Weekend in Hortobágy National Park

We have spent last weekend in Hungary. Our main target was Common Crane (Grus grus) migration stop in Hortobágy National Park. Beside it we have visited Hungarian Grey cattle fair. We tasted famous local cuisine and explored vast steppe country also known as puszta. Two of the bird highlights we spotted from bus while driving on highway. On Slovak-Hungarian border we observed flock of c30 Great Bustards (Otis tarda). Adult Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca) was flying next to the highway 85km east from Budapest. The count of Common Cranes in the area was one of the largest in the last years - c85000 birds were counted in Hortobágy NP. The best moment came during Saturday sunset. About 15-20000 Common Cranes landed on Kondás fishpond while we were observing them from hides and platforms just 1km away. Aside of the Cranes we spotted during the weekend 5 White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), up to 50 Bearded Reedlings (Panurus biarmicus), tens of Pygmy Cormorants (Microcarbo pygmeus), Curlews (Numenius arquata), Spotted Redshanks (Tringa erythropus) or Little Owl (Athene noctua) - other pair was calling just few metres apart of our accomodation in Patkós csárda. Complete list of observed bird species you can find in the end of this post.

flock of Common Cranes flies over our bus

my parents also enjoyed the hundreds of Cranes that flew overheads

morning walk near our accomodation (temperature was below zero)

Patkós csárda road inn - place where we were accomodated

interesting birds in every direction

Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) was singing in the small local animals zoo

herdsmen with Hungarian Grey cattle

the most famous road inn in the region - Hortobágyi csárda

nine-arch bridge - one of the region milestones

Common Crane counts in the national park information center

Shovelers (Anas clypeata) on Kondás fishpond

first hundreds of Cranes are landing on the fishpond

Common Cranes kept landing till sunset - more than 15000 birds appeared there

List of observed bird species during the weekend:

Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Gadwall (Anas strepera)
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata)
Teal (Anas crecca)
Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis)
Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Great Egret (Egretta alba)
Pygmy Cormorant (Microcarbo pygmeus)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus)
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
Great Bustard (Otis tarda)
Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus)
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)
Coot (Fulica atra)
Common Crane (Grus grus)
Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula)
Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius)
Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago)
Curlew (Numenius arquata)
Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus)
Little Stint (Calidris minuta)
Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
large Gull (Larus cachinnans/michahellis)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)
Stock Dove (Columba oenas)
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
Common Magpie (Pica pica)
Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus)
Bearded Reeding (Panurus biarmicus)
Crested Lark (Galerida cristata)
Common Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Sand Martin (Riparia riparia)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
House Martin (Delichon urbicum)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
unidentified warbler (Acrocephalus sp.)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)
Common Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)
European Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)
Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)