Central Europe May 2026
Updated: Aug 25
Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland
Place names in brackets are where I stayed the night.
Monday 4 May (Bratislava SK)
Arrived at Bratislava from Manchester 15 minutes late at 7.10 pm, went through border control very quick and was at my hire car a Skoda Fabia by 7.30 pm.
Birds around airport
Magpie, Kestrel, House Martin, Jackdaw.
For the first three nights I stayed in Fertod Hungary, as its much cheaper than Austria and commuted back and forth into Austria.
Tuesday 5 May (Fertod H)
On the road
Blackbird, Starling, Collared Dove, Pheasant, Woodpigeon
Andue/Tedten Plains A.
Several Great Bustards well spread out. One male with 3 females came quite close. Curlew, Cuckoo, Yellow Wagtail, Marsh Harrier, a pair of Montagu's Harriers, Greylag Geese, Tree Sparrow, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Raven, Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Chaffinch, Lapwing, Nightingale, Turtle Dove, Swallows, Skylark, White Wagtail, Hooded Crow, Great White Egret, Blackcap.
Einser Canal Austrian Hungarian border
Pygmy Cormorant, Mute Swan, Great Reed Warbler, Golden Oriole, Gadwall, Little Grebe, Grey Heron,
Zicksee A.
Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Mallard, Shoveler, Red-crested Pochard, Redshank, Black Redstart, Little Ringed Plover, Ruff, Teal, Shelduck, Syrian Woodpecker, Greenshank, Goldfinch, Yellow-legged Gull, Common Tern, Linnet, White Stork
Sechsmahdlacke A.
Avocets,
Darscho A.
Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant,
Illmitz Zicksee A.
Very dry, water a long way off. Mainly Red-crested Pochard and Greylag. Black-headed Gull only new species.
Albersee A.
Spotted Redshank, Purple Heron, An adult White-tailed Eagle cleared all the wildfowl and gulls from the water. Bee-eaters, Great Tit.
Illmitz Causeway A.
Common Pochard,
Hanság Fertöújlak H.
By mid afternoon very hot at 28c with a very strong wind making birding difficult. Only new bird a Stonechat.
Returned to Hanság Fertöújlak towards dusk two Spoonbills on the lake. Lots of Kestrels about, then I noticed one was different a male Red-footed Falcon, thought there were 3 till one turned out to be a Hobby.
Fertod H.
In my apartment grounds a Song Thrush.
Wednesday 6 May (Fertod)
Zicksee A.
Much the same as yesterday Coot only new bird. A couple of Spoonbill came very close. Came back early afternoon and dropped on 3 strange small waders. Quickly deduced they were stints. Too far awayat first in water to see their leg colour. Don't usually have any problems on Lesvos, as all the ones I have seen were in summer grey plumage. These seemed much darker, particularly on the breast. At one point they flew off and came back the white edged tail feathers said Temminck's Stint. Some do come across as more brown in the books. I was the only person on the stints, eventually other birders noticed, all getting out of their cars and scaring them off.. Also present another Spotted Redshank.
Albersee A
A pair of Red-footed Falcons.
Weiden am See A.
Moorhen
Tedtem Plains A.
Four distant Great Bustards, an adult White-tailed Eagle and two Eastern Imperial Eagles. The first Corn Bunting which seen to get scarcer on each trip. Montagu's Harrier.
Fertod H.
First Jay flew over my apartments garden and first Serin singing from a conifer on my way out for an evening meal.
Thursday 7 May (Fertod)
Hanság Fertöújlak H.
Walk along canal early morning was productive. First Reed Warbler, Night Heron, Long-tailed Tit (White-headed type) Reed Bunting, my first Bearded Tit in this region, flock of Rooks, Black Tern.
Hanság Esterházy H.
Imature Eastern Imperial Eagle, Cattle Egret, Black Woodpecker, Chiffchaff, Collared Flycatcher, Willow Warbler, male Feruginous Duck, Blue Tit, Little Egret. A Treecreeper landed on a post in front of my car, I took a photo through the windscreen, but it was out of focus, but good enouth to see the wing bar was for Short-toed Treecreeper. Later using the Merlin App, it pinged for Short-toed in the same area. On sighting a distant, different looking raptor, I went for my camera and it paid off, when it turned out to be a migrating Honey Buzzard spiralling north.
Darsco Warmsee A.
Three Black Terns, first summer Little Gull, Only trip pair of Gargany.
Zicksee A.
Lots of Germans out of their cars walking up to the water’s edge with cameras and scopes and scaring all the birds away! I cannot understand why birders/photographers have to get out of their cars, which act as hides! Nearly all my photos at this location, where there is a road at the side of the lake are taken from my car and I’m sure I do a better job than most.
Hanság Fertöújlak H.
Small party of Wiskered Terns.
On the road today
Red-backed Shrike, Yellowhammer,
Big Thunderstorm late afternoon.
Friday 8 May (Radošina. SK)
All location from now on in Slovakia unless otherwise stated
Cicov (SK)
An immature White-tailed Eagle perched on one of the floodlights. New trip birds being Tufted Duck and an adult Caspian Gull, which had a readable ring on its leg.
Stopped near the pylon with a nest box for Saker Falcons, I found a few years ago. Last year occupied by Kestrels this year Ravens!
Vodná nádrž Kráľová
A steady stream of Black Terns north, typically as far away as possible on the opposite side of the water.
Hlohovec
Finally found some Swifts, as usual around the flats where the nest boxes are.
Saturday 9 May (Radošina. SK)
Sokolovoce river,oxbows and reservoir
Starling, Blackbird, Nightingale, Golden Oriole, Wood Pigeon, Whitethroat, Cuckoo, Bee-eater, Mallard, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Yellowhammer, Great Tit, Hooded Crow, Song Thrush, Turtle Dove, Black-headed Gull, Pheasant, Icterine Warbler, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Treecreeper species, Great Grey Shrike, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Red-backed Shrike, Grey Heron, Common Tern, Yellow-legged Gull, Little Grebe, Night Heron, Kestrel, Green Woodpecker, Swallow, White Wagtail, Hoopoe, Little Egret, House Martin, Common Buzzard, Caspian Gull, Black Tern, Nuthatch, Tree Sparrow, Blue Tit, Mute Swan.
Vodná nádrž Sĺňavau
A presumed Musk Rat in the channel around the reservior. They are regarded as common in parts of Central Europe.
Oreṣ̌any Airstrip
The reliable Crested Larks here, put in an appearance. Linnet, Wheatear.
Vodná nádrž Hajná Nová Ves
Large muddy edge single Ruff and a few Lapwing
Kaštieľ nádrž Hajná Nová Ves
With my two grandsons we explored this spectacular derelict stately home, to my surprise a Nuthatch was working its way round the rooms looking for insects!
Sunday 10 May (Oravský Poczámok. SK)
Sjokolovoce River, reservoir, oxbows
Much the same as previous day.
Vodná nádrž Sĺňavau
A lone Egyptian Geese.
Oreṣ̌any Airstrip
A very distant Harrier gave the impression of being a Montagu's. After studying the photo below, I have come to the conclusion it is a second year male. As per Plate 451 page 259 in 'Flight Identification of Raptors' - Dick Forsman 2016. This means I have had all four European Harriers at this location.
Monday 11 May (Oravský Poczámok. SK)
Went for a day trip with my daughter and granddaughter to Zakopane Poland. a very wet day, so did not go up the cable car and just hung around the town. New trip species Goosander and Fieldfare seen from the car.
Tuesday 12 May (Vitanová. SK)
Another wet morning.
Mútne
First Carrion Crows,
Vitanová
Winchat
Sucha Hora
The sun came out for a while early evening and finally some bird song, new trip species in Coal Tit and Lesser Whitethroat. At a large pond I spent about 20 minutes watching a Beaver. It would swim from one end of the pond and then pass close to me, totally unbothered, then do a big dive and swim underwater the length of the pond. It then repeated this twice! Although there are a number of Beaver dams on nearby ditchs and many felled trees, there was no sign of Beaver activity around this pond!
Wednesday 13 May (Vitanová. Sk)
Sucha Hora
Lots of bird song on a mainly sunny but cold 2c morning.
New trip birds Meadow Pipit, Dunnock, Garden Warbler, Redpol, Hawfich and the strange sight of a female Crossbill seemingly eating/licking mortar from the walls of a derelict train station! (According to BWP, not an unusual occurrence)
Zverovka
Mistle Thrush, Dipper. My first Slovak Redstarts, a pair were feeding amongst an area of felled spruce trees.
Huty
I watched a close Red Fox hunting in a damp area of grassland for some time. Eventually it pounced and seemed to catch a Water Shrew.
Oravice
First trip Grey Wagtail.
Thursday 14 May (Vitanová. Sk)
Chránené Vťačie Územie
Good start with a new species a pair of Bullfinches next to where I parked my car. First Red-backed Shrikes for a few days. Two Great Grey Shrikes flew from some distances away to chase off a perched Buzzard. Lots of Beaver activity. Then moved to a different party of the reserve where I manged to find a track I could driver along. Parked up at a Beaver dam and waited to see what would be around. A Crested Tit was coming to a nest hole unfortunately on the opposite side of tree. Spotted Flycatcher and Icterine Warbler also present and two Cranes flew over. A Great Spotted Woodpecker nest was also in another dead tree in the dam, both male and female were going in and out of the tree. Male Crossbill.
Friday 15 May (Vitanová. Sk)
Overcast early with a few showers, from late morning, some sunny warm periods.
Chránené Vťačie Územie
Beaver Dam
On arrival I could here a noisy Crane coming from the reservoir area. I then found two Cranes in a field, a passing car caused them to move to the top of the field joining at least 20 other Cranes. A distant short view of a Martin (Beech or Pine?) species scurrying along the trunk of a tree felled by the Beavers.
