The MME/BirdLife Hungary organized the 3rd Pannonian Eagle Count (which was also the 17th Hungarian), where experts from seven countries were involved to search and count all the Eagles possible to assess a wintering population in the area. Besides the Eagles other raptor species were counted as well.
A total of 396 observer from Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia counted more than 1,100 White-eailed Eagles and more than 530 Imperial Eagles and for addition almost 13,000 other raptor species were taken into account including an interesting number of almost 9,000 Common Buzzard.

For more detailed information visit the site for the conservation of the Pannonian population of Imperial Eagles. 

This season the Hortobágy was again the No.1 site for White-tailed Eagles (again) and the feeding stations operated by Sakertours (within the Hortobágy National Park) are important for the wintering eagles.

For more pictures and a short summary about the 2019/2020 winter season in the Hortobágy please take a look at our Hortobágy Photography blog.

Juvenile Imperial Eagle surrounded by White-tailed Eagles in the Hortobágy by ©Jure Novak

Adult White-tailed Ealge from the Hortobágy by ©Jure Novak

Sakertour Team

In 2020 we are also launching our exciting Zemplén Photo Safari Extension which is a great photo experience in old style stalking photography and using mobile blinds / tents for various subjects in the World Heritage Tokaj area. Altough its famous for its superb and unique white wine the region also has amazing natural resources! This tour can be linked as a pre or post tour extension to our Spring-summer Hide-Photography Tour in the Hortobágy area. Also recommended for birder / photographers as some scarce species possible. In late April and early may we target Ural Owl and various woodpecker species (like Black, White-backed and Middle and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers) while later in the season (from mid May) the unique Wryneck is the star of the show. We have hundreds of owl nest boxes in this area as Zemplén has been one of the main areas our owl nest box project was running.

Ural Owl in its special breeding cravices in the Zemplén Hills (János Oláh)

Sakertour Team

In 2020 we are a launching our One Day Hortobágy Crane Photography Tour in the Hortobágy National Park. This tour was designed for anybody who want to make the best of the Crane experience when visiting this fabulous park in the October Cranes season when up to 150 000 birds staging in the area. Of course the weather is unpredictable but this tour was designed to make the best of the day in any circumstances. We only take up to 3 person a day from 1st to 20th October in every year. Read more about this at the tour page. The 2019 testing of this tour was a great success with many happy clients and some superb Crane experiences. The Crane Spectacle in the Hortobágy can be amazing when 50 000 Cranes roosting together!

Roosting Cranes in the Hortobágy National Park by drone – right in front of our Roosting Crane Hide (Attila Szilagyi)

Cranes right in front of the hide at dawn (Attila Szilágyi)

Sakertour Team

It seems that photographing Saker Falcon from our Buzzard Hide is reliable when the weather is getting a bit more cold and harsh. The pair showing itself in the first half of December disappeared when warmer winds and the sunny weather melted the snow and the daily temperature increased far above – in winter terms – 0° Celsius. In the past days the temperature dropped with early mornings sometimes under -5 °C together with chilli wind resulting an unpleasant weather – the Falcon pair is back in front of our hide. Surprisingly another individual turned up in front of our White-tailed Eagle Hide No.2. Besides the Sakers, Common Buzzards and White-tailed Eagles, fortunately, are visiting continously our hides.

Male Saker Falcon from our Buzzard Hide by Attila Szilágyi

Common Buzzard by Attila Szilágyi

Saker Falcon pair by Attila Szilágyi

Sakertour Team

In late May and early June we will run one single Special Brown Bear Photography Tour every year when we have the best circumsatnces for special images. We will try to capture bears in backlit conditions, with flowers, mother and cub actions as well as bears in landscape. This is a special tour dedicated to take unusual bear images! If you inetersted in such images, this is your tour to join! Check out the dates for 2020!

Steaming Carpathian Brown Bear in Transylvania (Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour Team

We have just revised our Danube Delta – Dobrudja Spring Tour and now incorporated yet another special bird into the itinerary. Semicollared Flycatchers were only found breeding a few years ago in Romania but now they are reliably and regularly seen. Our new tour offers the chance to see this bird as well as the usual specialties like Broad-billed Sandpiper, Pallas's Gull, Levant Sparrowhawk, Paddyfield Warbler, Rose-coloured Starling etc. Come and join us in 2020!

Semicollared Flycatcher male in Romania (János Oláh)

Sakertour team

The Hungarian Ornithological Society (MME) made the 16th Hungarian Eagle count in mid January. This time it was also the 2nd Pannonian Eagle Census which was coordinated by MME but included six countries and 20 different participating organizations. During this event over 488 observers counted wintering eagles all over Hungary, Austria, Cezch Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia. The most common eagle was White-tailed Eagle with 992-1060 individuals and about 725-748 was counted in Hungary alone. The Hortobágy region had 75 White-tailed Eagles of which around 30 were counted at the feeding stations operated by Sakertours. However the Hortobágy area always have more eagles in February and just one single feeding station held 46 White-tailed Eagles yesterday (8th February).

This eagle count resulted in 509-538 Eastern Imperial Egales of which 397-411 was observed in Hungary.  Also a few Golden and Greater Spotted Eagles were observed and an additional 11 000 individual raptors of 13 other species was counted.

Although these numbers may seem high, eagles are still fairly rare. Even on the most densly populated areas only an average of 4,5 White-tailed Eagles and 2,5 Imperial Eagles were recorded in every 100 km2 stated the summary of the survey.

Sakertour team

White-tailed Eagles in the Hortobágy area which has the most concentrated number of White-tailed Eagle sin the Pannonian region. Images by Márk Kovács.

As we promised all our birding tour reports from 2018 is now available on our website. If you would like to join one of our birding tours to Hungary, Slovakia or Romania in 2019 you can read and study all the recent tours from these regions. For further informations and results of each (from previous years) please contact our office at: sakertour.office@gmail.com

You can ready and download the reports HERE.

Birders in the Dobrudja region of Romania in 2018.

Sakertour team

We are glad to announce that after several years of work now we have Saker Falcon regularly visiting our Buzzard Hide in the Hortobágy area. In the winter of 2017 / 2018 they did show up a few times between January and March and now they returned for the 2018 / 2019 winter. In December they were regular though not daily visitors. If there is cold weather there is very good chance to photograph this superb falcon species from this hide. We believe January and February 2019 is a great time to come for those who after this special subject!

We still have places available for some of the White-tailed Eagle Photography Tours in January and February 2019. The Buzzard Hide is also included in the available hides, so these tours are one of the cheapest way to join for a few days photography which includes the Saker Falcon: http://www.sakertour.com/photo-tour-calendar.php

However if you interested just in the Saker Falcon please get in touch with our office and we can answer about availabilities!

Sakertour Team

Female Saker Falcon in flight in December 2018 (János Oláh)

Male Saker Falcon in the snow, in December 2018 (Attila Szilágyi)

Portrait of female Saker Falcon, in December 2018 (János Oláh)

Female Saker Falcon in front of Hide in December 2018 (János Oláh)