Our most comprehensive tour doing a large loop starting from Budapest and reaching the Transylvania’s Hargitha region in Romania in mid May again managed to score on all 10 woodpeckers possible on the itinerary and seeing almost all birds on the way to finally come to a tour total of 227 birds recorded during 11 days birding.

As usual the highlights were not only the woodpeckers but the regional specialties such as Saker Falcon, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Red-footed Falcon to name the best raptors, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Ural Owl, Eurasian Eagle-Owl all seen during the day, European Roller, Wallcreeper, Sombre Tit, Moustached Warbler and a lot more all enjoyed through fantastic landscape while local cuisine was keeping us in shape.

Transylvania has an amazing scenery (image by Dániel Balla)
Black Woodpecker was seen several times during the tour (image by Dániel Balla)
Our encounter with Ural Owl in the Zemplén Hills was a definite highlight (image by Dániel Balla)