Austria, Hungary, Slovakia September 2024
- Bob Croxton
- Sep 24, 2024
- 11 min read
Updated: Oct 23
Bat records taken from the auto Identification on my Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro are not always correct, but are getting more accurate as I master the device.
Place names in brackets are where I stayed the night.
Weather
The first two days were fine and sunny, then heavy rain came down across most of West Central Europe with severe flooding, particuarly along the Danube and its tributaries. Luckily once I got east of Budapest the rain eased, but was persistant until the 17 September, when the weather changed to warm and sunny for the rest of the trip.
Tuesday 10 September (Fertőd, Hungary)
Bratislarva Airport (SK)
Kestrel, Jackdaw.
Andue Plains (A)
Large flock of Hooded Crows with one Carrion Crow. Brown Hares and Roe Deer. A Mustelid with a bushy type tail ran across the road, probably Western Polecat. Two Marsh Harriers the only raptors, a White Wagtail and a short view of a Cuckoo flying past. Many Swallows over the grassland.
About
Collared Dove, Woodpigeon.
Fertőd (H) Bats
Leisler’s, Noctule, Nathusius’ Pipistrelle.
Wednesday 11 September (Fertőd, Hungary)
Fertő-Hanság National Park, Fertőújlak (H)
Starling. My first Cattle Egrets in this area. Great White Egret, Greylag Goose, Sand Martin, Great Crested Grebe, Common Buzzard, Cormorant, Mute Swan, min 12 Black-necked Grebe, Black-headed Gull, Spoonbill, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Green Sandpiper, Greenshank, Magpie, Red-backed Shrike, Whinchat, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Stonechat, Tufted Duck. A fly through Caspian Tern was a good find here.
Lange Lacke (A)
This lake is a long way from the footpath, Shelduck only new species.
Apetlon Cemetery (A)
Black Redstart, Goldfinch, no Long-eared Owls could be found.
Warmsee (A)
Ruff, Kentish Plover, Little Gull, Shoveler, Black-winged Stilt
Illmitz (A)
Spotted Redshank, Avocet.
Apetlon village pond (A)
When I passed this reed fringed pond near the centre of the village this morning, there was a twitch going with about 20 birders present, not my scene, so I drove past. Returning in the afternoon, just two birders sat on the grass, so I went for a nosey. It turned out a Squacco Heron was present and was soon found. Common in Hungary next door, unusual in Austria.
Zicksee (A)
Millions of Greylag etc
Andue Plains (A)
Male Pallid Harrier (My forth in Central Europe since 2018. Interesting that Stephen Menzie, Editor of British Birds, quoted that he observes more Pallid Harries on migration in Sweden than Monty's in the September 2024 e-newsletter. I did not have a Monty on this trip or May!. Several Great Bustards, Red-backed Shrike, Whinchat.
Fertőd (H) Bats
Barbestelle, Common Serotine, Savi’s Pipistrelle, Pond Bat, Leisler’s Bat, Noctule, Kuhl’s Pipistrelle, Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle.
Thursday 12 September (Fertőd, Hungary)
Heavy showers today
Fertő-Hanság National Park, Fertőújlak (H)
Red Fox, Gadwall.
Zicksee (A)
Snipe, Pygmy Cormorant.
Warmsee (A)
Yellow Wagtail, Common Sandpiper. Thousands of Swallows and Sand Martins feeding low over the water. Around 10.15 the many Greylags, ducks, waders, 30 plus Spoonbill all took to the air, the culprit an adult White-tailed Eagle came close to my car. Interesting that instead of taking flight the big flocks of Coot came together to form dense packs on the water. Despite all the prey the Eagle flew away empty handed.
Oberstinkersee (A)
Lots of Gulls but distant, just Black-headed and Common Gull identified.
National Park Visitor Centre garden, Illmitz (A)
Willow Warbler, Black Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher.
Illmitz Causeway (A)
Quick view of a Water Rail.
Illmitz See Front (A)
Caspian Gulls.
Friday 13 September (Hortobágy, Hungary)
Undertook the long drive to the Hortobágy National Park for the most part in heavy rain along the very busy M1 motorway to and around Budapest, rain easing the further east I went. Very few birds on the way, House Martins in a village. On the Plains around Hortobágy huge numbers of Starling many Rooks, Buzzards and Kestrels. Two Little Egret and a Pygmy Cormorant at a fishpond.
