Hungary - Sept. 3-15, 2006
Bird/Species Trip List

Birds
Little Grebe – KNP several birds canal near fish ponds, fish ponds at HNP
Great-crested Grebe – elegant showy birds, a group favorite, one adult and two juv. With stripy heads, near the fish ponds KNP, HNP group of 5 flying, several locations, last day at HNP we found adults with young chicks – possibly second broods
Eared (Black-necked) Grebe – Bogacz res south of Buk hills, HNP on fish farm
Great Cormorant – 10 or more seen at KNP fish ponds, common in HNP
Pygmy Cormorant – HNP, great sightings, in fairly large groups, roosting & flying
Mute Swan – HNP
Graylag Goose – KNP salt lakes, abundant HNP
Eurasian Wigeon – first sightings HNP, several Gadwall, common in HNP
Common Teal – KNP salt lakes, very common HNP
Mallard – seen most days, most locations
Gargany – a few birds seen well in HNP
Northern Shoveler – KNP salt lakes, HNP, small numbers
Common Pochard – KNP one bird seen at fish ponds, HNP, very common
Ferruginous Duck – ten or more, great views in flight and swimming our first day at HNP, then on several ponds our second day.
Tufted Duck – 2 in HNP first day
Little Egret – a dozen or more on our KNP wetland day, HNP, a few individuals
Gray Heron – very common and widespread, HNP very common
Purple Heron – six or more birds seen at the KNP fish ponds, HNP
Great (White) Egret – common and widespread, HNP
Squacco Heron – HNP, a few individuals
Black crowned Night Heron – HNP and Lake Tisza
Eurasian Spoonbill – six at KNP salt lakes, very common HNP
Little Bittern – one dark immature bird seen flying over reeds in HNP
Black Stork – seen twice at KNP, five birds in total, one in HNP, one near Stone Curlews
White Stork – a single bird seen on farm rooftop KNP, another at roadside pond HNP
White-tailed Eagle – marsh at HNP, adult, then another day in HNP flying through agricultural fields
Short-toed Eagle – one bird seen well at KNP Salt Lake, another in HNP
Western Marsh Harrier – common and abundant in lowlands, all agricultural areas, etc.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk – garden at our hotel, and while traveling and at NP’s
Northern Goshawk – Aggtelek NP and Bukk NP, HNP
Common Buzzard – most common raptor, seen daily in a variety of habitats
Lesser Spotted Eagle – one adult at HNP near curlew site
Eastern Imperial Eagle – two adults, fantastic sighting above farm fields on travel day
Eurasian Kestrel – common in lowlands, seen while traveling and in KNP and HNP
Red-footed Falcon – several individuals in KNP, male female and juvenile, all very different plumages, a great study, HNP
Eurasian Hobby – KNP, several birds
Sakar Falcon – male and female, super looks, flying and sitting on pylons
Common Pheasant – seen on most days, roadside bird
Water Rail – heard only HNP
Little Crake – Lake Tisza
Common Moorhen – canal on KNP near fishponds, six or more, other wetland sites including HNP
Eurasian Coot – surprisingly scarce, but seen on canals and fish farms at KNP, abundant at Lake Tisza and HNP
Common Crane – hundreds at HNP
Great Bustard – KNP on two days, first a distant scope sighting, then a flock of about 30 flew by on our first day
Common Snipe – several in wetlands at HNP, scope views in a small pond our last day
Eurasian Curlew – half a dozen or more in KNP, several in HNP
Spotted Redshank – dozen or more at the salt lakes, KNP, HNP in wetlands
Common Greenshank – salt lakes, KNP
Green Sandpiper – two individuals small marsh in HNP
Wood Sandpiper – twenty or more KNP salt lakes, fairly common in HNP
Common Sandpiper – one or two individuals, KNP
Ruff – HNP very common – all in winter plumage
Eurasian Thick-knee (Stone Curlew) – HNP, nine seen together in grasslands
Pied Avocet – KNP salt lakes, a half dozen or so seen very well
Little Ringed Plover – two at KNP salt lakes
Greater Ringed Plover – several in wetland, HNP
Northern Lapwing – common in wetland areas, abundant HNP
Yellow-legged Gull – KNP, seen daily in lowlands, farm fields and wetlands, HNP
Black-headed Gull - abundant, from the Danube in Budapest to KNP lowlands KNP, Lake Tisza and HNP very common to abundant
Black Tern – winter plumage at two locations in KNP
Whiskered Tern – Lake Tisza and HNP, one still in breeding plumage at HNP
Rock Dove – common, seen daily
Common Wood Pigeon – seen daily
European Turtle-Dove – KNP, fairly common
Eurasian Collared Dove – common seen daily all settlements
Common Cuckoo – a late bird, one adult seen
Little Owl – two at small farmstead in HNP, great find! Then a poor injured young bird we delivered to the hospital in Hortobagy
Kingfisher – quick glimpse of this bright jewel in HNP
European Bee-eater – large flocks at KNP
European Roller – impressive numbers at KNP, roadside near Lake Tisza and HNP
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker – this smallest of Hungarian Woodpeckers gave us a glimpse while on our morning walk at Gerabi and again at Noszvaj.
Middle Spotted Woodpecker – just before the rains on the 8th, we got a quick look at a bird in flight that Gerard spotted in the same tree as our Syrian Woodpecker. Then we saw great views at Noszvaj, male and female, calling and feeding
White-backed Woodpecker – Ralph and Attila, wow! A three day effort.
Great-spotted Woodpecker – seen daily, a great bird for a regular study!
Syrian Woodpecker – first seen in the picturesque village of Josvafo on two days. Great views while perched in a poplar tree, calling. Garden at hotel near HNP daily.
Black Woodpecker – gardens near hotel at Gerabi, and super views at Noszvaj of two individuals
Eurasian Green Woodpecker – seen from the bus while traveling, and heard early in the trip.
Gray-faced Woodpecker – after hearing the call, we went on a chase our first morning at Aggtelek, and with Gerard imitating the call, we got super looks as it flew in to a nearby tree. What a beautiful woodpecker!
Eurasian Jay – seen often, abundant and everywhere, busy with harvesting acorns
Black-billed Magpie – seen at the airport, then common and widespread while traveling and in villages, HNP
Eurasian Jackdaw – farmsteads in HNP
Rook – flocks in KNP in farm fields, loads in HNP
Hooded Crow – abundant in KNP, also in HNP
Common Raven – several locations, best was above cliffs above the monastery
Eurasian Golden Oriole – a quick flyover, but the color is unmistakable – wow!
Red-backed Shrike – though common and seen almost daily, this little shrike commands its presence as with others of the family – bold, alert, and ‘cheeky’. HNP
Lesser Gray Shrike – KNP & another scoped on travel day between Aggtelek and Bukk.
Eurasian Blackbird – great views, seen often, highly vocal
Song Thrush – great views of two birds on our morning walk at Aggtelek; one feeding close by on the lawn.
Common Starling – large flocks KNP, frightening numbers in HNP
Spotted Flycatcher – common garden bird, very amiable, seen daily
European Pied Flycatcher – two seen near the stables at Gerabi
European Robin – Aggtelek, in shrubs of the limestone trail above the cave; along a path at Noszvaj.
Black Redstart – one of our most common songbirds, common near buildings, seen daily
Whinchat – KNP, several seen, also HNP
Common Stonechat – a few seen in KNP
Northern Wheatear – one seen in KNP, farm site in HNP
Marsh Tit – first seen at picnic stop on way to Aggtelek, then in mixed tit flocks on several days.
Blue Tit – fairly common, seen daily
Great Tit – seen regularly, in range for photos
Coal Tit – seen in conifers, scarcer than other tits, well seen.
Eurasian Nuthatch – daily, highly vocal, seen well
Eurasian Treecreeper – forest bird, several days
Winter Wren – heard often and great looks in Bukk NP
Long-tailed Tit – regularly seen, great views on morning walk in Noszvaj.
Bank Swallow – a few seen in KNP, roadside sighting in Lake Tisza area, very common moving through as migrants in HNP
Barn Swallow – seen daily, our most common swallow, abundant in HNP
House Martin – big numbers in KNP, several seen at other locations
Goldcrest – seen in conifer habitat, not regularly
Sedge Warbler – great views, photo distance, reed beds of HNP both days
Eurasian Reed Warbler – HNP seen well at small wetland areas both days
Blackcap – Bukk NP, and a male and female in small flock at HNP
Willow Warbler – Aggtelek, migrants moving through
Eurasian Chiffchaff – seen most days, gathering to migrate
Bearded Reedling – great views at wetland in HNP, both days, one a large family group
Eurasian Penduline Tit – seen in reed beds at KNP near the fish farm, HNP in reed beds
Crested Lark – stables at Gerabi, fairly common in KNP, very common in HNP
Eurasian Skylark – surprisingly few early in the trip at KNP
House Sparrow – common, seen daily
Eurasian Tree Sparrow – locally common near stables and farms, seen almost daily
White Wagtail – seen daily, all areas, all habitats
Yellow Wagtail – KNP in fields, HNP quite common
Gray Wagtail – seen in Aggtelek and Bukk near streams
Tawny Pipit – KNP – two seen on the track near the salt lake, HNP
Tree Pipit - KNP, seen on three days, migrants, calling, HNP
Chaffinch – everywhere, great bird!
European Greenfinch – gardens and villages, locally common
European Goldfinch – small flocks in KNP, great looks at small flock near one fish pond in HNP
Eurasian Linnet – reservoir in Lake Tisza area
Hawfinch – great views of a small flock at Gerabi, and several other locations
Reed Bunting – KNP, quick glimpses at fish farms
Yellowhammer – two seen near Lipizzaner farm at Nagyvisnyo

Mammals
Roe Deer
Brown Hare
Red Squirrel

Herps
Sand Lizard
Tree Frog
Marsh Frog
Edible Frog
Agile Frog
Fire-bellied Toad
Common Frog
Grass Snake

Butterflies
Peacock
Small Brown
Meadow Brown
Queen of Spain Fritillary
Silver-washed Fritillary
Green-veined White
Red Admiral
Clouded yellow
Copper, sp.
Large Copper
Little Blue, sp.
Comma
Great-banded Grayling

Domestic breeds of interest
Hungarian Gray Cattle
Racka Sheep
Hucul Pony
Lipizzaner Horse
Woolly Pigs

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