Friday, May 16, 2008 - Birding in Bulgaria

Our birding tour to Bulgaria was once again very succesful with 184 species of birds seen at the end of April.

Migration was well underway along the Black Sea Coast with Steppe Buzzards and the first Honey Buzzards passing through. White Storks, White Pelicans and Glossy Ibises were also migrating.



Durankulak and Shabla Lakes in the North and the lakes close to Burgas were all very productive with Ruddy Shelduck, Dalmatian Pelican, Little Crake, Marsh Sandpiper, Gull-billed and White-winged Tern. Stone Curlew, Calandra and Short-toed Lark, Tawny Pipit, Pied and Isabelline Wheatear were easy to find.


In the forests of Kamchia and Ropotamo Semi-collared Flycatchers and Sombre Tits were busy singing, and Woodchat Shrikes were occupying their breeding sites. The Strandja and Sakar Hills were a good place to see raptors including Booted, Lesser-spotted and Short-toed Eagle, Black Kite and Long-legged Buzzard.


The Eastern Rhodope Mountains were full of nice birds. Griffon and Egyptian Vulture, Black Stork, Golden Eagle was soaring above while we were admiring Western Rock Nuthatch, Blue Rock Thrush and Eastern Bonelli's Warbler to name just a few.

Thursday, April 10, 2008 - Owls and woodpeckers in Hungary and Slovakia

If somebody wants to observe woodpeckers and owls April is one of the best months in Hungary and Slovakia. It is perfectly possible to see all the 10 species of woodpeckers of Europe and 5 owl species including Ural, Pygmy and Tengmalm's Owl during a birding tour to Hungary and Slovakia.

The woods in the Northern Hungarian and Slovakian Hills are at this time loud of the calls of Black, Grey-headed and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers. Most trees in the forest are still bare providing a good visibility. With some expert help it is possible to find the elusive White-backed Woodpecker in old beech forests and the silent Three-toed Woodpecker in pine woods. Great Spotted, Little Spotted and Green Woodpecker are fairly common and around habitations with old orchards we can find Syrian Woodpecker and Wryneck.

Pygmy Owl and Tengmalm's Owl are still actively calling at dusk early April, while Ural Owls are incubating eggs and Eagle Owls feeding their young chicks.

Naturally there is a lot more to see in the hills. Lesser Spotted and Golden Eagle is hunting on hillside meadows, Hazel Grouse walk secretly along the trails, Ring Ouzel sings on tops of pine trees and Nutcrackers are calling. Red-breasted and Collared Flycatchers sing in beech woods, Corncrakes call from wet meadows and Hawfinches are a common sight.

Friday, March 14, 2008 - Kingfisher heaven in Mole, Ghana

We were walking on the Samole Floodplains in Mole National Park one afternoon and found a small water body with a lot of activity all around. Red-billed Firefinches, Orange-cheeked Waxbills, Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus came in to drink. Then an African Pygmy-Kingfisher appeared and sat motionless in a bush. Not much later a colourful Blue-breasted Kingfisher flew in and perched in a tree in front of us.

We watched it hunting for a while and then walked to the other side of the pool. There we first discovered a Malachite Kingfisher sitting atop a branch above the water. Not much later we realised that another kingfisher is sitting motionless in the shade. To our great surprise it was a Shining-blue Kingfisher, a species we haven't expected to see due to its shy habits.


We were very content seeing 4 species of kingfisher in 30 minutes. Besides the kingfishers we also recorded a Saddle-billed Stork, several Hammerkops and Hadada Ibises, White-faced Whistling-Ducks, Striated and Night Herons around the pool.

To make our kingfisher list of Mole even better the next day we recorded Giant Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher and Striped Kingfisher (see pic).


A trip report with the list of species seen will soon be posted on Ecotours website Birding in Hungary and Eastern Europe.