Árkus Plains (H)
It stopped raining about 6 pm just as I found a male Hobby on the ground for a prolonged time. As the light faded a Juvenile Red-backed Shrike and several Brown Hares and Roe Deer. In the gloom a flock of 17 Curlew flew over.
Lots of Bat droppings on my bedroom window ledge. Left the bat detector on the window ledge and had lots of Nathusiu's Pipistrelles.
Hortobágy Bats from my bedroom window
Northern Bat, Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, Grey Long-eared Bat.
Saturday 14 September (Hortobágy, Hungary)
Very overcast, but dry.
Szásztelek Fishponds/Plains (H)
Moorhen, Little Owl, Yellowhammer, 3 distant Eagles at least two of which Eastern Imperial Eagles.
Elp Fishponds (H)
Ravens, many Pygmy Cormorants, tens of thousands of hirundines, all seemed to be Swallows and Sand Martins, adult White-tailed Eagle and the first 4 Common Cranes flew over. The first woodpecker turned out to be a male Syrian.
Balmazújváros (H)
Small lake with observation tower to south of town with 40 + Spoonbill and a Jay
nearby. At the petrol station Rooks were burrowing Walnuts!
Western Plains (H)
Several small parties of Cranes with a couple of family's allowing fairly close approach. In one family, two juveniles still being fed by a parent.
Nagyiván Road Hortobágy National Park, (H)
Hoopoe, and least 20 Red-footed Falcons hunting and resting in trees. The first Crested Larks typically on the road. Then a magical hour between 5 and 6 pm. The Red-footed Falcons had left the tree and were feeding over and on the road. With several females and juveniles regularly alighting on the road. I parked the car and for an hour the falcons fed and landed around me. At the same time a huge flock of uncountable numbers of Starlings came together and murmurated. Just to make things more interesting there was a constant passage of hundreds of Cranes. Three Roe Deer were also close by for most of the time.
At dusk I returned to the Fishponds at Szásztelek in the hope of a few creatures of the night such as Otters. Was soon rewarded with a Juvenile Night Heron landing next to the car.
Szásztelek Fishponds bats
Savi’s Pipistrelle, Great Noctule pinged on 4 ocasions.
Sunday 15 September (Hortobágy, Hungary)
Hortobágy (H)
A look out of the bedroom window at 06.30 in the hope of finding one of the commoner song birds which have been missing so far, found a distant adult White-tailed Eagle and another two immatures fly past.
Hortobágyi halastó Fishponds (H)
The Nature Reserve visitor centre, only opened in 2018 is now closed, as is the railway due to track damage. I had to drive back to Hortobágy to get a fishponds pass, the National Park Centre was not open yet, but a new state of the art visitor centre was selling the passes. You access the reserve through a gate with a bar code on your fishponds pass, but the gate was wedged open with a brick. The main path was too muddy to walk, so went up a no entry track used by the fish farm. Could not go far as all the other paths were either too muddy or overgrown. Major earth works were going off around the pond with the nest box trees and which was deserted. This abandoned vast nature reserve of lakes and reedbeds, one of the best of its kind in Europe, is a sorry state compared to past visits.
The rain stopped for a while around 8 am. Kingfisher the only new bird. The kid’s playground near the entrance was managed and had Spotted Flycatcher and Black Redstart.
Szásztelek Fishponds/Plains (H)
Three very distant eagles perched in dead trees could not be assigned to species, could not see the shoulder patches or tails.
Csècs tóegysèg Fishponds at the end of the Árkus Plains (H)
First Black Stork flew over south. Another White-tailed Eagle, Long-tailed Tits (White-headed type), Sparrowhawk, Glossy Ibis, Redstart, two more Kingfishers. Green Woodpecker.
Gelei Fishponds Újszentmargita (H)
Purple Heron, Whiskered Tern, Little Grebe, Squacco Heron, Ferruginous Duck another White-tailed Eagle,
Újszentmargita (H)
Two Bee-eaters on a overhead line, Great Tit.
