://www.sakertour.com/awards.php

Cranes at night Photo: Csaba Lóki

Sakertour Team

We spent a week in the Hortobágy from the 31st of October, and luckily we had splendid weather almost every day.We had also luck with the birds, especially geese, as we saw almost 100 Red-breasted Geese, 64 in one flock, just 150 meters away… This flock contained 3 Lesser White-fronted Geese too. During the week we saw 16 Great Bustards, 3 Imperial Eagles, many White-Tailed Eagles, 3 Sakers, Jack Snipe, 2 Snow Bunting, Ferruginous Ducks, a late Whiskered Tern, Black, Lesser Spotted, Middle-spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers and many more.

Cranes were still presented in good numbers and we saw many thousands flying to the roosting area two evenings. 

Huge flocks of Great Whitefronts have arrived in the Hortobágy Photo:Simay Gábor

Geese attracted many White-tailed Eagles Photo:Simay Gábor

Cranes flying to roost Photo:Simay Gábor

Cranes and geese together on a sea lavendar field Photo:János Oláh

Red-breasted Geese in flight Photo: János Oláh

A long-term partner of Sakertour our Japanese friends came along for the annual geese-watching this year again! One of the most precious target is the ´ao-gan´ or in translation ´blue goose´ which is commonly known for us as Red-breasted Goose. November is also good to see some of the leftover Cranes, many eagles and massive number of Long-eared Owls.

Other targets include the impressive ´no-gan´ or ´field-goose´or as we know it: Great Bustard.

We shall see the final results in a week time!

Sakertour team

Our friends from Ornitholidays (http://www.ornitholidays.co.uk/) arrived on the 31st of October with Mike Witherick as leader.

They arrived at the very best time for some geese watching as unprecedented number of Red-breatsed Geese arrived to the Hortobágy Plains this autumn! Flocks of 30-80 have been seen and the total number of redbreasts estimated to be over 300 in the region! So it was not surprising that already on the arrival day on the way from the airport to the Hortobágy the group had 11 Red-breasted Geese in the fading afternoon light. The leader from Sakertour side was Gábor Simay and he shall give details of this tour soon!

Crane portrait Photo: János Oláh

Sakertour team

The annual Crane week (17-24 October) for Limosa Holidays was once again a great event with many birds seen. Check out their full itinerary here: http://www.limosaholidays.co.uk/. The tour started in the Zemplén Hills with Ural Owl, White-backed Woodpecker, a fine Alpine Accentor and Rock Bunting. All the usual goodies were seen on the Hortobágy (Lesser White-fronted Goose, Great Bustard, Saker etc.) plus some unexpected bonus like a Dalmatian Pelican.

The tour also coincided with the zenith of the cranes which was 101,500 (a new record for Hortobágy!) this autumn so surely there were enough birds around to see….

Sakertour team

We started our trip in the Zemplén hills, where we managed to see a superb Ural Owl and several species of woodpeckers. On the way to the hills we saw 2 Imperial Eagles together with 2 Saker Falcons. During the rest of our trip we found 6 individuals of the latter species.

On the Hortobágy, besides our target species, like the Great Bustard (9), Stone Curlew (9), Dotterel (100+), Lesser White-fronted Geese (7) we saw a Black-winged Pratincole at the same site where we saw 14 White-tailed together with 2 Impeial Eagles and 9 Jack Snipes. Other highlights were a very late Marsh Sandpiper, Ferruginous Ducks, Bar-tailed Godwit and many,many Red-throated Pipits.

Part of a flock of Dotterels Photo: Simay Gábor

Long-eared Owls at a poost site Photo: Simay Gábor

Penduline Tit Photo: Simay Gábor

Cranes flying to a roost site Photo: Simay Gábor

In the last few days there is a wide discussion of the ID of the Pluvilis seen at Nagy-Vókonya on the Hortobágy. Finally all experts and comments have concluded to be a Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva).

Another image of this bird below.

Pacific Golden Plover Photo: János Oláh

Today we were lucky enough to find the second (if accepted) record of Pacific Golden Plover for Hungary. This adult bird was seen at Nagy-Vókonya wetland in the Hortobágy. Other highlights of this magnificent day were 22 Lesser White-fronted Goose, 8 White-tailed Eagle, 4 Imperial Eagles, Bar-tailed Godwit, many Red-throated Pipits and a wonderful roost-flight of Cranes (20 000).

Yesterday´s Crane count on the Hortobágy was 48,000 individuals at 4 main roosting areas.

Pacific Golden Plover Photo: János Tar

Sakertour team