Month: August 2009

In the last few days due to the extreme draught and also because the migration is in full swing our Passerine Drinking Hide has hundreds of birds daily. Most interesting however that four species of woodpeckers regularly visiting the pool and even the shy Black and Green Woodpeckers are daily guests!

Black Woodpecker Photo: János Oláh

Sparrowhawk Photo: János Oláh

More images of this hide can be seen here: http://www.sakertour.com/hidegallery.php?hide=24

We are preparing our mobile hides for the Crane migration and also two new permanent hides will be available for Crane photography this autumn. At the moment the first family parties of Cranes arriving and now up to 800 birds can be seen in the northern Hortobágy.

Sakertour team

As migration is in full swing in the Hortobágy National Park more birders appear on the scene. In August we had Ben and Ian visiting us for a days´s birding with some special target birds.

Short-toed Eagle Photo: János Oláh

We had a fantastic day starting with walk-away views of a female Saker, followed by two magical Long-legged Buzzards and yet at another Saker (this time a juvenile hunting Souslik!) while a female Red-footed Falcon and Bee-eaters were hunting nearby.

Our next ´target´ was a scarce passage wader, the Broad-billed Sandpiper. With a bit of effort we located two birds on a muddy pool and had good looks of the very prominent split-supercilium of the juvenile birds. Additional goodies included 24 Black Stork and Temminck Stint.

A short visit to see 26 magical Long-eared Owls was followed by 42 superb Dotterels down to a few meter with some females still in spectacular plumage. Montagus´s Harriers were flying around us too. The final ´target´ was Great Snipe as one was reported the day before but we had no joy in the extensive marshland with this skulking species. Other birds nearby included Glossy Ibis, a fine Short-toed Eagle and a family party of Hobbies.

Sakertout team

Some of our team visited Transylvania for some late summer birding and to find more fantastic locations for future tours.

We had been to the Southern Carpathians and various wetlands too.

For detailed description see our Transylvania blog: http://birdwatchingtransylvania.wordpress.com/

Shore Lark is a scarce breeding bird of the Carpathian high plateaus over 2000 meter.

Photo: János Oláh

The fantastic landscape of the Bucegi Plateau in the Southern Carpathians.

Photo: János Oláh

Sakertour team

We had a great time with three Belgian birders. Despite having the only rainy day of the month we managed to get some superb birds. Raptors included 3 Short-toed Eagle, Long-legged Buzzard, 6 Montagu´s harrier, 2 Saker and many wonderfull Red-footed Falcons.

Adult Saker on a pylon Photo: János Oláh

Other highlights were a family party of Stone-curlews, Little Owl, up to 18 Long-eared Owls, hundreds of Cranes, Great Bustards and many many Tawny Pipits, Rollers and Lesser Grey Shrikes.

Juvenile Lesser Grey Shrike  Photo: János Oláh

Sakertour Team