Derzsi-tavak Fishponds, Ohat (H)
Immature Little Crake on water lilies, near where I had one in 2014. One Juvenile Black-necked Grebe picked out amongst the many Little Grebe. Night Heron, Squacco Heron, Ferruginous Duck, Pochard. Whiskered Tern.
Nagyiván Road (H)
Hoping for a repeat of last night's spectacular show again. Only one female Red-footed Falcon present, 100s of Cranes were feeding in fields in the distance, large parties of Starlings were coming straight in to roost in the reeds, but not forming the masses of the previous night.
Went for my evening meal at Kaparó Csárda. A small flock of Bee-eaters arrived over the well-known nest site across the road, where they are never present when I come in May/June.
Hortobágy Bats from my bedroom window
Northern Bat, Giant Noctule, Leisler’s Bat, Noctule, Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, Grey Long-eared Bat.
Monday 16 September (Hortobágy, Hungary)
Szásztelek Fishponds/Plains (H)
Adult White-tailed Eagle flew over on another murky drizzly morning. Two more Eagles perched up in the same trees as yesterday, flew off west, probably White-tailed.
Fényes-tó Fishponds (H)
As usual everything very wary, flying off from a long way off. A few small ponds had been drained and a few waders were present Common Sandpiper, Greenshank Green Sandpiper, Snipe, Spotted Redshank. A field next to the Ponds had several Black Stork amongst the many Grey Herons. First Blackbird on day 7! A Hobby whizzed by.
River Tisza, Tiszaörvény (H)
A walk along the river when the rain broke for a while Great Spotted Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker and a Sedge Warbler.
Derzsi-tavak Fishponds, Ohat (H)
Much the same birds as Sunday. A flock of Bee-eaters over south. A Water Rail heard, other craky sounds, but crakes went quiet when I put the Merlin app on, apart from pinging a Moustached Warbler! Bearded Tits heard on a number of occasions and eventually I found 3 in the middle of reeds, being as awkward to photograph as ever. An adult White-tailed Eagle flew over as I was leaving.
A bat walk around my lodgings at Hortobágy found the following.
Common Bent-winged Bat, Giant Noctule, Noctule, Kuhl’s Pipistrelle, Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Grey Long-eared Bat.
Tuesday 17 September (Hortobágy, Hungary)
Szásztelek Fishponds/Plains (H)
No eagles this morning despite no rain for a change. A handful of male Red-footed Falcons several Red-backed Shrike and the Little Owl showed well at the Little House on the Plains, despite its Jackdaw neighbours. Seems to have been an overnight fall of Willow Warblers, they are everywhere. Whitethroat.
Halasto Fishponds (H)
Again, most of this reserve inaccessible due to overgrown and muddy paths. Plenty of Willow Warblers and Spotted Flycatchers plus a Lesser Whitethroat in the trees and scrub near the closed visitor centre.
Fényes-tó Fishponds (H)
Quiet, other than a few waders all flying off as I approached, apart from a lone tame Black-winged Stilt.
Derzsi-tavak Fishponds, Ohat (H)
For the first time since last Wednesday some prolonged sun and warmth. At the Kingfisher hot spot 5 birds today, after much trying, managed some decent photos after hiding between the two trunks of some White Poplars. A party of several Penduline Tits flew by. White-tailed Eagles regularly seen, including 3 at once.
Árkus Fishponds (H)
Went further into these vast ponds than usual, the guard dog not present on the way in and seemed friendly enough on the way out, his owner was charging his electric bike with a petrol generator! Three more White-tailed Eagles, regular Black Storks and a couple of flocks of a hundred plus Tree Sparrows. Greenshank and Spotted Redshank on a dried-out pond.
A bat walk around my lodgings at Hortobágy found the following.
Common Bent-winged Bat, Giant Noctule, Leisler’s, Noctule, Kuhl’s Pipistrelle, Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Brown Long-eared Bat.
Wednesday 18 September (Hortobágy, Hungary)
At dawn Bats still flying outside my bedroom window Nathusiu's and Noctule picked up on the detector. Leaving my apartment at 6.40 yet another White-tailed Eagle flew over. Took a gamble on the ferry over the Tisza at Egyek working, which it does at the moment from 7 am.
