Hungary & Transylvania with Shetland Wildlife May 2018

Transcription

1 Hungary & Transylvania with Shetland Wildlife May 2018 Leaders: Judd Hunt & Zoltán Ecsedi Saturday 5 May 2018 After the group met at Heathrow we boarded our BA flight to Budapest and arrived on time. Here, we met co-guide Zoltán Zoli Ecsedi and our driver Barna. We were soon on our way, travelling east in our spacious, comfortable mini-coach. One of the first species seen from the vehicle were Hooded Crows and we encountered this species regularly throughout our time here. After about 90 minutes, we stopped at one of the few remaining sites at Apaj where Collared Pratincoles still breed and we began to savour some of the fantastic birdlife that exists here. After a short wait, three of these elegant, almost tern-like waders were seen as they flew past us, calling as they went. While waiting for the pratincoles, we were treated to good views of a splendid male Montagu s Harrier as he quartered the field in front of us and a Quail remained well hidden as it sang from the nearby long grass. Then a mighty adult Eastern Imperial Eagle was spotted as it soared on a thermal high above us, showing its diagnostic silhouette and flight attitude. As it banked, we could see the pale brown head and white shoulder patches brilliant! As if the eagle was not enough, an enormous Great Bustard was seen and we managed to see a further 14 of these - the world s heaviest flying birds - before the day was over! We made another stop and here we continued to see more fantastic birds with a winter plumage Red-throated Diver being a surprise find. We also saw three Redcrested Pochards, Purple Herons, both Great and Little Egrets, White Storks, Eurasian Spoonbills, Black-crowned Night Heron, Hobby, Marsh Harriers, Blackwinged Stilts, Avocets, Black-tailed Godwits, Wood Sandpipers, Ruff (with the males looking splendid in their varied finery), Mediterranean Gulls, beautiful Whiskered and Black Terns, Turtle Doves, Penduline Tit and five European Bee-eaters not a bad start considering we hadn t even arrived at our hotel yet! White Stork was a species that we would encounter daily throughout our trip and how wonderful it was to see the species thriving in this region. Other highlights included Red-backed Shrikes, Golden Orioles, Crested Larks, Common Nightingale, Black Redstart, Whinchat, Tree Sparrows and over forty migrating Red-throated Pipits. What an amazing start to our trip! We arrived in the Hortobágy and at our hotel - the Trófea, which is set within a small, beautiful wood and alongside a stunning, reed-fringed lake. Before enjoying our first dinner we were able to obtain great views of Tree Sparrows and Great Reed Warblers while Turtle Doves could be heard purring deep within the wood. What a day.

2 Sunday 6th May 2018 Before breakfast, we took a stroll around the lake in lovely weather and almost immediately we were thrilled to see four Little Bitterns as they clambered with stretched legs through the reed stems. Occasionally seen in flight, they vied for attention with the local Great Reed Warblers who were delivering their raucous cacophony from the same reedbed. Across the road from the hotel grounds we first heard and then saw a Savi s Warbler as he delivered his reeling song. Following a hearty breakfast, we headed into the heart of the famous Hortobágy, a unique habitat that is famous for its rich and eclectic mix of wildlife. Today s route took us in a loop around the Hortobágy region and stops were made at the following locations; Cucca, Magdolna-puszta, Nagy-szik, Nyírő-lapos and southern part of the Hortobágy fishponds. Sadly, one of the avian specialties here, the Aquatic Warbler, no longer breeds in Hungary but, nevertheless, we were left breathless by the array of birds that we encountered. Each and every body of water we stopped at offered some brilliant views of wildfowl and we saw many fabulous Ferruginous Ducks, gorgeous Garganey, stunning Shovelers with Gadwall, Wigeon, Shelduck, Redcrested Pochards, Greylag Geese and Mute Swans as a supporting cast. Amongst the wildfowl, we were also treated to great views of three beautiful summer plumaged Black-necked Grebes such a handsome bird when wearing this dress. Other water birds were encountered throughout the day and the group were afforded great views of Spoonbills, Night Herons, Squacco Herons, both Grey and Purple Herons, Great and Little Egrets and two Pygmy Cormorants. Everyone was eager to see birds of prey and we weren t to be disappointed. Star of the show for many were the 50+ Red-footed Falcons that were watched for an hour as they hawked insects over the plains and all around us then returning to their colony. A pair of mighty Sakers were scoped as they perched on a nearby pylon plus the birds were occasionally seen as they powerfully took flight. A single Hobby, a Peregrine plus a few Common Kestrels added to the falcon-fest we were enjoying. Marsh Harriers were everywhere, and we logged more than 30 during the day but the young White-tailed Eagle we watched soaring over the plains was a real showstopper! We weren t finished there either as we continued to overindulge on raptors - Montagu s Harriers, Common and Honey Buzzards, a stunning Long-legged Buzzard plus another Eastern Imperial Eagle. Two Common Cranes were seen before we had super views of a pair of Stone Curlews that were resting just alongside a trail across the plains. Continuing the wader theme, we saw an amazing assortment of migrant and breeding birds at every wetland site we visited - many noisy Black-winged Stilts, Avocets, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Greenshanks, a beautiful and delicate Marsh Sandpiper, huge numbers of twittering Wood Sandpipers, lesser numbers of Common Sandpipers, Little Stint, Dunlin, two brick-

