The Buda Hills (Budapest), and Szabadszallas revisited. (1 Viewer)

Arrived Budapest after a 1 hour 50 min. flight via Stansted and Ryanair (about the same distance as Shetland), Tuesday afternoon 28th July for a 4 night stay, hit the ground ''stumbling'' as usual, and after checking in at the hotel, l headed to my favourite urban square (Szabadsag Ter), just a 10 min walk away.
Things were a little slow, only raising Great Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, a family party of Spot Flys. and a Wood Warbler...also a great cup of coffee!
It was whilst I was drinking the latter (not latte , that I had a nano second glimpse of a ''large'' seemingly attenuated falcon, passing over the tree canopy before being lost from view over the roof tops (to be filed under Dunno!).

However, my mind was already focusing on Wednesday's trip to the Buda Hills, a 20 minute bus ride from central Budapest (Szell Kelman..the metro/bus station) where I would take the 21A to the terminus Normafor.
The bus takes you to the top of the ridge, where the numerous parallel paths (mostly on the level) run NE-SW, very easy underfoot through deciduous woodland of mainly Oak, Beech, and a tree that I couldn't ID, with leaves that look like Ash?
Wednesday morning leaving the hotel (6am), a 5 minute walk to the metro station (Deak Ferenc on to Szell Kelman, then the bus to Normafor had me on ''the ridge'' at 6.50 am. Although cloudy with intermittent light rain falling, it wouldn't dampen my enthusiasm for the ''hunt'', namely my quest for the 4 remaining European Woodpeckers that I'm keen to see, and image...hopefully.

In total I spent perhaps 15 hours spread over 3 days at this site (Wed/Thu/Sat), never ranging more than perhaps 3/4 mile from the bus depot, thus I was quite pleased with the resulting haul.
Albeit requiring a lot of focus constantly looking for the ''carrier'' birds, which were often Great Tit and Nuthatch, if found together this would normally result in the ''loose'' association of other species.
As with most things, an element of luck is always needed, the odds on achieving that, are certainly enhanced with ''extra time employed in the field''.

Within the first two hours having found the ''loose'' flock, I was able to image Spot.Fly, Wood Warbler, Collared Fly. and unwittingly...Syrian Woodpecker! To Be Continued......

Thursday's trip to the Buda Hills was not dissimilar in content to the previous days visit, albeit with the exception of not connecting with Collared Flycatcher. However...the flyover group of 4 Hawfinches was more than adequate compensation, unfortunately I was not able to get any shots as they zapped over the canopy. This brief period of chagrin was short lived, as amongst the Nuthatches, Tree Creepers, Great Tits and Great Spots. a ''magnificent'' Middle-spotted Woodpecker morphed into view, and as a bonus, I was able to procure some reasonable shots of this hitherto previously elusive Dendrocopos lifer!

As I've never knowingly not rewarded myself upon finding a ''lifer'', I walked back to the bus terminus for a ''caffeine fix'', have to say, that It tasted particularly good, I reckon the endorph flow must have given it the edge!
Heading back into the wood, I again bumped into a solitary Hawfinch just beneath the canopy, once more too fast to image, as it disappeared through the trees, a little further on, I briefly glimpsed a Lesser-spotted Woodpecker before it too, evaporated into the wood.

My thoughts were now with Fridays planned ''train ride'' to Szabadszallas, circa 80km to the South, as Friday was forecast to be ''sunny'', something that had been notable by it's absence, low cloud having dominated thus far.

To be continued.....

Nice shots - I always enjoy hammering one small area and winkling out the goodies one by one.

Cheers
Mike

Friday arrived with low cloud once more, not exactly the recipe for good photo shooting conditions, and having risen at 5.30 am on the previous two days, I had a lay in till 8am followed by a ''slow'' breakfast, with the object of getting the 10.05 am train South to Szabadszallas from Keleti palyaudvar. I'd done this trip last year at the same time, and was hoping for a not dissimilar variety of birds en-route, however always remembering that birds from previous trips, would be no guarantee for future excursions.

Once aboard the train, I positioned myself in the leading car, literally just behind the door, in what amounted to the cycle rack/toilet area, circa 8' from the drivers door (no other occupants in this section) thus enabling me to ''ride'' with the window down to chest height. I reasoned that anything disturbed along the track, would give me a 50/50 chance of a successful photo shoot. What I hadn't bargained for, was the slipstream from the bow of the train...too close to the window, and you may as well have been shooting from the back of a ''flat-out'' 70+mph motorbike....get the picture?....or as in my case, frequently not!

