Sun 5 May 2013
My birding began early – 2:30 in the morning! A black redstart was delivering his whistling song and peculiar crackling noises from right outside my window. The lights around the hotel swimming pool presumably confusing it into thinking it was daytime. It was in the nearby tree, but I could not locate it.
At 5:00am I met Steve on the steps outside the hotel, and whilst we waited for David we heard nightingale and cuckoo. The nightingale showed on a wooden fence, scolding one of the hotel cats. The black redstart was singing from the aerial on the hotel roof.Once David arrived we began a slow stroll along Tulipántkert Street, a wooded lane leading from the hotel. The dawn chorus was well underway – blackbird, great tit, robin, chiffchaff an nightingale were all singing well. In the dull morning light an unusual bird in a fir tree in the distance was difficult to identify (especially as none of us had our ‘scopes). As we edged closer we could see that it was a wryneck, a nice bird to get so early on our trip.
At the end of the metalled road linnet and tree sparrow were spotted. A path continued through a short wooded section and then emerged into more open countryside. The reeling of a distant grasshopper warbler could be heard as could turtle dove, which was eventually found perched on a wire some way off. A pair of red-backed shrike were a splendid sight, as were golden orioles chasing each other around through the trees.
As we retraced our steps back to the hotel for breakfast, a local let out his herd of goats, which included a very smelly Billy with a magnificent pair of horns.
After breakfast everybody boarded the minibus (apart from David who travelled in Roy’s car as there was one too many of us to all get in the bus). Our first stop was at the local Spar supermarket to withdraw local currency from the cash machine and get food/drink to sustain us for the day. Swift added here whilst waiting for everyone to get back.
We saw several familiar, common species whilst travelling to our first destination, plus marsh harrier, white stork and hooded crow. Lewis pointed out over-flying ferruginous duck and red-footed falcon to us.
Hortobágy National Park, near Kócsújfalu
A brief 15 minute visit here for our first taste of the park. Bee-eater were heard as we got out of the bus, but only some of us were lucky enough to see them before they flew off. Sand martin, sedge warbler, carrion crow, rook, corn bunting, and a whinchat all seen. Best were six red-footed falcons circling around in the distance.
Hortobágyi-halastó
A drive of about 15 km brought us to our next destination. This is one of the main centres of the park, formerly a fish farm. The first birds heard were nightingale and
cuckoo, which was to become the norm for almost every place we visited. Within the first few metres we had heard, and seen, icterine warbler, pied flycatcher and bluethroat. Great egret, purple and squacco herons flew over. A Savi’s warbler delivered its loud, insect-like, reeling perched obligingly out in the open at the top of the reeds. A pair of ferruginous ducks with their distinctive white rumps were another nice find. Walking to the other side of the ponds to check-out nest boxes in the trees, whiskered tern and kestrel put in an appearance. A long-eared owl was found sitting in one of the large nest boxes. Walking back to the centre, a black-crowned night heron flew over and lesser whitethroat was singing in full view.
cuckoo, which was to become the norm for almost every place we visited. Within the first few metres we had heard, and seen, icterine warbler, pied flycatcher and bluethroat. Great egret, purple and squacco herons flew over. A Savi’s warbler delivered its loud, insect-like, reeling perched obligingly out in the open at the top of the reeds. A pair of ferruginous ducks with their distinctive white rumps were another nice find. Walking to the other side of the ponds to check-out nest boxes in the trees, whiskered tern and kestrel put in an appearance. A long-eared owl was found sitting in one of the large nest boxes. Walking back to the centre, a black-crowned night heron flew over and lesser whitethroat was singing in full view. 
We hurried back to the centre as we were due to meet Sandor, a ranger from the National Park who was going to accompany us for the rest of the day, giving us access to areas of the park only available with an official guide. We ate our lunch under the canopy of the picnic area. On the move again we saw our first Hungarian Grey Cattle (almost white and with impressive horns), and glimpsed wheatear and crested lark at a farm. Stopping at a small lake beside a quiet country road, we found greenshank, avocet, black-winged stilt, curlew, ruff, wood sandpiper and spotted redshanks. On the far side of the lake, and very difficult to get a clear view, was a marsh sandpiper.