Friday, March 7, 2008 - Spring arrives to Hungary

Bird migration usually starts at the end of February when short distance migrants start arriving back from the Mediterranean region.

This February flocks of Lapwings and Golden Plovers appeared 2 weeks ago with the first warmer winds, but it was during last week when numbers started to build up. Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Dunlin, Common Redshank, Ruff, Little and Common Ringed Plover appeared at the wetlands and the first Garganeys and Ferruginous Ducks arrived too. Skylarks and Corn Buntings have been back and singing for more than a week and Woodlarks started to occupy their territories as well.

The first Barn Swallow was also reported but it will take at least 2 weeks until their numbers will build up.

Monday, February 25, 2008 - Bird Safari on the Gold Coast, Ghana

We had a very succesful Ecotours birding holiday in January-February in Ghana, West Africa. We recorded 394 species during the 2 weeks. Bird of the trip was Yellow-headed Picathartes with 4 birds seen extremely well at one of their nesting sites.

There were many trip highlights, as we saw 10 hornbill species including Black-casqued, Brown-cheeked, Red-billed Dwarf and Black Dwarf Hornbills, 9 species of kingfishers including Chocolate-backed and Shining-blue Kingfishers, as well as 8 species of bee-eaters, including Black, Blue-headed and Rosy Bee-eaters.

Kakum with the Canopy Walkway and Aboabo was very rewarding. We recorded Long-tailed Hawk and African Cuckoo-Hawk, Latham's Francolin, Red-fronted and Grey Parrot, Yellow-billed Turaco, Black Bee-eater, Little-green and Fire-bellied Woodpecker, many greenbuls, flycatchers and sunbirds, White-tailed Alethe, Finsch's Flycatcher-Thrush, Kemp's Longbill, Blue Cuckoo-Shrike, Copper-tailed Glossy-Starling to name just a few.

Another highlight was Mole National Park with many mammals, including African Elephant, 3 species of monkeys, 4 species of antelopes including Roan Antelope, and of course fabulous birds. The unbelievable male Standard-winged Nightjar or the pair of Greyish Eagle-Owls sitting quietly in a tree or the Denham's Bustard recorded only a couple of times in Mole were all unforgettable. Our long list in Mole included such gems as Saddle-billed Stork, White-headed Vulture, Martial Eagle, Red-headed Lovebird, Violet Turaco, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Black Scimitarbill, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Fine-spotted Woodpecker, Sun Lark, White-fronted Black Chat, African Blue Flycatcher, White-shouldered Tit, White Helmet-Shrike, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Black-headed Weaver and Black-faced Firefinch.



We also visited Sakumono Lagoon and other coastal wetlands for Black Heron and Yellow-throated Longclaw, Bobiri Forest for Shining Drongo, Preuss's Weaver and lots of colourful butterflies, and Atewa Hills for Blue-headed Bee-eater, a nice array of barbets, greenbuls and flycatchers.

Ghana once again proved to be a very exciting birdwatching destination with a good combinatin of Upper Guinea Forest and Savanna specialities, nice hotels, good food and friendly people.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 - Winter birds in Hungary

Winter is the less busiest month in Hungary in terms of bird movements and birding. Still it brings many nice birds from the north to spend the cold months in the Carpathian Basin and there are many resident species that can be observed well on the snow-covered grasslands or in bare trees of the forests.

Geese are wintering commonly in Hungary although during periods of snow cover and severe cold they move further south. The most common are Greylag and Greater White-fronted Geese, but Tundra Bean Geese are also regularly found throughout. Red-breasted Geese can be seen in smaller flocks while the few Lesser White-fronted Geese are always difficult to find within the flocks of Greater White-fronts.

Raptors are well represented during winter with resident Imperial Eagles and wintering White-tailed Eagles flocking at feeding sites. Rough-legged Buzzards and Hen Harriers are not uncommon and resident Sakers can be seen throughout along with wintering Merlins and Peregrines. Goshawks are also easier to see during winter. 1 or 2 Greater Spotted Eagles are wintering each year in Hungary so you have good chances of seeing over 10 raptor species in a couple of days if birding in Hungary in winter.