3 red Curlew Sandpipers and thousands of Ruff - with the males sporting a rich variety of crest and neck-ruff plumages simply stunning! Marsh terns were seen at the same wetland sites with all three species giving amazing views alongside each other: beautiful Black, White-winged and Whiskered Terns graced the air above the water, frequently dipping down to pick insects trapped in the meniscus at the water s surface. A Hoopoe was seen as it undulated across a hay meadow looking like a giant, orange bodied, pied-winged butterfly and blush-breasted male Red-backed Shrikes adorned many of the bushes and hedgerows. Good views were had of a pair of Lesser Grey Shrikes enabling the differences between these and the Great Grey / Southern Grey Shrikes to be pointed out. Penduline Tits we heard and seen at several locations and one bird was seen bringing insulating reed mace into its pendulous, hanging nest chamber. At one stop we heard the song of a Tawny Pipit and it took us some time to find him as he foraged in the furrows of a ploughed field but eventually everyone managed scope views of this large, pallid pipit. A few mammals were also in evidence with a few Brown Hares and Roe Deer seen on the plains and in agricultural fields. Before we knew it, the time had arrived to drive back to the hotel but what a day it had been and how time had flown. A delicious dinner was followed by a good night s rest and it was well deserved after such a glorious and intense day! Male Red-footed Falcon by Judd Hunt

4 Monday 7th May 2018 Before we enjoyed another breakfast, we took a stroll around the hotel grounds and lakeshore and were rewarded with super views of both Great Reed and Savi s Warblers, but we only heard the delightful song of a Wood Warbler who remained hidden in the tree tops. Today saw us leave the Hortobágy and depart Hungary as we drove into Romania at the border crossing near Oradea. However, to break the journey, we stopped at regular intervals along the way and the first of these was on the edge of the Hortobágy at a site named Andaháza. Here we enjoyed scope views of a gorgeous Long-eared Owl which was sat in a nest box situated within a Red-footed Falcon colony. Also here we saw more Savi s Warblers plus a few brutish-looking Caspian Gulls as they flew overhead. After passing through the Romanian city of Oradea, we drove for about an hour and stopped at the huge Alesd reservoir to scan for water birds. However, the first species encountered were several lovely Ortolan Buntings, the males occasionally delivering their fluty, melancholy songs while both Common and Lesser Whitethroats sang from the scrub around us. We also found a Great Grey Shrike perched on some nearby wires as it scanned for prey. We then moved up onto the banks of the reservoir to scan the vast expanse of water. From here we found a couple of handsome summer plumaged Red-necked Grebes which were associating with much larger numbers of Great Crested Grebes. Less impressive but equally as interesting were a few immature Yellow-legged Gulls picked out on the far shore this species is much less common here than Caspian Gull and this was our only sighting of the trip. Amongst a flock of feeding Black Terns we found a few White-winged Terns and the differences in plumage could easily be appreciated. We also saw a Dice Snake as it appeared to pursue the small fish fry present in the margins. At our lunch stop, we saw our first Fieldfares of the trip as they busily and noisily gathered food for their young plus some lovely spikes of Green-winged Orchids were nearby. At a fuel stop, a Serin was seen as he sang from a nearby treetop and then later we spent some time overlooking the Turda Gorge. From our elevated position we were able to see Alpine Swifts, a few of which flew overhead plus Ravens and a distant Golden Eagle. Not long after, we spotted a stunning Lesser Spotted Eagle and enjoyed super views of this wonderful bird. We then arrived at our beautiful hotel in Torockószentgyörgy. This lies in the heart of the Torockó region and overlooks verdant, lush meadows and the impressive Torockó Mountain called Székelykő. This area is deep in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains and is the home to both magnificent wildlife - and fabled vampires!

