Hungary in November (1 Viewer)

[SLD30]

We are thinking about possibly visiting Hungary in late November. Is this time any good for bird watching? If not where would you suggest please, covid allowing.

 

[MJB]

The following two locations are not difficult to find if you fly into Vienna or Bratislava (make sure your rental vehicle can be taken across the Austrian, Slovak and Hungarian borders), but if you're flying into Budapest, it's too far away.

In westernmost Hungary, there is the Hungarian part of the joint Austria/Hungary Neusiedlersee/Fertő-Hanság National Park. North of the village of Sarród is the hamlet of Fertőújlak. There are several birdwatching towers along or off the road to Fertőújlak. The most distant tower is a 1.8 km walk from the road (coordinates for the track start 47.678444, 16.848187), but it overlooks a large lagoon, which may have filled up again after this year's bad drought. If the café in Fertőújlak is still open in November, it has excellent food and wine!

Also, not too far away to the east at coordinates 47.660588, 17.141687, is the junction into Hany Istók Tanösvény, a mostly wet forest, marsh and heathland reserve (it's also a working lumber area, so give way to trucks!). These tracks can be a little weather-affected, but stick to the gravelled tracks. After 4 km, there is a small car park and covered picnic area; from here, it is a 500m walk west to a platform with good views over the surrounding area - in summer, it overlooks a Bee-eater colony, but eagles, storks, egrets and wintering birds should be relatively easy to see.

For areas near or in Budapest, Gerard Gorman who lives there, does guided tours and runs ProBirder (About) and is on Facebook (Log in to Facebook) is perhaps the best contact if you don't speak Hungarian. There are also quite a few Hungarians here on Bird Forum!
MJB

 

[AttilaLengyel]

We are thinking about possibly visiting Hungary in late November. Is this time any good for bird watching? If not where would you suggest please, covid allowing.

Hi,

I am from Hungary, I can give you some hints. Anyway, @MJB gave excellent advice, if that area fits you.

Some good places, just roughly:

I suppose you are interested in species that you are less likely to see in Britain.

1) Kiskunság National Park, near Apaj and Kunpeszér villages. Fishponds and flooded pastures where large flocks of geese and still some waders stop by. Good chance to see Red-breasted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose. Large open areas with steppe species, e.g. Saker, Bustard, Eastern Imperial Eagle.

2) Hortobágy National Park, near Hortobágy and Egyek villages: Large open grasslands with huge flocks of Crane and geese (incl. LWfG, RbG). Saker, Eastern Imperial Eagle are usual.

3) Tata, Öreg-tó (Old Lake): near the end of the month large flocks of geese, with LWfG and RbG, ducks and gulls. Woodpeckers (all resident species, except White-backed). There used to be a birding festival at the end of the month, see Aktuális program | Tatai Vadlúd Sokadalom Really nice stuff, I used to be there as an organizer.

4) Börzsöny Mts.: White-backed Woodpecker is not too difficult to see, with some luck you can have even Ural Owl. They are most likely in the higher and inner parts. I live at this region.

5) Lake Balaton: by the end of Autumn, there used to be a variety of ducks, grebes, divers and gulls. At the area Kis-Balaton you can easily have Ferrugineous Duck. There are returning Greater Spotted Eagles wintering there.

If you specify what you are interested in, I can give more details.
Wherever you go, please, double-check the rules for visitors. In protected areas (Kiskunság, Hortobágy, Börzsöny) you may not be welcome if you leave the public road.

Attila

 

[MJB]

Hi,

I am from Hungary, I can give you some hints. Anyway, @MJB gave excellent advice, if that area fits you.

Some good places, just roughly:

I suppose you are interested in species that you are less likely to see in Britain.

1) Kiskunság National Park, near Apaj and Kunpeszér villages. Fishponds and flooded pastures where large flocks of geese and still some waders stop by. Good chance to see Red-breasted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose. Large open areas with steppe species, e.g. Saker, Bustard, Eastern Imperial Eagle.

2) Hortobágy National Park, near Hortobágy and Egyek villages: Large open grasslands with huge flocks of Crane and geese (incl. LWfG, RbG). Saker, Eastern Imperial Eagle are usual.

3) Tata, Öreg-tó (Old Lake): near the end of the month large flocks of geese, with LWfG and RbG, ducks and gulls. Woodpeckers (all resident species, except White-backed). There used to be a birding festival at the end of the month, see Aktuális program | Tatai Vadlúd Sokadalom Really nice stuff, I used to be there as an organizer.

4) Börzsöny Mts.: White-backed Woodpecker is not too difficult to see, with some luck you can have even Ural Owl. They are most likely in the higher and inner parts. I live at this region.

5) Lake Balaton: by the end of Autumn, there used to be a variety of ducks, grebes, divers and gulls. At the area Kis-Balaton you can easily have Ferrugineous Duck. There are returning Greater Spotted Eagles wintering there.

If you specify what you are interested in, I can give more details.
Wherever you go, please, double-check the rules for visitors. In protected areas (Kiskunság, Hortobágy, Börzsöny) you may not be welcome if you leave the public road.

Attila

You've reminded me that a good number of years ago I went to Kiskunság with another Attila, Attila Bankovics!
MJB