Knowing that the trip was c1.5 hours with a 5 hour layover until the return train at 16.25, I knew that the ''action'' came on-stream after the train had eclipsed the suburbs (c30 minutes). When first speeding through the extensive chain of water (sand/gravel extraction areas) Grt.White Egret was the first to be seen ''back-dropped'' by the reeds, soon followed by a melanistic female Marsh Harrier, Red-backed shrike, Turtle Dove, and Short-toed Eagle before the train slowed down to a stop at a crossing, where much ''Magyar Banter'' could be heard from the change-over relief driver. Taking advantage of this stopover, I constantly switched carriage sides, enabling me to image both Turtle Dove and Red-backed Shrike. Soon after the train moved off and picked-up speed, we were cutting through the ''flatlands'' of maize and Sunflowers, when I encountered a flock of Common Crane overhead and a single White Stork. Then ''another'' Kestrel hovering, silhouetted ahead of the train, by the track...yes it does look very dark I ''string-ingly'' mused, as it then moved across the front of the oncoming train and I realised....male Red-footed falcon. Frantically dashing to the other side of the car (It would have made a perfect photo shoot), was to no avail...It was gone! (and unlike last year, the only one that I was to encounter during the trip). Arriving in Szabadszallas, I disembarked the train and headed West along a dusty, hot, sandy track, soon encountering more White Storks and a ''float by'' Swallowtail butterfly. In passing an Isolated farm, I could hear the ''purring'' of Turtle Dove, then up above from overhead telephone wires 3 Bee-eaters calling anxiously, plus a family party of Lesser-grey Shrikes (5) on the straw bales, with an attendant female Red-backed Shrike in the hedgerow...now that's what I call a ''good mix'' of birds. The rest of the ''stop'' was spent in the vicinity, getting shots of all three species, unfortunately the electric fence between me and the ''subjects'' kinda hampered the shoot....not complaining though, as these were ''all'' a site for sore eyes.
The return leg was certainly eventful, and a touch bizarre, more Bee-eaters, then a distant Roller on wires! (with an extra-limital shot to prove), just prior to seeing the Roller, I'd taken a mostly blurred film clip of passing trees with something ''interesting'' interspaced, within the ensuing leafage, in an adjoining field as the train sped through. But the Roller took precedence, and I forgot about the previous film clip till reviewing back at the hotel that evening. A retrospective life tick! (the last image). To be continued....

On our last almost full day Sat.1st Aug., the forecast proved to be correct. Wall to wall blue, back-dropping....a big yellow duster! A quick cup of tea at 5.30 am and accompanying croissant ''lit the fuse'' for a last start to the Buda Hills. With the ''Great Bustard endorphs'' still in the system...could I squeeze out any more goodies? one ''lifer'' closely followed by a second, I thought most unlikely. Once again all the usual suspects were encountered apart from Hawfinch, Collared Fly and Lesser-spot. however a single Common Swift over, and a single Song Thrush were NEW for the trip as was Chaffinch. At circa 1pm, my wife decided to leave ''downtown'' to get some cooler air at elevation, and join me for a light snack at the terminus café overlooking the city. With two cups of excellent coffee and strudel under our respective belts...plus change from a 1000 forint note (£2.50) we headed SW along the ridge for approximately 2 Km. where we encountered a stunning Silver-washed Fritillary. On the return leg...we per-chanced the biggest beetle that I've ever handled, unsure as to it's ID, I was musing possible female Stag beetle as we passed close to a tall, partly obscured (by equally tall trees,) aerial/phone mast structure, when wood chips almost the size of small golf balls, rained down on us, accompanied by the intermittent sound of irregular tapping.
Such was my anger, that maintenance engineers should carry out such work, without any forewarning signs for the general public's safety was outrageous! I quickly moved away from the immediate area, hoping to catch sight of the culprit, whereby from a better vantage point..I could give him a piece of my mind.
Anger soon turned to incredulousness and laughter, as a swift upward glance through my bins, revealed Black Woodpecker no less!
We thought a fitting end to our 4 day break...next time we'll bring crash helmets. :-O

MKinHK said:

Nice shots - I always enjoy hammering one small area and winkling out the goodies one by one.

Cheers
Mike

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Hammering being the ''operative word'' for the last bird Mike :t:

Black Woody's are certainly beasts aren't they Ken. Always great to see.

Nice report, makes my feet itchy to return to Hungary.

wolfbirder said:

Black Woody's are certainly beasts aren't they Ken. Always great to see.

Nice report, makes my feet itchy to return to Hungary.

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Yes they sure are!...am now just ''three peckers short'' of a full set!

If you wait until you're a ''senior'' Nick.....Bus-Tram-Metro and Rail are Gratis

Cheers :t:

KenM said:

... and a tree that I couldn't ID, with leaves that look like Ash?

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Pics?

Beautiful shots and fascinating trip report Ken ( fellow garden lister :t: ).
Rob and I booked a trip this June to visit Hungary next April / May 2016, with one of our main targets being woodpeckers.
Your trip report has whetted my appetite all the more .
Best wishes, Carol :t:

Funny I found this post. I'm leaving for Hungary today to visit relatives. This will be my first trip there since I started birding. Hopefully it wont be too overwhelming.

Nutcracker said:

Pics?

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Unfortunately It was deleted!....When I couldn't find a ''subject'' bird :-C

Leaf layout and structure as Ash...had lateral rings on the trunk..not unlike Cherry?

Carol Baldock said:

Beautiful shots and fascinating trip report Ken ( fellow garden lister :t: ).
Rob and I booked a trip this June to visit Hungary next April / May 2016, with one of our main targets being woodpeckers.
Your trip report has whetted my appetite all the more .
Best wishes, Carol :t:

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I don't think you and Rob will be disappointed Carol....at any level :t:

Great write up. Love Black Woodpeckers, superb connect.

Great write up Ken.

Love your Woodies photos. I was hoping to see Black Woodpeckers in one of my arranged Spanish trips but sadly it was not to be.

That reminds me that I will need to catch up on a few unposted reports myself soon LOL :t:

Thanks Ratal and Kathy your sentiments appreciated :t: