Friday 14 September 2018
Flew Rynair Manchester to Bratislava, arrived on time at 10:00 pm. To avoid extra car hire fees to enter other counties and for a late evening pick-up, stayed in an airport hotel overnight.
Saturday 15 September
Opened the airport hotel curtains to see a Kestrel fly up onto the roof. Collared Dove and Magpie soon followed. Walking to the airport for the hire car Hooded Crow and Jackdaw flew over.
Then drove 50 kilometres along the north bank of the Danube to some fishponds near the village of Číčov, I visited in June. I was not sure about access in June. When I arrived, there was an old guy on the gate. I waved my binoculars at him and he gestured it was OK to enter. Spent over an hour walking round found Mute Swan, Coot, Pochard, Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Great Cormorant, Black-headed Gull. Starlings. A Reed Warbler briefly burst into song. A few Buzzards were flying over adjacent fields. Swallow-tailed Butterfly, Large Copper, Small Heath, Common Blue butterflies along the tracks. On the drive to my Slovak base in Hlohovec, all that was picked up was a Marsh Harrier, 3 Great White Egrets and House Martins.
Sunday 16 September
House Sparrows on the estate. Hlohovec Fishponds (Angling) and River Vah. Robin, Fieldfare, Blackbird, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Wood Pigeons, Tree Sparrow. A woodpecker that flew over, I was fairly sure was Grey-headed. It then landed high up in a tree and confirmed its identity with a lot of calling. Eventually I managed a distant view and a few photos. Clouded Yellow and a very Red Squirrel (Most tend to be black here). In the afternoon, a drive up to the monument of Milan Rastislav Stefanik, not much up there, but Rook, Swallow, and Black Redstart on the way.
Monday 17 September
Left Hlohovec for Hortobágy in Hungary. Called in at a reserve called Parížske Marsh next to the village of Gbelce, very quiet. Added Teal, Jay and Goldfinch. Finally after many visits to Slovakia, I came across my first Slovak birders. One was sat on a chair in some reeds with a camera, and at least he waved to me. The other I went up to try and talk too, but he just walked away. Passed him later, he sulked and looked the other way! Roadside Wheatear, just before I crossed the border into Hungary.
Fairly quiet driving through Hungary. Just picked up Red-backed Shrike, until I reached the Hortobágy National Park and the sky filled with birds. Mainly Starlings and Rooks, but fairly soon several Cranes flew over. Late getting to Hortobágy village due to a road diversion and the visitor centre was closed, to pick up a permit. After checking into my accommodation (€84 for 4 nights!) went for a walk around the local fishponds. Stonechat, Yellow-legged Gull, and Bearded Tit.
Tuesday 18 September Pre-breakfast a drive along the Szásztelek Road. Small flock of Corn Buntings, then 4 White-tailed Eagles flew past, probably left a communal roost Then went and got my week long fishponds permit 3000 Florint, about £8 from the visitor centre in Hortobágy which opens at 8:00 am. After breakfast went to explore the SE corner of the park near Nádudvar. Lots of Starlings and Rooks plus Lapwing and Curlew. Then found a Great Grey Shrike. Off then to explore the fishponds north of Balmazújváros. Paths round these fishponds very overgrown, so did not walk far. Stumbled across a roost of c20 mainly immature Night Herons, also present a Common Sandpiper and Bearded Tits. Moved on to a quiet lane north of Újszentmargita, that has been interesting in the past. Quite a few Cranes about. Stopped and viewed some private fishponds, from the gate. Sparrowhawk and then an Osprey. An elderly man in the distance had been watching me for some time, so I did not go onto the ponds. Eventually the Osprey left, carrying a small fish, by Osprey standards. It was in front of the sun, but I took a few record shots. When I put my camera down, the old guy had approached fairly close, carrying a shotgun. I was a little worried, but he waved me onto the ponds. As the Osprey had left and there would be little wildfowl about, with him carrying the gun, I quietly drove off. In a nearby ditch some Edible Frogs were loafing on a floating dead boar/pig! Great Grey Shrike. Near the hamlet of Ohat, I came across a sub-adult male harrier, from past encounters, I presumed it would be Montagu’s and took photos without ever putting my bins on it. When I got it up on screen back home, a week later, it was obvious, it was not a Monty. It seemed to have five fingers which would make it a Hen Harrier, but a number of feature discounted Hen. I then came to the conclusion it was probably a Pallid Harrier. I would like to thank Andy Deighton and Jack Ashton-Booth for confirming it was indeed a Pallid. Ohat Fishponds South Pygmy Cormorant, Tufted Duck, Shoveler. Ohat Fishponds North Ferruginous Duck, Wiskered Tern and a Penduline Tit in the same area as my last visit in 2016. Árkus Road Whinchat, Crested Lark.