Long-legged Buzzard Area (precise location unknown)
This stop was a large, grassy area where long-legged buzzards are breeding in the trees about 1km distant. We remained here for about half-an-hour but no luck finding the LLBs. Sandor spotted a tawny pipit, but I am not sure that anyone else saw it. A Montagu’s harrier was seen in the distance, and closer to us we got hooded crow, kestrel, skylark, white-winged and whiskered terns, marsh harrier and sedge warbler. A small flock of spoonbill flew over (there must have been an area of water fairly close by that we could not see) and the Montagu’s harrier appeared much closer to give us better views.
Great Bustard Site
After a stop for ice-cream in a village, Sandor led us off-road deep into the park. Roy, DL and SC saw red-footed falcon and a lesser grey shrike at a brief stop. 
Moving a bit further the vehicles stopped and we were told to get out quietly and keep by the car/minibus so that we did not appear on the skyline – four great bustards were parading about 300metres away and they could be easily spooked. A fifth one was found slightly closer, a magnificent sight in the afternoon sunshine. A quail was calling close by and Steve heard a corncrake. Whinchat and yellow wagtail showed on the track ahead of us. Pochard, gadwall, purple heron and wood sandpiper were in the adjacent wetland. Someone claimed bittern, but I can’t remember who, or if it was seen, or only heard booming. 
Moving a bit further the vehicles stopped and we were told to get out quietly and keep by the car/minibus so that we did not appear on the skyline – four great bustards were parading about 300metres away and they could be easily spooked. A fifth one was found slightly closer, a magnificent sight in the afternoon sunshine. A quail was calling close by and Steve heard a corncrake. Whinchat and yellow wagtail showed on the track ahead of us. Pochard, gadwall, purple heron and wood sandpiper were in the adjacent wetland. Someone claimed bittern, but I can’t remember who, or if it was seen, or only heard booming. 
Another red-footed falcon put in an appearance as we left to return to the hotel and Steve managed to photograph a roller. Buzzard, stonechat and pheasant were seen on the journey back. The final bird of the day was serin, found in the tree tops at the hotel before dinner.
Today's List
| Greylag Goose | Gadwall |
| Mallard | Pochard |
| Ferruginous Duck | Quail (h) |
| Cormorant | Bittern |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Squacco Heron |
| Great White Egret | Grey Heron |
| Purple Heron | White Stork |
| Spoonbill | Marsh Harrier |
| Montagu’s Harrier | Buzzard |
| Kestrel | Red-footed Falcon |
| Corn Crake (h) | Coot |
| Great Bustard | Black-winged Stilt |
| Avocet | Lapwing |
| Ruff | Curlew |
| Spotted Redshank | Greenshank |
| Marsh Sandpiper | Wood Sandpiper |
| Black-headed Gull | Whiskered Tern |
| White-winged Tern | Feral Pigeon |
| Collared Dove | Turtle Dove |
| Cuckoo | Long-eared Owl |
| Swift | Bee-eater |
| Roller | Wryneck |
| Crested Lark | Skylark |
| Sand Martin | Swallow |
| House Martin | Yellow Wagtail |
| White Wagtail | Robin |
| Nightingale | Bluethroat |
| Black Redstart | Whinchat |
| Stonechat | Wheatear |
| Blackbird | Song Thrush |
| Grasshopper Warbler (h) | Savi’s Warbler |
| Sedge Warbler | Icterine Warbler |
| Blackcap | Lesser Whitethroat |
| Wood Warbler | Chiffchaff |
| Spotted Flycatcher | Pied Flycatcher |
| Blue Tit | Great Tit |
| Golden Oriole | Red-backed Shrike |
| Lesser Grey Shrike | Jay |
| Magpie | Rook |
| Carrion Crow | Hooded Crow |
| Starling | House Sparrow |
| Tree Sparrow | Chaffinch |
| Serin | Goldfinch |
| Linnet | Reed Bunting |
| Corn Bunting | |
| Total 89 Species |
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