Great Bustards can be seen in flocks during winter, sometimes you might see up to 50 or 100 birds in the Kiskunsag area. During severe weather they are fed to prevent migrating south that might cause many fatalities.

Owls are well represented too with large day roosts of Long-eared Owls where sometimes you can find single Short-eared Owls as well. Ural and Eagle Owls are resident and calling from late winter.

Winter is a good time to see woodpeckers especially in February when they are actively calling and drumming. At this time of the year you can find White-backed and Grey-headed Woodpecker in the hills, while Black, Middle Spotted and Syrian can also be observed in larger city parks in Budapest or Tata.

Large flocks of passerines congregate during winter. Most common are Fieldfares, but you can find Twites, Snow Buntings and also Redpolls and Waxwings in colder years.

Wallcreepers and Alpine Accentors spend the winter regularly at some sites and can be observed relatively easily.

Bearded Tits and Penduline Tits stay in Hungary for the winter and can be seen in the larger reedbeds.  Hawfinches are common and they sometimes join flocks of Fieldfares in search of food.

So there is plenty of birds in Hungary during the winter to keep someone busy for a week. Birdwatching in Hungary is always full of good species and surprises.

Monday, December 3, 2007 - Red-breasted Goose in Hungary

Red-breasted Goose breeds in Arctic Russia and spends the winter along the Black Sea. Some 70% of the population winters in Romania and Bulgaria.

Being on the westernmost boundaries of its winter distribution Hungary never sees such high numbers of this enigmatic species. But sometimes nice flocks can be seen with up to 72 specimens a few years ago and up to 20-30 each year at some of the good sites.

These handsome geese arrive to Hungary mid October and stay until late March mid April depending on the weather. If the winter is mild they stay for the winter month but in case of severe cold and deep snow they move further south.

They are mostly mixed with Greater White-fronted Geese but sometimes stay in a single species flock.

The best sites for them are Lake Fertő, Tata and Kis Balaton in Western Hungary, Kiskunság, Lake Tisza, Hortobágy and Biharugra in Eastern Hungary.

This year's biggest flock was observed at the Begécs Fishponds close to Biharugra with 24 birds followed by the flock of 17 at Tata.

Photo taken by Bence Kókay

Monday, November 26, 2007 - Tata Bird Race

The traditional bird race at Tata was once again a great success. Many teams were competing in the race from dawn to dusk and thousands of people came from all over the country to see the spectacle of geese on the lake.

The so called Old Lake at Tata is one of the most scenic and important sites for wintering geese in Hungary. This year there were 18 000 geese spending the night on the lake. Great White-fronted Geese formed the majority of the gathering but there were many Bean Geese and some Greylag Geese as well. 9 Red-necked Geese stole the show, however, showing very well. There were also 2 Brents and a Barnacle Goose on the lake.

The forest around the lake was very productive as well with 7 species of woodpecker including Black, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and Syrian. Flocks of Hawfinches, Bramblings and Redwings were a common sight. There were even Waxwings observed.

The fishponds on the edge of the city produced Bearded and Penduline Tits, Water Pipit and Common Redpoll among others.

You can experience this spectacle if join Ecotour's Birds and Budapest tour that also visits Tata.

Monday, November 19, 2007 - Wintering Wallcreepers in Hungary

Wallcreepers are wonderful birds and it is always a great joy to see them. They are breeding in the Carpathians and the Alps surrounding Hungary and some of them spend the winter in Hungary.

Romania is a great place to see Wallcreepers during the breeding seasons. The Slovakian and Slovenian breeding sites are more difficult to reach. In a gorge in Transylvania you can observe several breeding pairs of Wallcreepers from very close giving excellent views.