5 Before bed and with full tummies we spent time looking for the diminutive Scop s Owl. Before long (and with the aid of a torch) we were all watching a bird calling from trees surrounding the hotel what a great way to end the day. Tuesday 8th May 2018 Today we travelled along a route that took us deeper into the Carpathian Mountains and allowed us to experience some of the creatures and mythologies that exist here. Our first stop was in the gorge at Kőköz and here we immediately found our target species with both Red-rumped Swallows and Crag Martins being seen within minutes of our arrival. Both of these hirundines are rare in this region so seeing them was a real treat and the views of a pair of both gathering mud to build their nests from a nearby puddle were fantastic. Before we arrived back at Székelykő, we stopped to watch a Great Grey Shrike as it scanned the fields for prey from its vantage point atop a telegraph pole. The birds here look even paler that the nominate Great Grey Shrikes seen in the lowlands (the same subspecies we see occasionally in the UK in winter) and there is some debate as to which race these birds should be assigned. Then, soon after, Zoli heard a River Warbler singing as we drove past some suitable habitat. We all disembarked the vehicle and prepared ourselves for the struggle that often ensues when trying to obtain good views of this very skulking species. Well, this bird bucked the trend and we were amazed to see this male delivering his sewing machine-like, buzzing song from the top of a close tree, often with him sat out in the open! We watched him for a good five minutes before he reverted to type and flew into the heart of the thickets below where he continued his attempt to woo a mate. We retraced our steps and spent the next few hours walking amongst the meadows and along the hillside tracks below Székelykő Mountain. And what a few hours it was. Firstly, we were distracted by a rasping Corncrake and we were delighted when we eventually managed prolonged flight views of this most-difficult-to-see species. Red-backed Shrikes and Ortolan Buntings were everywhere with many of the males perching prominently on top of bushes where they sang their hearts out. Other bushes were occupied with Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers and Whinchats and the musical cacophony they created was a wonder to behold. One of our main targets here was the Sombre Tit. This species appears to maintain an isolated population in this area as no other sites are known within several hundred kilometres of this set of hillsides. We didn t have to wait long either as a lone male was well watched as he traversed the hawthorn bushes in front of us, often uttering his calls and song wonderful! Seemingly wanting a similar amount of attention, a nearby Wryneck began to sing its heart out from the top of some dead twigs and we spent at least five minutes having superb views of this little, cryptically coloured woodpecker.

