HUNGARY 17–24 May 2009 Leader: Gerard Gorman

With excellent pensions, traditional food, superb scenery, wonderful birds and the country's most experienced bird guide (author of the much-acclaimed books Where to Watch Birds in Eastern Europe, The Birds of Hungary and Woodpeckers of Europe) how can you go wrong with a visit to Hungary? This original tour is timed to embrace all of Hungary's key habitats and bird species: Pygmy Cormorant, Saker Falcon, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Ural Owl, Great Bustard, White-backed Woodpecker, Aquatic Warbler and more.

Day 1 Scheduled flight from London to Budapest followed by a drive north-eastwards for two hours to the Bukk Hills. During the drive we will see some of the common birds of Hungary, including White Stork, Red-backed Shrike, European Turtle-dove, Crested Lark, Corn Bunting and Western Marsh-Harrier, and make a stop for Eastern Imperial Eagle. We will spend the first two nights at the edge of the Bukk's forests in a small family-run hotel where eight species of woodpecker are possible in and around the garden! Other birds here are Short-toed and Common Treecreepers, Tree Sparrow, Spotted Flycatcher, Marsh Tit, the white-headed form of Long-tailed Tit, European Serin, Hawfinch and Black Redstart.

Day 2 We have all day to explore the orchards, vineyards, woods and limestone hills of the Bukk on easy walks. With our local guide's expert knowledge, we have a very good chance of seeing its special birds, which include Collared and Red-breasted Flycatchers, Rock Bunting, Woodlark, Black, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and White-backed Woodpeckers. Colour will be supplied courtesy of European Bee-eaters, Hoopoes and Eurasian Golden Orioles. Raptors should include Eastern Imperial and Lesser Spotted Eagles, Short-toed Snake-eagle, European Honey-buzzard, Hobby and Northern Goshawk. In the evening there is a chance of Eurasian Scops-owl and European Nightjar nearby.

Day 3 Today we head further east to the forests of the broadleaved Zemplen Hills for a two-night stay. The habitats and birds here are similar to the Bukk, so there will be more chances to pick up forest species we may not have seen on our first two days. In particular we will visit areas for two very special and sought-after birds: Eurasian Eagle-owl and Ural Owl. If it is a good breeding year we should be able to find the owls by day, if not then optional evening excursions can be made. We will also check sites for Rufous-tailed Rock-thrush, though this is now a rare bird in Hungary.

Day 4 By the end of today we should have seen all nine of Hungary's woodpeckers: Syrian, Great Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Middle Spotted, White-backed, Green, Grey-headed and Black Woodpeckers and Eurasian Wryneck. We will also explore the floodplain of the Tisza and Bodrog rivers near the quaint wine-producing town of Tokaj. In May, usual birds here include Black Stork, Black Kite, Common Quail, Corn Crake, Common Nightingale and the blue-headed race of Yellow Wagtail. Being spring, Icterine, Barred, Marsh, Grasshopper and River Warblers will probably all be singing, too.

Day 5 Today we will drive south towards the superb Hortobagy region, stopping at a number of sites as we enter the Great Hungarian Plain for European Roller, Lesser Grey Shrike and Montagu's Harrier. We stay in another well-located hotel for three nights at Tiszafured. Fishponds en route will be teeming with birds such as Great and Little Egrets, Squacco and Purple Herons, Black-crowned Night-heron, Eurasian Spoonbill, Little and Great Bitterns and Ferruginous Duck. In the reed and scrub around the fishpond margins are Bearded Tits and Eurasian Penduline-tits, Bluethroat and Great Reed, Moustached and Savi's Warblers.

Days 6–7 The Hortobagy is a huge mosaic area of mixed habitats. Some of its ponds and fish-farms hold large colonies of Whiskered Terns with some Black and White-winged Terns. Other waters host Black-necked and Red-necked Grebes, Garganey, Ferruginous Duck, Pygmy Cormorant and Glossy Ibis. We may be lucky and see Water Rail and Little or Spotted Crake in the muddy margins. Some waders breed and others will be passing through; possibilities include Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Little Ringed Plover, Wood, Green, Broad-billed and Marsh Sandpipers, Common and Spotted Redshanks, Ruff, Temminck's Stint and maybe a rarity or two. Both Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls are possible on the ponds, too. The other main habitat of the area is "puszta" (Hungarian grassland) and we will fully explore it looking for the magnificent Great Bustard, Common Crane, Collared Pratincole, Eurasian Thick-knee (Stone-curlew), Little and Long-eared Owls, Lesser Grey Shrike and Tawny Pipit. Raptors include Long-legged Buzzard, Saker Falcon and Red-footed Falcon, the latter breeding in noisy colonies at this time. A special bird here is Aquatic Warbler, which we will look for in protected areas in the company of a warden.

Day 8 After breakfast we will return to Budapest, birding en route, for our afternoon flight back home.

General Information There are no special health requirements. Visas are not required. The pace of the tour is medium with only a moderate level of fitness required.

Group Size Minimum number for tour to go ahead: 8; maximum group size: 10 with 1 leader, 16 with 2 leaders.

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