During this 2-days (1 night) tour you will have the opportunity to explore the different
habitats of Hortobágy fishponds, steppes, grasslands, and marshes. Hortobágy is the #1
birding hotspot in Hungary, which offers in every season good opportunity to see many
birds species. In October the main attraction is the crane migration, when thousands
cranes can be seen.
Scheduled dates: 11-12 October 2008, 25-26 October 2008
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Day 1 - Lake Tisza and Hortobágy steppe
IBAs visited: 32, 33
Starting from Budapest we will stop at Lake Tisza. The Tisza Lake is actually a large reservoir on the Tisza river, but fortunately it does not look like a reservoir but a flood-plain of the 18 th century. Two-thirds of the lake, whose total area is 127 square kilometres, has been designated to fall under the Ramsar Convention because of its notably significant wetland habitats. Tisza Lake is an ideal habitat for herons. In bigger continuous reeds heron colonies like Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Spoonbill and Squacco Heron and Little Bittern can be found. Lots of Cormorants, Grey Herons and Black-headed Gulls can be also observed at Tisza Lake.
On the first day we will visit the steppe habitats of Hortobágy. The steppe habitat is rich in rodents, which ensures the living of many predators like Marsh and Hen Harriers, Common, Long-legged and Rough-legged Buzzards, Kestrel, Peregrine, Merlin as well as the symbolic bird of Hungary the Saker falcon. Before sunset Cranes are starting to fly to their roosting places to the shallow wetlands and drained fishponds. They appear far on the horizon and flying closer and closer, low in the sky above us, in long continuous rows. The usually quiet steppe is now full of their loud crying concert. To see the thousands of flying cranes is an unforgettable experience.
Day 2 - Hortobágy fishponds
IBAs visited: 32
The second day we will spend at the Great Fish Pond (Nagy Halastó) in Hortobágy which is regarded as a birding Eldorado in Hungary. Over 300 bird species have been observed here so far by birders and in almost every season ten and hundred thousands of birds can be seen.
This lake offers a big variety of species, and the birds of the neighbouring plains also visit the lakes and their airspace. During the trip Great White Egret, Night Heron, Purple Heron, Squacco Heron, Bittern, Little Bittern, Spoonbill, Cormorant and the rare breeder Pygmy Cormorant can be seen.
Based on water conditions Ruffs, Spotted Redshanks, Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits can be found on the muddy shores of drained fishponds, while amongst the Great Crested and Little Grebes in the deeper ponds we can have a chance to see Black-necked and Red-necked Grebes and Ferruginous Ducks. Wigeon, Gadwall, Showeler, Teal, Mallard, Pintail, Pochard, Coot, Avocet, Grey Plover, Lapwing are also species can be seen with god opportunity as well as Black-headed, Common and Yellow-legged Gulls.
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