Torfowisk Wysokich (Nature Reserve) Poland
I visited this site once in the past and was not very impressed. From the car park you walk for ten minutes to a picnic area with a sign showing a Black Grouse! This time I walked further through a pine wood and came to a huge raised peat bog/heathland. So now I can see that Black Grouse is possible.
Tree Pipit, Red-backed Shrikes, possible distant Hobby, Common Lizard, many butterflies Green Hairsteak, Grizzeled Skipper , Large White, Peacock, Brimstone, Map, Swallowtail, Painted Lady and a Four-spotted Chaser. A Red Squirrel posed for a while with a pine cone on its mouth. Rain early afternoon, when it stopped went for a walk at Sucha Hora over the border into Poland, but nothing new..
Saturday 16 May (Vitanová. Sk)
Rain all day heavy at times. Went for a drive with lots of stops, apart from a Crane flying over, little of interest. Went back to my apartment mid afternoon and had to be content watching the House Sparrows, House Martins and Black Redstarts from my apartment balcony.
Sunday 17 May
Rain all night and into the morning, went out late morning when it eased off. Parked up on one of the high meadows too see if anything would pass over. Winchat and Buzzard on the fence posts.
Oravice
Spent late afternoon walking, but only found the usual common birds. Spotted Flycatchers feeding on the ground, including one on a small shingle bed in a stream, picking at the waters edge. Rain returned late afternoon.
Monday 18 May (Radošina. SK)
Set off back south with rain until I came down into the lowlands.
Vodná nádrž Krtovce
Sand Martin
Tuesday 19 May (Radošina. SK)
A glorious sunny morning after all the rain. First trip Sparrowhawk perched by the side of the road, when I took my two grandsons on the 20 kilometres run to school.
Madunice to Drahovce River/canal/floodplain/angling ponds
A lot of the old dead trees good for peckers in the past have fallen down since my last visit two years ago, being quickly replaced by new trees and scrub. Good to hear Nightingales, Golden Orioles and Turtle Doves (One of which was picking nesting twigs from the side of the track) again. A Spotted Flycatcher was exploring the many Woodpecker holes. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker put in a brief appearance.
Vodná nádrž Sĺňavau
Found a Grey Heron with large snake, if I had gone for my camera first, I could had got some photos of the event, but all I got were photos of the Heron flying away, with what is thought to be a Grass Snake.
Wednesday 20 May (Bratislava SK)
Plavecký Mikulàś
Walked along the ditch next to the intensively farmed field on one side and a grassland nature reserve on the other. New trip birds in Red Kite and Black Stork. Great Reed and Sedge Warbler in the ditch Turtle Dove and Red-backed Shrike in bushes. Again no sign of the once regular Corn Buntings here. First and only Red Deer.
Dolný les Nature Reserve
Plenty of birdsong along the woodland edge. The grasslands were quiet, until I got to the bridge over the river to Marchegg Austria. There I picked up on the Slovak side a Red Kite, an Eastern Imperial Eagle to the east and later a White-tailed Eagle to the west being bombed by a Hooded Crow and a Kestrel. A Nightingale actually came out and sang in the open, I think the first time I have photographed one in Slovakia and the last wildlife to be photographed of the trip.
Stayed at the airport hotel overnight. Caught the superb hybrid trolley bus into the centre of Bratislava. Centre of Bratislava fairly busy. As it was midweek, no need to be embarrassed by idiotic British stag parties.
Thursday 21 May
Left the airport hotel at 5 am, Jackdaw, Magpie and Kestrel last birds of the trip on the walk to the terminal. Got through border control very quick at Bratislava on the way out and arrived back in Leeds early. Slow through Leeds border control, meant I just missed a bus back to Leeds. Then you realise how pathetic the British buses are compared to the ones I had used the night before to go from Bratislava airport to the centre and back. Long bendy busses with 4/5 doors plenty of luggage space and at least every 15 minutes until late in the night. At Leeds/Bradford I had to wait 30 minutes for the next bus, apart from about a dozen people inside the shelter everyone else had to wait out in the elements. I just managed a seat but the bus ended up packed to beyond capacity, with luggage in the isles. Many passengers stood for the whole journey, it was a nightmare for passengers to leave the bus getting past all the luggage and people! Just missed a tram to High Street in Sheffield, meant I just missed the Treeton Bus and another 30-minute wait, so went to the pub. Home at 1 pm.
Butterflies
Small Heath, Orange-tip, Map, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Brimstone, Grizzled Skipper, Southern Festoon, Painted Lady, Swallowtail, Green Hairstreak, Large White, Peacock, Large Heath, Brimstone, Sooty Copper, Wood White, Spotted Fritillary.
Dragonflies
Four-spot Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer, Scarce Chaser, Downy Emerald, Emperor Drangonfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Beautiful Demmoiselle.
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