6 We moved location to explore another part of this stunning hillside and after a short walk we heard the song of a Rufous-tailed Rock Thrush from the crags above us. After some time spent scanning, we eventually picked him out sat on a rock against the skyline and, once the telescopes had been trained on him, everyone had decent views of this handsome bird. While watching the Rock Thrush, we heard the call of a Rock Bunting and after some time, we spotted him as he began to sing from a bush on the hillside next to us. Scope views were had of this lovely, stripy-headed bird and added another species to our already decent bunting tally. A few butterflies were on the wing with the pick of the bunch being a lovely Common Glider. Just as we were leaving, we saw a magnificent Golden Eagle as it flew along the rock face and were treated to great views as it patrolled the hillside. As we watched the eagle, a few Alpine Swifts zapped into view and this seemed a fitting time to depart this brilliant place and move on to pastures new. Before arriving at our next destination, we saw two very close Lesser Spotted Eagles as they drifted on thermals overhead and the views were amazing. Prior to passing the city of Sighisoara, we stopped deep within some ancient, pristine beech woodland to search for more avian delights. In no time we had located a singing male Red-breasted Flycatcher and eventually everyone managed good views as he danced high in the trees above us. A Collared Flycatcher could be heard singing, but he evaded our gaze most effectively. While searching for the flycatcher, some of the group managed to obtain views of Hawfinches that were calling high in the canopy, but we d have to wait a few days before everyone had wonderful views of this giant finch. A little further on, we had good views of a Middle-Spotted Woodpecker before we heard the calls of a nearby Black Woodpecker. Whilst trying to locate him, both Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen and then the main quarry landed in a nearby, isolated tree. For the next 15 minutes we were transfixed as we watched him drumming at regular intervals from what was obviously one of his favourite drumming posts. Eventually, this mighty, crow-sized woodpecker flew off and left us all extremely satisfied with the experience. During our return to our vehicle we all had nice views of a singing Marsh Tit plus Robins and Wrens aplenty. We began our journey on to our next lodgings at Zetelaka where we stayed in the newly constructed and excellent Bear Lodge. This was to be our base for three nights and is ideally positioned for exploring the sites within the Carpathian Mountains. However, before we arrived, we still had time to see two more superb Lesser Spotted Eagles and listen to the song of a gorgeous Wood Warbler. Wednesday 9th May 2018 Before breakfast, we walked a short distance from the lodge and explored the fields and riverine trees nearby. We saw both Common and Black Redstarts plus a few members of the group briefly saw a Dipper on the small river. After filling-up with a tasty breakfast, we began the short drive up into higher elevations on the Hargitha Mountain where we hoped to find an array of new species

7 that are associated with this different habitat. After climbing up several hundred metres from the valley floor, we stopped to take a stroll along one of the paths that run through the dense coniferous forest. Before long, the new birds began to appear, and we encountered Firecrests and Goldcrests, Common Crossbills, Siskins, Dunnocks, Bullfinch and Tree Pipits. We then heard a drumming woodpecker which sounded interesting and were soon watching a gorgeous Three-toed Woodpecker. It gave amazing views feeding on fallen tree trunks and then flew up into a dead tree drumming once more. This can be a difficult species to find here so we were all delighted with this brilliant sighting. Some of the group also saw a fine male Ring Ouzel here as he foraged on the forest floor. We moved on and the cloud began to descend around us with light rain beginning to fall. As we arrived in a clearing that is a known Capercaillie lek, we heard a Tengmalm s Owl calling from nearby. We could hardly believe that this strictly nocturnal owl was calling in the middle of the morning but guessed that the dark conditions caused by the veil of cloud that enveloped us had prompted this. The guides went searching for the bird while the group sheltered from the rain and, after searching for about 10 minutes, the bird called once again. A few more calls allowed us to pinpoint the tree in which it sat, and we soon found it right out on a branch! Tengmalm s Owl by Judd Hunt We set up the scopes and escorted the group forward so that everyone could feast their eyes on the beautiful owl as it sat there, appearing quite unconcerned by our presence. This was only the third Tengmalm s Owl that Judd had ever seen so was naturally voted Bird of the Trip by him!

