HUNGARY BIRD WATCHING HOLIDAYS & PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS

Hungary is a great place for bird watching for beginners as well as enthusiasts and those seeking specific species. We do not organise group tours but instead, design itineraries specifically around your interests and our guide in Hungary equally does not work with groups and you can be sure of personal service.

Long recognised as a good destination for bird watching in Europe, Hungary now offers the terrific potential for those interested in bird photography. Our guide in Hungary has his own hides in strategic locations throughout a range of habitats. The hide of most interest is likely to be the eagle hide set out on the Great Hungarian Plain, or puszta as it is known. This hide has the feeling of being in the middle of the Masai Mara but is in fact in Koros-Manos National Park and was originally set up by park staff. During the winter white-tailed and Imperial eagles come to this feeding station. Long-legged, Rough-legged and common buzzards also appear here and hen harriers are prolific. The hide is only in location during late December, January and February but at this time of the year short-eared and long-eared owls roost in good numbers in the local town centres.

For more general bird watching holidays during the spring and early summer, there are other hides nearby for rollers, red-footed falcons and hoopoe. A temporary hide can be set up for bee-eaters at their nest site in an old quarry bank. A number of hides are also set around the fishponds for the wide variety of ducks, grebes and waders and you will have your guide on hand at all times whatever, your specific interest. At Devavanya there is a great bustard conservation project and in fact, Koros-Maros National Park has a higher density of great bustards than the more famous Hortobagy National Park close by.

Two other areas well worth visiting on a bird watching holiday in Hungary are Lake Tisza and the Bukk Hills. It is possible to take a private boat out on Lake Tisza and cruise around the islands and channels in search of bird life. Lake Tisza is Hungary's largest reservoir and the waters a welcome respite for birds in this land-locked country. A short drive further north brings you the beech forests of the Bukk Hills. During the winter Alpine accentor can be found together with wallcreeper on some of the rock faces but during the spring and summer, it is the woodpeckers, flycatchers, eagle and Ural owls and golden eagle that are of interest.

During the autumn months, the bird watching spectacle is the migration of huge flocks of geese and common cranes to the Hungarian plain. Among them are likely to be lesser white-fronted and red-breasted geese, long-tailed duck, Black-necked and Slavonian grebe among others. Of course, there are many raptor species presents around the wetlands and on the grassland plains too.

We hope the few birds watching holiday suggestions here tempt you to discover this interesting country where distances are short, the wine is good and many birds can be encountered in a short break or week-long trip.