Little Hortobágy (H)
Flock of Yellowhammer and a Song Thrush. Tracks too muddy to drive on, walked from the tarmacked road/farm to the abandoned visitor type centre. Found little other than a walk up too Red-footed Falcon and 3 different White-tailed Eagles, 3 Crane familys allowed fairly close approach on foot.
Tinó-laposi Fishponds, Folyás (H)
Intended to visit the Polgar Fishponds, which I missed and found these instead.
Very quiet apart from at midday, disturbing a roost of Starlings in a reedbed. Many thousands flew up into the air and left the area. Felt very uncomfortable at causing this disturbance, but no idea Starlings would roost at midday!
Gelei Fishponds Újszentmargita (H)
Quiet apart from Whiskered Terns.
Derzsi-tavak Fishponds, Ohat (H)
Got the better of the Kingfishers again, by photographing from behind the fork in the tree. Also used to photograph some wary Ferruginous Ducks.
Thursday 19 September (Číčov, Slovakia)
Left Hortobágy to return to Slovakia.
Drove via the western and southern edges of the Hortobágy National Park, managing a few drives into the steppes of these areas. Quiet apart from a few Crested Larks.
Northern Kiskunsag National Park (H)
Visited this large area of Steppe in the hope of my first Hungarian Great Bustards. A number of high-quality new viewing towers and good views from the road but no Bustards.
Číčov Fishponds (SK)
One Blue Tit the first of the trip! Just Coot, Mallard, Great Crested/Little Grebe plus the usual flocks of Tree Sparrows. Marsh Harrier the only raptor. Excitement as a mammal was seen swimming across one of the ponds, first thoughts Otter/Beaver, but as usual it was a Coypu. One was seen walking across a path later.
Číčov Village & Fishponds Bats
Common Serotine, Savi’s Pipistrelle, Common Bent-winged Bat, Pond Bat, Mouse-eared Bat, Noctule, Kuhl’s Pipistrelle, Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle,
Friday 20 September (Sokolovce, Slovakia)
Strange experiance at dawn. I was the only person in the hotel, the front door was open, but the outer security gate was closed. No staff about. I eventually found a wooden fence that pulled to one side to enter some land to the back of the hotel and then a gap in a steel fence to enter the open plan garden of an adjacent house. The grounds were still locked up when I returned at 9:15 am and I had to retrace my original escape! Eventually as I checked out, a staff member turned up at 9:40 am and opened the gate.
River Danube Floodbank Cicov (SK)
According to a gauge the Danube was 4 meters above its normal height and had flooded all the adjacent floodplain forests. Just a few ravens, White Wagtails and a hopeful Kingfisher trying its luck in the very murky waters.
Číčov Fishponds (SK)
Nuthatch only new bird today. The Ponds only held the commoner wildfowl species.
Quiet drive up to Sokolovce, but did find what I hope are two Saker Falcon nest boxes on pylons, which I will hopefully investigate further at the right time of year, some time in the future.
Saturday 21 September
Sokolovce, River, Oxbow and Reservoir (SK)
Many more common songbirds today compared to the rest of my visit.
Woodpigeon, Great Tit, Starling, Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Mallard, Cormorant, Kestrel, Blackbird, Jay, Kingfisher, Marsh Tit, Grey Heron, Grey Headed Woodpecker (Calling), Tree Sparrow, Black Woodpecker, Little Grebe, Great White Egret, Robin, Greenfinch, Carrion Crow, White Wagtail, Moorhen, Chiffchaff, Tree Pipit, Yellowhammer, Goldfinch, Hawfinch, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, a total of 31 species.
Quick flight home to the third-world Leeds/Bradford Airport. Arrived at 4 pm, took 30 minutes to find a bus to take passengers to arrivals, 25 minutes to get through border control. Just missed the 4:55 pm bus to Leeds, when thereafter they only run once an hour! Note – Bratislava airport which has far fewer flights than Leeds/Bradford, buses to Bratislava train station are every 15 minutes all day Saturday! Two hours ten minutes Bratislava to Leeds/Bradford, two hours 45 minutes from landing to Leeds railway station! Train and bus home just about on time, home around 8:45 pm.
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