8 As the weather worsened, we decided that we had little chance of seeing any Capercaillies so retreated to the vehicle to dry off before moving on to our next stop. On the walk back, a few members of the group managed brief views of a Nutcracker but those left frustrated by missing it wouldn t have to wait too long to see this impressive corvid By the time we arrived back down in the valley s floor the weather had improved considerably, and we visited a quaint restaurant for lunch. As we left the restaurant, we saw up to four superb Honey Buzzards drifting over, apparently migrating as they drifted off in a north-easterly direction. From here, we drove into the nearby city of Székelyudvarhely where we visited a beautiful park that s situated alongside the River Küküllő. Although quite small and busy with human activity the birdlife we encountered was superb! Also, because the birds here are accustomed to the bustle of humanity, they were unconcerned about us birdwatchers and we had superb views of many of them. A few migrants were noted with Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat being seen or heard but we couldn t find any Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers despite this being a good site for them. The undoubted highlight for many were the utterly gorgeous Collared Flycatchers which fed above our heads; the males occasionally singing and both sexes attending to their purpose-built nest boxes. Here we also saw Golden Orioles, Hawfinches and Spotted Flycatchers plus a Scop s Owl that sat high in a Horse-chestnut Tree what a place! Collared Flycatcher by Judd Hunt

9 It was time to move on as we had a date that evening which we certainly didn t want to miss. We drove back into the Zetelaka Valley and soon met up with our chaperone for the evening, Zsolt. Zsolt and his partner Kriszta own the lodge and they both made our stay a pleasure with their hospitality and great food. We then took a short stroll up into the woods and were soon sat in a large, comfortable and robust hide. It didn t take long for the first Brown Bears to appear with a few smaller, younger animals appearing and foraging in the glade in front of us. They afforded excellent opportunities for photography and we can t imagine how many images were taken over the following ninety minutes! Brown Bear by Judd Hunt Suddenly, the young bears disappeared into the surrounding cover as they must have sensed the arrival of a much larger animal. Soon, a huge 250kg female bear came into view and we were transfixed while watching her for searching the meadow for food. While thinking this sight was impressive, an even bigger adult male came into view and this leviathan of the forest was estimated to weigh in a 350kg almost as much as Zoli! Before long, the animals melted back into the darkening woodland and the only creatures left on view were a couple of Jays and a cooing Stock Dove. During our time in the hide we were thrilled to see a total of six of these incredible animals and our conversation during the drive back to base was abuzz with the awe we had all felt.

10 Thursday 10th May 2018 Soon after finishing our breakfast, we headed off on our journey further east in Transylvania. We soon came to a sudden halt when our eagle-eyed driver, Barna spotted an unusual bird sat atop a conifer tree. Barna is no bird watcher but he rightly received the plaudits after the bird in question turned out to be a splendid Nutcracker!! This bird was joined by its mate and we spent 15 minutes obtaining the most incredible views of this handsome member of the crow family. Nutcrackers by Judd Hunt Happy to have been interrupted, we continued towards our next stop at the hugely impressive Becaz Gorge. We parked the vehicle and, as we disembarked, the towering rock faces above us were a truly awesome spectacle and the whole place had a prehistoric feel to it and we were expecting a pterodactyl to soar past to add to this feeling! The first birds seen were a couple of delightful Grey Wagtails and a Dipper performing its bobbing routine on the stream alongside us. However, the star bird at this location is the Wallcreeper, such a difficult bird to see across much of its European range. It wasn t long before the cry of, Wallcreeper! went up. We saw two males apparently having a territorial dispute above us as they chased each other across the huge caverns within the gorge.

11 We spent more than an hour here seeing at least six birds. Eventually everyone had great views of this beautiful species as they hopped up rock faces, typically flicking their wings to reveal their beautiful black, white and magenta colourations. After lunch, we returned to the Hargita area and decided to embark on another walk along the track we had taken the previous day. This decision paid dividends as we were rewarded with absolutely stunning views of a diminutive Pygmy Owl which sat up on dead branches right next to us! It was hard to believe that we were so close to such a beautiful little owl and were able to see every detail of the bird so clearly just superb! The owl was regularly being mobbed by Common Crossbills and, as a result, we also had incredible views of these with the males looking so handsome in their red garb. Pygmy Owl by Judd Hunt A supporting cast of species here included Willow Tits, Firecrests, Siskins and calling Bullfinches and we were so glad we d taken the decision to revisit this amazing site. We then drove along several tracks through the lower elevations of the forest to search for the incredibly secretive Hazel Hens that exist here. While driving along one track, we were amazed to watch a mother and two cub Brown Bears walk across the track ahead of us and, from the safety and seclusion of the vehicle, we were enthralled by the views they gave us what a way to end an incredible day of wildlife watching.