Around the end of October the first Wallcreepers appear in Hungary. They can be found in quarries, on the walls of castles, palaces or even cathedrals inside the cities. They hunt for spiders and insects on the walls displaying their colourful wings.

This year is particularly good for Wallcreepers as they were reported from at least 10 different sites in November. The highest count was 3 birds in a single quarry.

I you want to see wintering Wallcreepers you can join our tour Birds and Budapest in winter.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - Brown Bears in Slovakia

The Slovakian population of Brown Bears has increased lately and the population is around 800 individuals. Hunters now are lobbying for the reduction of Brown Bear population and their argumentation is based on incidents between bears and tourists during last year. Nature conservationists are opposing these plans.

Yesterday the Ecotours team visited a new bear hide in Slovakia where 3 bears were seen last Saturday. We haven't seen the bears due to the cold weather and snowfall that arrived a day before. Still it was exciting to observe a small herd of Roe Deer, a Wild Boar and a Fox during the two hours spent it the professionally built, safe and comfotable hide.

Monday, November 5, 2007 - Great Spotted Eagle in Hungary

Last week the regular wintering Great Spotted Eagle of the Hoortobagy arrived to its traditional place. The bird was first seen in November 2000 and has returned since every year. This year there was an immature bird also observed in the Hortobagy during one of Ecotours autumn holidays.

Another traditional wintering site is in the Hansag area of Western Hungary. An adult bird returns there every year to spend the winter at the wetland reconstruction.

The extensive marshes and reedbeds on the Northern shore of Lake Balaton are also regular wintering sites for Great Spotted Eagle and there are each year birds reported from South-east Hungary.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - Hungary in October

We had several birding holidays during the last 2 weeks and despite bad weather experienced fantastic birding and good numbers of migrants.

There was a record number of Common Cranes in the Hortobagy with 100,400 birds counted. We had very good views of huge flocks flying into night roosts. Dotterels were still present at the end of the month with more than hundred birds observed, while Stone Curlews left around 20 October. Lesser White-fronted Geese were daily observed in a flock of 50 to 55 birds. Two roosts of Long-eared Owls held 12 and 70 specimens, some giving very close views.
Other noteworthy birds from the Hortobagy included Great Spotted Eagle, very good views of Imperial and White-tailed Eagle, Saker and Rough-legged Buzzard.

The Bukk and Zemplen Hills in the North of Hungary were very colourful with autumn foliage turning inot yellow, orange and red. Our groups had good views of Ural Owl, Black, White-backed, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers, as well as Hawfinches and Rock Buntings.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 - Transylvania, a paradise for Capercaillie, Hazel Grouse and Brown Bear

Last week Ecotours had a succesful autumn recce to Transylvania. Besides the incredible beauty of the autumn landscapes it is also an ideal timing for close observations of Capercaillie and Hazel Grouse. Several Capercaillies were seen on the ground, perched on a pine tree or flying, giving spectacular views.

Hazel Grouse was incredibly common. Several birds responded to the whistle and we had close encounters more than a dozen times in 2 days.

The evening spent at the bear hide was also productive with the observation of a Brown Bear at a 10 metres distance from the hide. The attached photo was taken at the same place this spring during our Romania tour.

Friday, October 5, 2007 - Sociable Plovers in Hungary

There was a Sociable Plover discovered this week in Apaj on the Kiskunsag about 50 km from Budapest. The bird was observed on 3 consecutive days in a drained fishpond. Yesterday it was not found by visiting birdwatchers who on the other hand spotted a Black-winged Pratincole.

In the last 3 years Sociable Plovers were discovered each October in the Kiskunsag. 2 years ago there were 2 immature birds present at Apaj while at least one other Sociable Plover was on the Hortobagy. Last year there was an immature bird discovered at Szabadszállás constituting the only record for Hungary in 2006. So this year's bird joins in a nice list of records for the Kiskunsag, a wonderful area to visit.

