Birdwatching-trips at the rice fields

(May-July)

The Spring migrants' main stopping points in our area are the flooded rice fields, an area that occupies approximately 1200 hectares and is fully flooded by water, providing an ideal feeding and resting place for the tens of thousands of migratory birds. In addition to this, it is a great feeding and resting place for those species that are closely connected to the wetlands. The number of birds and the mixture of the flocks are different every day on the flooded rice fields and as this is the most intense period of the migration, it is therefore worthwhile spending more time in these areas.

Day 1:

We will meet you at Budapest Airport and after a two-hour transfer, we will arrive at your accommodation in Túrkeve. If time allows after your arrival, we will take a walk in Túrkeve and the local area around the house. Birds in the garden of your accommodation often include golden orioles, red-backed shrikes, hoopoes and hawfinches.

Day 2:

In the morning we will visit the rice fields, where thousands of birds are searching for food in the muddy bed of the flooded rice plots. During the tour, we will see flocks of black-tailed godwits, migrating terns, waders, herons and collared pratincoles. We could also chance upon a gull-billed tern, glossy ibis and broad-billed sandpiper. In the afternoon, we will visit the world-famous Hungarian Puszta where we can visit different grasslands where we are most likely to meet with sakers, imperial eagles and black storks. If we are lucky we will see the migrant flock of common cranes or one of the returning stone curlews. The rollers, bee-eaters and red-footed falcons are returning at this time of the year as well.

Day 3:

This is the day for forest birdwatching. During our tour we will visit the old oak copse, riverside woodlands and deciduous woodland plantations. The majority of our song birds have arrived by this time and they have already bred or are getting ready for breeding. This is the best time for woodpecker-watching because we can spot the black, syrian, middle spotted and green woodpeckers and sometimes we can see the grey-headed woodpecker as well. During the afternoon we will be birdwatching on the rice fields.

Day 4:

In the morning we will birdwatch on the rice fields and later go to the local fishponds. We will observe the birds of the area’s swamps, marshes, lakes and reed beds. On the open water surfaces we will see ferruginous ducks, pintails and garganeys. Above us are mixed flocks of whiskered, black and white-winged black terns. Next to the reed beds we can often hear the voice of the bittern and if we get lucky we can also spot quite a few of these secretive birds. The purple, night, squacco herons and the pygmy cormorants can be also spotted in these areas. During our tour we are likely to see the osprey and white-tailed eagles.

Day 5:

If the timing of your return flight allows, we can visit the centre of the local Environmental Conservation Association and see bird-ringing as well.

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