12 Friday 11th May 2018 We said our goodbyes to Zsolt and Kriszta and began our journey back across Romania and towards the border with Hungary but not before adding Sparrowhawk to the list! We made several stops along the way to break the journey, to search of birds and have refreshments with the first of these being at the River Küküllő, a tree-fringed riverine habitat. Within no time, the bird we had hoped to see at this location burst into song and we were all soon having scope views of a Thrush Nightingale. Although superficially similar in both song and appearance, this species is more grey-brown above than Common Nightingale and has diffuse speckling in the upper breast region. The song is slightly less musical but equally as powerful and we all enjoyed listening to him proclaiming his territory. Also, here we had good views of the first Syrian Woodpecker of the trip, both Collared and Spotted Flycatchers, Golden Orioles and Hawfinches while some of the group saw a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. A Water Vole was seen as it took vegetation into its burrow and Turtle Doves were heard uttering their purring calls nearby. Our next stop was in the old city of Sighisoara and the reason for our visit was to see a former residence of the famous Count Dracula! Most will know the tales and exploits of Vlad the Impaler but, for those who don t, we invite you to join us next year when you ll be fascinated to learn more. The castle is a very impressive looking building and the foreboding design is certainly in keeping with the myths attached to this intriguing monster. In the early afternoon we took a lunch stop on the side of a medium sized lake, the Iernut Fish Pond and spent an hour here watching the array of bird life on view. We saw

13 Shovelers, Common Pochards, Tufted Ducks, Night Heron, Purple Heron, a hunting Peregrine, Marsh Harriers, good numbers of migrating Little Gulls, Common, Black and White-winged Terns, Red-backed Shrikes, Common Cuckoo, Great Reed Warblers, a migrant Willow Warbler, Serins and many Marsh Frogs. In the ditch that separated the lake from the road we counted four Marsh Warblers busily building their nests and the males were heard delivering their scratchy songs which contain so much mimickry. From here we drove to the reservoir at Alesd which we had visited a few days earlier and saw more lovely Ortolan Buntings and three Great Grey Shrikes. For the second year running we failed to find any Grey Partridges and this is probably indicative of this species worrying decline across much of its range. After passing through Oradea we crossed the border and back into Hungary and made our way to the Trófea hotel where we had stayed at the beginning of the trip. However, before arrived, we had time to spot and watch a dapper male Syrian Woodpecker as he played hide-and-seek in a roadside tree. Saturday 12th May 2018 As with most days on this trip, a pre-breakfast walk was productive with good numbers of Spotted Flycatchers being seen as well as a huge Black Woodpecker. The hotel grounds and lakeside here at Trófea never fail to deliver and we noted Savi s, Great Reed, Icterine and Wood Warblers on this morning s stroll. Tree Sparrows were abundant, Golden Orioles chased each other through the treetops and a Wood Warbler was well seen. Possibly the highlight though was a fine male Barred Warbler that we found singing in bushes alongside a water course and we spent time watching this large, chunky, pale-eyed warbler as he fed in the morning sunshine. Replete with another fine breakfast, we once more headed into the wonderful Hortobágy area and throughout the day we visited many sites including the Hortobágy National Park, Zám-puszta, Fényes-fishponds, and Tiszacsege where we had lunch in a superb fish restaurant, Kecskés-puszta, and finally Nagyiváni-puszta. The flat landscape here is punctuated by a variety of bird-rich habitats including extensive wetlands with large reed beds, expansive, open bodies of water, arable farm land and steppe-like areas. As a result, the variety of wildlife encountered today was extensive and the amongst the countless highlights today were hundreds of beautiful Garganey, many handsome Ferruginous Ducks, six Black-necked Grebes, a Black Stork, good numbers of Spoonbills, a Bittern, Night, Purple and Squacco Herons, several diminutive Pygmy Cormorants, at least 20 Red-footed Falcons, great views of two adult White-tailed Eagles and two Great Bustards. We were incredibly lucky to get views of a calling Little Crake as this species is notoriously difficult to see and other birds just kept coming: 25 massive Common Cranes, hundreds of Black-winged Stilts, our only Curlew of the trip, many sooty-