If you want to know more about the area you can join us on our tours to Hungary.

Friday, September 28, 2007 - Lesser White-fronted Geese

The Lesser White-fronted Geese have arrived to the Hortobagy. The traditional flock was sighted once again at the Hortobagy Fishponds. These birds form part of the scarce European population of Lesser White-fronts and arrive each September to the Hortobagy to spend at least a month here before migrating further south.

Lesser White-fronted Geese are observed through September to April in smaller numbers mixed in flocks of Great White-fronts but those are probably from the Siberian population.

If you want to see these rare birds join us on our upcoming Crane spectacular tour.

Saturday, September 22, 2007 - Arrival of wintering birds

Thursday, September 13, 2007 - Raptor and migration special

Ecotour's Raptor special tour was finished less than a week ago, so here are some of the best observations and experiences.

Tour participants observed 167 species in total during 8 days in the Hortobagy and the Zemplen Hills. 16 raptor species were recorded including White-tailed, Short-toed, Lesser Spotted, Imperial and Golden Eagles, Goshawk, Long-legged Buzzard, Saker and the spectacle of Red-footed Falcons gathering with several hundreds of these birds.

Cranes were already present in the Hortobagy in smaller flocks and to the surprise of everybody Long-eared Owls were also found at their winter roost in the middle of the village.

We had very good views of Great Bustard, Stone Curlew and Dotterel. A drained fishpond proved to be a very good place for waders and we had close encounters with Temminck's Stints and a Turnstone, not to mention a young Mediterranean Gull.

Hortobagy Fishponds were alive with Pygmy Cormorants, egrets, herons, ducks and grebes. Penduline Tit and Bearded Tit were also noted.

Early September is a good time to still see birds migrating south early and we were lucky enough to have several sightings of Roller, Bee-eater, Lesser Grey Shrike and Golden Oriole.


The Zemplen Hills were a perfect ending to the trip as they brought Middle Spotted, Black and White-backed Woodpecker and we also saw Syrian Woodpecker close to our family hotel. Hawfinch and Wood Warbler were also added to the list.

The Raptor special tour was once again very succesful and participants returned home full of memories of great birds, nice habitats, tasty food and good hotels.

Friday, September 7, 2007 - Red-footed Falcons gathering before migration

Last week there were two Lesser Kestrels claimed in Hungary. The two immature birds were found at one of the biggest gathering sites for Red-footed Falcons. There was a debate on the identification of the kestrels and the Hungarian Rarities Committee will have to decide as usual.

The more interesting for us, however, is that there are several hundreds of Red-footed Falcons at this site and there are other such sites throughout the Eastern part of Hungary. The falcons are hunting during the day for their prey of insects and fly in to roost in smaller patches of trees in the evening. It is an unforgettable spectacle to watch them circling above the trees and settling down on bare branches. It is a perfect occasion to marvel at the beauty of these mighty birds and to observe males, females and young birds thoroughly.


Of course these roosting sites can only be visited with a national park ranger as part of a guided tour. A perfect holiday that includes a visit to one of the best roosting sites of Red-footed Falcons is our Raptor Special Tour. You can see Imperial and White-tailed Eagle, Saker, Long-legged Buzzard, Pallid Harrier, owls, woodpeckers, Great Bustard, Dotterel and many migrating birds if you join us.

Monday, September 3, 2007 - Ecotours at the British Birdwatching Fair

Ecotours was present at the Birdfair in Rutland Water for the 7th time this year.

The Fair proved to be very succesful for us once again, we had many birdwatchers, butterfly,dragonfly oor bat enthusiasts visiting our stand. Our Hungarian birding holidays and the Birds and Bears tours to Romania and Slovakia were the most popular this year among visitors, along with a new destination: Mexico.

We also had lectures during the Fair, one with the title "Birds and bears in Eastern Europe" and another called "Mayan Birding and Culture Adventure".