WOODPECKER TOUR
This birdwatching tour is primarily focussed on European Woodpeckers. Most of the tour takes place in Hungary, with one day spent in the nearby Romanian mountains.
In the spring Woodpeckers are highly active in these territories, so there is a good chance of observing the 9 Woodpeckers along with the Wryneck.
Destination: Hungary, Romania
Date: 1-7 April
Size of group: 2-7 Participants
Cost of the tour: 1320 EUR/person
1st day:
We will pick you up at the airport and after a 1-5 hour drive, we will arrive in Kisujszallas, this is where your accommodation for the next few days will be. After checking in and freshening up we will take a walk around the town with our binoculars and cameras. In the town there are several nice parks where we can observe Long-Eared Owl, Syrian and Green Woodpeckers. During our walk we may also see Hawfinch, Goldfinch and Little Owl.
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2nd day:
We will explore the old oak forests near Kisujszallas, where we can expect to observe Black, Lesser Spotted and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. We will show you Black Storks and hopefully Wryneck. In the bushes the Wren, Goldcrest and Treecreeper will be looking for food. The Sparrowhawk and the Buzzard are also common in this area, but we will also see other raptors.
3rd day:
We will visit the Berettyo floodplain and riverside forest. During the day we will observe the Black, Lesser Spotted and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Kingfishers and White-Tailed Eagles can also be seen in this area. We will also visit areas where we can observe Great Bustards and Saker Falcons. With a bit of luck we might also see Imperial Eagles and Short-Eared Owls
4th day:
We will set off early in the morning for the Bihar Mountains in Romania which is about a 2-hour drive from Kisujszallas. It is an unspoiled mountain range with beautiful habitats. The target species here is the Three-Toed Woodpecker, which cannot be found in Hungary, but here they can often be seen. We will also hopefully see Dippers, Firecrest and Grey Wagtail. If we are lucky, we could also see Ural-Owls and Crossbills.
5th day:
A later start today following the long day yesterday. Today we will visit areas around the local fish farms in search of birdlife. Penduline Tits and Bearded Readlings will be our main targets here, but we may also see Osprey and White Tailed Eagles. Different species of ducks can be found here such as Wigeon, Shoveler and the Ferruginous duck. Great White Egrets and Storks come here to feed.
6th day:
After breakfast we will drive to the Bukk National Park, where we will search for more Woodpecker species, our targets will be White-Backed, Grey-Headed and Middle-Spotted Woodpeckers. We will also visit habitats where Rock Bunting, Raven and Peregrine Falcon live. Additionally we will look for Tawny and Ural Owls in the forest.
As an additional activity we can book a Wine tasting – this is the region where the world famous Egri Bikaver red wine is produced.
7th day:
Our last day’s birding activity will depend on your flight times. If we have time, we will visit local areas for more birding.
At the end of our Woodpecker watching tour, we would hopefully have seen Black, Grey headed, Green, Great Spotted, Middle Spotted, Lesser Spotted, Syrian, White Backed and Three Toad Woodpeckers plus Wryneck and many more wonderful birds making your trip worthwhile.
We recommend this tour to anybody interested in birdwatching in general and Woodpeckers in particular also happy to do a bit of hiking. In the mountains you must be fit to hike and you will need a good pair of walking boots, but we do promise an interesting few days birding in a lovely country with beautiful habitats.