14 looking summer plumage Spotted Redshanks, hundreds of Wood Sandpipers, Little and 12 Temminck s Stints and five brick-red Curlew Sandpipers amongst hundreds of Dunlin and many hundreds of Ruff. Whiskered Tern by Judd Hunt There are few better places to go bird watching in Europe and the day s list just kept on getting longer. 110 Little Gulls, many Caspian Gulls, Common, Black, Whitewinged and Whiskered Terns, Turtle Doves, many Cuckoos, a Little Owl, two Rollers, some migrating Bee-eaters, a Hoopoe, another Black Woodpecker, Lesser Grey Shrikes, many Red-backed Shrikes, Golden Orioles, Penduline Tits, Crested and Skylarks, singing River Warbler, more Savi s Warblers, Great Reed and Common Reed Warblers and great views of two singing Moustached Warblers! More was to come though with good views of both Icterine and Barred Warblers adding to the impressive totals. Chats were well represented with six stunning male Bluethroats seen while clinging to reed stems and signing their hearts out, a few migrant Whinchats and a single Northern Wheatear being seen. Many Yellow Wagtails, mainly comprising the Blueheaded form were seen plus two Tawny Pipits and many Corn and Reed Buntings were noted. Other creatures noted today were Roe Deer, Brown Hares and a Grass Snake. After such an intense day, we headed to sleep soundly after another delicious dinner.

15 Sunday 13th May 2018 After breakfast, we parted company with the lovely Trófea hotel and its hospitable staff and began our journey towards our final stop in the Zemplén Hills. We made several comfort and refreshment stops along the way and had good views of Serin, Black Redstart and Cuckoo at these. We took the short ferry crossing at Tiszalök on the River Tisza where we saw a localised species in this region - a Black Kite. We stopped near a small colony of rainbow-coloured Bee-eaters and saw a few here as well as ones and twos throughout the day. We searched several known sites for White-backed Woodpeckers but without success although we did see a few Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers plus a Tawny Owl. At one stop we did find a pair of Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and had good views of these lovely birds, now such a scarcity back in the U.K. After lunch, we moved on deeper into the hills and took a gentle walk up through a pristine patch of forest at the southern end of the Zemplén hills near Erdőbénye. Here we heard Collared Flycatchers signing and Stock Doves delivering their quite owl-like hooting calls. Before long, we found our main quarry here a mighty Ural Owl! Although only the head could be seen as the bird incubated eggs, we could fully appreciate both the size and beauty of this enigmatic forest owl. What a bird! As we moved back towards the vehicle we heard the call of a Grey-headed Woodpecker and we were soon watching a pair of these beauties as they foraged amongst the branches of the surrounding trees. It was time to move on but soon after we saw a Black Stork as it drifted over the road and later watched a splendid Short-toed Eagle as it soared above us. After checking into our hotel and freshening up, we drove to the winery where we would have both our evening meal plus the chance to sample many of the world famous Tokaji wines that are produced in the Zemplén Hills. Before this, the owner took us on a tour of the wine caverns that were located below the restaurant and home of the owner and this was most fascinating. The meal that followed was superb and the plentiful samples of wine on offer resulted in high spirits and jovial conversation at the dinner table and during the drive back to our hotel!

16 Monday 14th May 2018 Unfortunately, the time had come to leave, and, after breakfast, we headed on a leisurely journey back to Budapest. We stopped along the way to admire two fabulous Short-toed Eagles before pulling over at a rock face to watch three magnificent young Eagle Owls! We arrived at the airport in plenty of time and thanked both Zoli for his brilliant company, knowledge and guiding skills and Barna for his faultless driving. Once the goodbyes had been said, we checked in before departing on time for our flight to Heathrow. During the flight, we reflected on just how wonderful and successful the trip had been and how fantastic the places we had visited were. Once in London, with baggage collected, we said our fond farewells and went our separate ways. What a trip!