Month: March 2012

Early Spring is the very best time to capture Hawfinches. This time there is no foliage in the forest and up 100 individuals visiting our drinking hide daily. 2012 March is particularly good as we have an absolute rainless period and the forest is very dry. It is simply amazing to watch  the Hawfinches in all sort of plumages and their behaviour.

We created a gallery on our facebook page where you can see a lot more images. Please check it out!

If you like Hawfinches you need to come and see it yourself!

Male Hawfinch (Photo: János Oláh)

Male and female fighting (Photo: János Oláh)

Adult males threatening each other (Photo: János Oláh)

Adult male drinking (Photo: János Oláh)

Face to face (Photo: János Oláh)

Sakertour team

The weather continous to be unusually warm and dry. Following the driest autumn for 50 years with very little winter precipitation and a rainless early Spring we moving into a dry Spring in Hungary!

The winter is over now as most of the geese are leaving the Hortobágy region. A few days ago we still had many Red-breasted Geese in the hords of Greater White-fronts but the numbers are decreasing daily.

Red-breasted Geese in March 2012 in the Hortobágy                                    Photo: János Oláh

Red-breasted Geese in March 2012 in the Hortobágy                                    Photo: János Oláh

Still plenty of White-tailed Eagles around but they dont visit our feeding stations any more.

Adult White-tailed Eagle                                                                                  Photo: János Oláh

Sakertour team

The report of our 2011 tour with Wild Images has now been uploaded and you can see it here. We are delighted to tell that Wild Images will run two tour to Hungary in 2012. The first one is fully booked but there is still some places left for the second tour!

Great White Egret in the early morning sun by tour participant James Brier

Sakertour team

It has been a while since we gave any news from Sakertour. Not because February been quiet but more because we were way too busy! 2012 February was one of the best White-tailed Eagle photography month in recent years. We had a proper severe winter with -15C for several weeks (in fact sometimes below -20C) and a good snow coverage too. Up to 22 White-tailed Eagles were counted at one hide in a single day and up to 40 eagles were visiting regularly our hides. Our guests managed to photograph many colour ringed White-tailed Eagles from all over Europe. A total of 12 ringed eagles were photographed and identified.

White-tailed Eagle at one of our hide                                                                         (Photo: János Oláh)

In late February and the beginning of March the weather slowly changed. Daytime temperature is up to 10C now but at night it is still -6C or below. Hords of grey geese arriving now to the Hortobágy region and many Red-breasted Goose a few Lesser White-fronted Goose can be seen.

The photography season has finished and we do the hide maintanance now, preparing for the Spring Season which is starting with Great Bustard photography in April!

Great Bustard (Photo: János Oláh)

It is still winter in the mountains but some of the Carpathian foothills like the Zemplén Hills is getting alive. Several Ural Owls has started to breed now and the woodpeckers starting to defend their territories and their loud drumming can be heard. This is the best time locate the territories of the rare White-backed Woodpeckers!

White-backed Woodpecker                                          (Photo: János Oláh)

We looking forward a very busy birdwatching and hide photography season and most certainly will keep you posted about the happenings!

Sakertour team