Wednesday 19 September
Szásztelek road very quiet early, compared to Tuesday. Managed to photograph both Caspian and Yellow-legged Gull, where the road passes through the fishponds. Halastó Fishponds Since my last visit in 2016 an extensive new visitor centre has been built, presumably with office’s full of “naturecrats”. The only official way onto the reserve is now through this centre, which does not open until 8:00 am. Better than most British reserves, which open later in the day, but a bind when you have to do an 8 mile walk, just to get to the far end and back of this huge reserve, in temperatures rising to 30c, as I did! Also it seems no access after 4:00 pm. My Romanian neighbours from my lodgings were the only birders (They had bikes), I saw in 5 hours. Only four cars in the car park when I got back and these are probably some of the best reedbeds in Europe! Soon added to the Heron list with Squacco Heron, Cattle Egret and later Little Egret. Lots of waders at the end lake but very distant. Mainly Snipe with Ruff, Spotted Redshank and Black-winged Stilt. Lots of Bearded Tits but then only added Little Grebe. After lunch back at Hortobágy, went around the bird hospital, which is part of my lodgings. Not usually my kind of thing, but was given a free pass. Apart from a few common birds, the centre caters mostly for raptors, owls and storks that have in the main have been electrocuted on power lines or road casualties. If possible the birds are hacked back into the wild. It gave a good idea of the ratio of local raptors, there was at least 30 Common Buzzards to one Long-legged and 9 White-tailed Eagles to one Eastern Imperial Eagle. You can enter one of the enclosures with free flying birds, but most have broken wings. Best experience was getting close to an Ural Owl, a species I have not found yet, they are huge compared to Tawny Owl. Made a donation on the way out and also realised that the White Storks on my apartment roof were actually injured birds, rehabilitated back into the wild.
Then travelled west on Road 33 and took the turn off onto the quiet road to Nagyiván. This road had been good on past visits, but is currently in a very bad state of repair. All of interest was a very confiding family of four Cranes. Drive back on Road 33 a Red-footed Falcon flew over my car, with frustratingly nowhere to stop. Then went back to Ohat North Penduline Tits in the same area as yesterday. More were found elsewhere on the ponds. Very distant, but lots of Ferruginous Ducks. Ohat South held a big sparrow roost.
Thursday 20 September
Skein of Cranes flew past my apartment window at dawn. Little Hortobágy two juvs Imperial Eagles, Whinchat, Pygmy Cormorants, Great Grey Shrike, no birders. One road along the edge of a marsh, that has been productive in the past, with such birds as Bluethroat, now says it is private! Still not found a way by car to access the impressive high viewing tower, in the middle of Little Hortobágy. Halastó Fishponds short visit to the ponds nearest the entrance, Purple Heron, hundreds of Pygmy Cormorant and Great White Egrets, Chiffchaff, White-tailed Eagle. Ohat North Bearded Tits and a flock of at least 30 Penduline Tits including some probable recently fledged young. BWP states that this species sometimes has a second brood in July, but are rarely successful. At this time of year could they be from a third brood?
Friday 21 September
Trip back through Hungary to Slovakia, very quiet, Black Redstarts once I crossed the border into Slovakia.
Saturday 22 September
Very quiet apart from Great White Egrets near Leopoldov
Sunday 23 September
Orešany Airstrip dead apart from 2 Buzzards, Kestrel and a fox chasing a cat! 4 Lapwing South, 3 Roe Deer, a small flock of Tree Sparrows at the manure dump and a Chaffinch. Few Swallows south.
Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 September
Despite a lot of mileage and walking favoured sites, very few birds were to be found. The summer migrants had gone, no sign of passage or winter migrants yet, not so much as a Meadow Pipit!
Wednesday 26 September
Made my way back to Bratislava via the Austrian border. As I often do, I drove through a few main roads that go through heathland military training areas. These roads have “no camera signs” all over, so I am reluctant to stop. However there were many locals parked along these roads, who had gone off into the pinewoods in search of fungi, with their baskets! My last few stops were at the River Morava/March floodplains near Vysoká pri Morave. Grey Wagtail and Yellowhammers feeding at the edge of the river. At my last stop the flood meadows was getting their last cut of the year and the sky was full of Buzzards and Kestrels, taking advantage of disturbed mammals and insects. No sign of the Red and Black Kites that are usually here, presumably all have left. In the woods I found Nuthatch and my first confirmed Great Spotted Woodpecker of my trip, which has been disappointing for Woodpeckers. Also managed to pick up a few Wall Brown butterflies, my first for some years. Almost my last bird of the trip was a distant high raptor that looked different. On inspection back home, it turned out to be an immature Eastern Imperial Eagle, which seemed to have relatively short wings for an eagle.
Trouble free drive back to airport and Rynair arrived back in Manchester on time. Almost non-stop sunshine throughout the trip. Two birders seen in Slovakia and two couples with binoculars in 5 days in the Hortobágy National Park.
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