Bird watching tours in Hungary
| country: | Hungary |
| location: | Bükk National Park |
| departures: | This tour can be tailor made from Jan - Oct to suit your requirements |
| price: | From £745 (7 days) including flights from the UK, or £595 excluding flights. Includes half board accommodation and daily birdwatching tours. Single supplement £60, minimum group size 2. Weekend bird watching tours from £225 (4 days) ex flights |
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the amazing things you'll be doing
Superb bird watching tours in Bukk National Park, Hungary
Situated on the southern slopes of the Bukk National Park in Eastern Hungary Eger is ideally placed to see Hungary's spectacular bird life on one of our birding tours. The large and extensive oak, beech and Hornbeam forests are home to eight species of woodpecker and four species of eagle. In addition the more scrubby areas are alive with the song of nightingales.
Red backed shrike now extinct as a breeding bird in Great Britain are still widespread and common in this part of Hungary.
Your birdwatching guide: Your birding guide is a retired police wildlife crime officer and lives in a village close to Eger. He has worked closely with the RSPB and Forestry Commission and is mostly known for his studies of the hawfinch. Since his first visit to Hungary in 1995 your birdwatching guide has built up a good knowledge of the birds in eastern Hungary and works closely with the Bukk National Park staff on conservation schemes. Although a specialist in woodland birds, he has an excellent local knowledge of different habitats and their assorted bird life.
Your birdwatching hotel: Visitors can take advantage of the crystal clear air in this quiet environment and calm atmosphere. Relax in this high-quality, three-star hotel, ideally located for birding. There are two, three and four-bedded rooms, each with a bathroom, phone, refrigerator and colour tv. A sauna, solarium, body massage, fitness room and an exclusive non stop drinks bar are at the guests' disposal.
Food and drink: Characteristic local tastes and gastronomical specialities are served in our first class, air conditioned restaurant. The covered terrace lies in the amazing park of the hotel and is able to seat 120 people for goulash & barbeque parties. Wine tastings are organised in our own wine cellar and support the quality of the famous wines of Eger. In the beer garden, the lovers of beer are able to choose from various beer specialities.
Situated on the southern slopes of the Bukk National Park in Eastern Hungary Eger is ideally placed to see Hungary's spectacular bird life on one of our birding tours. The large and extensive oak, beech and Hornbeam forests are home to eight species of woodpecker and four species of eagle. In addition the more scrubby areas are alive with the song of nightingales.
Red backed shrike now extinct as a breeding bird in Great Britain are still widespread and common in this part of Hungary.
Your birdwatching guide: Your birding guide is a retired police wildlife crime officer and lives in a village close to Eger. He has worked closely with the RSPB and Forestry Commission and is mostly known for his studies of the hawfinch. Since his first visit to Hungary in 1995 your birdwatching guide has built up a good knowledge of the birds in eastern Hungary and works closely with the Bukk National Park staff on conservation schemes. Although a specialist in woodland birds, he has an excellent local knowledge of different habitats and their assorted bird life.
Your birdwatching hotel: Visitors can take advantage of the crystal clear air in this quiet environment and calm atmosphere. Relax in this high-quality, three-star hotel, ideally located for birding. There are two, three and four-bedded rooms, each with a bathroom, phone, refrigerator and colour tv. A sauna, solarium, body massage, fitness room and an exclusive non stop drinks bar are at the guests' disposal.
Food and drink: Characteristic local tastes and gastronomical specialities are served in our first class, air conditioned restaurant. The covered terrace lies in the amazing park of the hotel and is able to seat 120 people for goulash & barbeque parties. Wine tastings are organised in our own wine cellar and support the quality of the famous wines of Eger. In the beer garden, the lovers of beer are able to choose from various beer specialities.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Transfer to Eger, Hungary. If time allows we will take a walk from the hotel. Target bird species will include Syrian Woodpecker, Wryneck, Golden Oriol, Tree Sparrow, Nightingale, and Hawfinch. |
| Day 2: | Bukk National Park. Pre-breakfast walk at nearby lake with target bird species including Black and Grey Headed Woodpecker, red backed Shrike, and Barred Warbler. Full day in the Bukk National Park. Target species will include White Backed Woodpecker, Red Breasted and Collared Flycatcher, Honey Buzzard and Short Toed Eagle. |
| Day 3: | Lake Tisza & Heves Plain and evening wine tasting. Full day around Lake Tisza and Heves Plain. Target bird species include Black and White Stork, Garganey, Penduline Tit, River and Great Reed Warblers, and White Tailed Sea Eagles. Evening visit to Hungary's most famous wine valley with approximately 200 cellars to sample the famous wines of Eger. |
| Day 4: | Hortobagy National Park. Full day in the Hortobagy National Park with their expert bird guide. This is one of Europe's best bird watching locations with various wetland birds everywhere and easily viewable. Red Footed Falcon, Great Bustard and Roller are also present in good numbers. |
| Day 5: | Free time in Eger. Pre breakfast walk in nearby woodland to see various Woodpeckers & Warblers, as well as Wild Boar and Red Deer. Walk in nearby valley with a wide variety of different habitats. Afternoon free to walk around the historic town of Eger. Evening visit to nearby quarry in attempt to see Eagle Owl. We will also try and see Scops Owl in the valley around the hotel. |
| Day 6: | Full day trip to Bodrogzug and Tisza Floodplains. Target species include Corncrake, Quail, Little and Spotted Crake, Black Kite, Saker Falcon and Osprey. |
| Day 7: | Bodrogzug & Tisza Floodplains, and traditional dinner. We return to the plain and visit areas that are excellent for Wetland Birds and Raptors. Target species include Eastern Imperial Eagle and Saker Falcon. Optional visit to award winning restaurant in Eger with traditional Hungarian cuisine. |
| Day 8: | Transfer to Hungary's Budapest Airport with stop at an Arboretum for Short Toed Treecreeper and Icterine Warbler if time permits. |
travellers' tales
Truly fanatasic. I went to so many great places and saw so much wildlife i was stunned. The local people were so friendly and the food lovely and so affordable. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
 The bird watching hotel is locally owned and employees are local people. We employ local birding guides and work closely with the national parks and visit their wildlife exhibitions for which there is an entrance fee. On this birding holiday, we also use locally owned restaurants and give visitors the option of visiting various charging attractions in the area. Almost 50% of the bird watching tour cost goes in to the local community (hotel, restaurants etc.) Guests are taught some key word in Hungarian at the start of the trip. We encourage landowners to view local wildlife & take up European grant aid, available for sensitive land management schemes where specific wildlife occur. All walks respect landowners and wildlife conservation. We work closely with the Bukk national Park and private forestry companies to ensure habitat protection for the White Backed Woodpecker and in the past 5 years we have seen a population increase. Recycling and composting are both carried out by the bird watching hotel. Heating is turned off when office is not being used & we take great care not to waste water. We use public transport & car share. |
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