The 2009 started well for Hungary with yet another new bird for the country (following the Purple Sandpiper in November).

A second year Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) was found by Bence Kókay at Dunaújváros along the Danube on the 28th of January and was seen at the same spot until the 30th morning when it was seen flying southward.

This observation was probably linked with the gale (or hurricane) forced wind which hit France and Spain a few days earlier. There were up to 30 records of Iceland Gull in France following the storm.

Here is a picture of the bird, but unfortunately it was mostly raining and the quality is hence not the best!

Photographer: Gábor Simay

Last autumn there was an increadible Nutcraker invasion to Hungary with over 150 records throughout November and December. Most probably from Siberia as a lot of birds looked like the macrorhynchos race. Also a few birds showed mixed or transition feature. Some individuals overwintering and are staying in the same general area for weeks now.

Yesterday (08/01/2009) I managed to photograph two different birds near Jászberény with the help of the Sakertour guide Tamás Zalai.

Here is the picture of the distinctly long and slender billed individual which certainly looks macrorhynchus!

Photographer: János Oláh

The second individual has not got that obvious slender bill but  still could be macrorhynchus.

Photographer: János Oláh

In the last few days there was superb action at both of our White-tailed Eagle hides on the Hortobágy. All the visiting photographers were able to take pictures of eagles.

We have uploaded a few pictures to both White-tailed Eagle galleries, please take a look:

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

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

Photo taken by Csaba Lóki

The report of my Remote Ecuador 2008 tour with Birdquest just been uploaded and available at: http://www.birdquest.co.uk/tripreports.cfm?trip=662

János

It was a great news to hear: Purple Sandpiper on the ´Hungarian Sea´! We have been looking for this bird for many many years in this area and finally Ádám Faragó, Szabolcs Gál and Béla Kancsal found one! Fantastic and congratulations! Thanks for this great birds and here is a few pics taken by me on the first day (it stayed only for two days). The location was Balatongyörök, Lake Balaton

Pictures by János Oláh

I spent the week 7-13 November 2008 birdwatching with the Japanese group, when the unusually long Indian summer still persisted. This is why, in spite of the short periods of daylight, we had an action-packed birdwatching tour. In the first morning we could take pleasure in the sight of 10 Great Bustards, with Hen Harriers and Rough-legged Buzzards hunting nearby. Before lunch we went to see the Great Spotted Eagle wintering here regularly. During the short afternoon, we found a wild goose flock grazing in a wheat field, with a Red-breasted and a Lesser White-fronted Goose among them. The group applauded the sighting of a flock of 400 Stock Doves. We spent the evening watching the nearly 10,000 Cranes flying to their roosting area.

During the next few days, in an unhurried way, we collected all Hortobágy species special for Japanese birdwatchers, such as  Merlin, Saker, Penduline Tit, Bearded Tit, Pygmy Cormorant, Dotterel, Little Owl, Shelduck, Ruff, Snow Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Peregrine Falcon, Long-eared Owl, Great Grey Shrike, Blue Tit, Brambling, Fieldfare, Ferruginous Duck, etc. We also had the time to go and see the two “star” species, Great Bustard and Red-breasted Goose again.

We saw the first woodland species (such as Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Short-toed Treecreeper, Hawfinch, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Black Woodpecker and Marsh Tit) in the Great Forest of Debrecen, and continued collecting them in the Zemplén Hills (Black Redstart, Syrian Woodpecker, Green and Grey-headed Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Coal Tit and Tawny Owl). We crowned the tour with the sight of an adult Imperial Eagle perching on a tree by the main road.

Bird of the tour: Red-breasted Goose.

Zoltán Ecsedi

Hi!

Though the autumn Ornitholidays tour started a couple days later than usual, we experinced a fantastic, warm, sunny and dry weather and had only one foggy day.

During the first day we saw no less than five Imperial Eagles. Thanks to the nice weather, we saw many raptors during the following days, such Great Spotted Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, Rough-legged Buzzard, Merlin and excellent, close views of Saker Falcon. Beside the raptors we found Great Bustards, 12 Dotterels, 2 Stone Curlew, an out of season Squacco´s Heron, Ferruginous Ducks, Bearded and Penduline Tits. We visited three different Crane roosting areas and around the biggest one we saw at least 30.000 individuals. Cranes were virtually everywhere and we met several thousands feeding birds every day. 

After the vast grasslands and wetlands we visitid some old forest patches and urban areas where we found Black, Middle Spotted, Lesser Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers and also a Short-toed Treecreeper. In a small town we counted 52 Long-eared Owl in a roost area and to our surprise a Barn Owl in a different village.

The first big flocks of geese also arrived, so we could find two of our main target birds: Red-breasted Geese in two occaisons and two beautiful adult Lesser Whitefronts.

Gábor Simay

Dear Sakertour Guest!

Thank you for visiting our new website!

This activity blog gives all kinds of field news related to our birdwatching and bird photography tours.

Hope you will visit this fantastic region with us soon!

Kindest regards,

János Oláh

Managing director

Hi!

The Ornitholidays tour just started today and Gábor is leading from the Sakertour side. The main targets are Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted Goose, Saker, Great Bustard and Eastern Imperial Eagle. Check out the itinerary: http://www.ornitholidays.co.uk/details.asp?id=85

Will keep you updated about the tour!

Also more crane photographs of our guests were uploaded to our Crane Hide No 2. gallery:http://www.sakertour.com/hidegallery.php?hide=16

Photo: Ágoston Paksz

Sakertour team