We are happy to announce that in May 2014 several woodpeckers visiting our drinking hides on a daily basis and even some more scarce and sought after subjects like Black and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are also regular. Also in late May we had a record day when no less then 6 different woodpecker species were photographed: Lesser Spotted-, Middle Spotted-, Great Spotted, Green and Black Woodpeckers plus Wryneck!

Female Black Woodpecker at our drinking hide (Photo: Beat Rüegger / Ornifoto)

Our Hungary, Slovakia & Transylvania GT in 2014 have recorded an astonishing 230 species (2 heard only) in 12 days (10 full days birding). Our previous record on this 3 country epic Central European tour was 222 back 13 years ago.

It is enough to mention a few groups and species to see what a great tour we had! We saw 10 species of owls, 10 species of woodpeckers, Pallid Harrier, Saker, Great Bustard, Capercaillie, Little Crake, Corncrake, Wallcreeper, Sombre Tit, Nutcracker, River and Moustached Warblers, Ring Ouzel, Rock Thrush, Red-breasted Flycatcher etc. The exciting report will be available soon!

If you are interested in this ultimate European tour please check out our 2015 date!

Red-breasted Flycatcher (Photo: János Oláh)

White-backed Woodpecker (Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour team

We spent 3 full and two half days – shared between the Hortobágy and the Zemplén-hills – with Simon and his friends and we did have some really great birding. We had really close and fabolous views of male Little Crake, long scope views of singing Moustached, River, Marsh and Barred Warblers, Ural Owl in the forest and a good range of woodpeckers and raptors, including a fine male Pallid Harrier fighting with a Short-eared Owl. Great Bustrads were still displaying, while around some wetlands we found Great Snipe, 3 Broad-billed Sandpipers, Red-throated Pipits and we had side-by-side views of Great Bitterns. The biggest surprise for sure was two adult Dalmation Pelicans in the Hortobágy!

(Photos: Gábor Simay)

Sakertour team

As May has arrived, our first birding tours have started their trips over the Carpathian-basin. We are looking forward an exciting and productive period. Spring has arrived earlier this year as the  winter was mild and the early-spring rather warm. Even the latest arrivals had turned up before May began.

Owls have occupied their nests and because – in some part of the Carpathians – beech trees produced exceptional amount of acorn we expect a good breeding results.

Eurasian Pygmy Owl – Photo: Gábor Simay

Ural Owl – Photo: János Oláh

Tengmalm´s Owl – Photo: Gábor Simay

Sakertour team

In the beautiful Bihar Mountains, just about two hours drive from the Hortobágy, one can find mature beach forests and good forest birding with a wide range of interesting species. Ural Owl is one of them and Sakertour now includes this area in its owl-boxing project. With the help of Balla Dániel and Simay Attila we placed out a a few nest-boxes to offer breeding places for these magnificent creatures. Right after we fixed the nest-boxes, in the evening a Ural Owl was calling only about a hunderd meter from one of our new nest-box!

If you would like to read an article of Bastien Juif´s latest visit to the Hortobágy please visit the NaturaPics website! The is about the photography of the ´Eagles of Hortobágy´ on a short visit to this fantastic World Heritage National Park in January 2014.

Juvenile (foreground) and adult White-tailed Egale (Photo: Bastien Juif).

Sakertour team

June is one of the best time to explore the Danube Delta and suddenly we have vacancy and able to launch another date for 2014.

For the itinerary please click here: 14-21 June.

Sakertour team

Yet again a big congratulation must go to Zoltán Gergely Nagy for his latest achivment on the European photography scene. He won the ´meetings´ category on the Festival de l´Oiseau et de la Nature 2014 in France with his image: Dominant Crow (see below). If you wish to see more winning images of the competition just click here.

If you wish to do photography with Zoltán there will be chances as he will be leading some of our Danube Delta tours in future (already in 2014). Sakertour also working with Zoli to launch some ´outdoor photography tours´ in the Wild Carpathians from 2015. Stayed tuned!

Dominant Crow by Zoltán Nagy

Sakertour team

Yesterday it was a great surprise for the photographers in the Eagle hide when a goose flock walked close to the hide. Having checked the flock they noticed a Red-breasted goose. It walked closer and closer to the hide. Finally they could take some images about it from 25 mertres. Suddenly a young Eagle disturbed the flock and they flew away. It was great experience!

Thanks for the Hansruedi Vögeli!

Red-breasted Goose with White-fronted Geese (Photos: Hansruedi Vögeli)

Because of the unusually warm winter many geese are overwintering in Hortobágy, among them about 230 Red-breasted geese can be found.

Sakertour Team