Activity level:

easy/moderate walks

Eastern Europe / Hungary

Crane spectacular
Hortobágy and Bükk Hills, 8 days

Autumn is a very special season on the Great Hungarian Plains, the famous Hortobágy ‘Puszta’. Enjoy fantastic views of tens of thousands of trumpeting Common Cranes flying low overhead! The grasslands offer superb species: Dotterels and Stone-Curlews are still around, Great Bustards can be found in small flocks. Raptors hunt everywhere, among them we might find Long-legged and Rough-legged Buzzard, Imperial Eagle and Saker. There are always many interesting birds at the fishponds such as Ferruginous Duck, Pygmy Cormorant and vast numbers of waders, herons, egrets and ducks.
Most of the Bükk Hills is characterized by vast beech woods and open limestone meadows with different karst forms produced by erosion. It is a perfect area for birding, where raptors soar above the valleys and dense deciduous woodlands provide home for woodland species including Hawfinch, Ural Owl, Black, White-backed, Grey-headed, Middle Spotted and Syrian Woodpecker. 

Fact File
- 8 days in Hungary visiting the famous Hortobágy and Bükk National Parks
- start and finish in Budapest
- using 2 accommodations located close to the sites

Highlights
- 4 days in the Hortobágy puszta visiting huge flat steppes, fishponds and experiencing the mass migration of cranes
- 3 days in the Bükk hills visiting dense deciduous forests, limestone rock formations and quarries
- wide variety of birds and habitats
- plenty of herons, raptors, woodpeckers and other interesting bird species

Accommodation
4 nights in a hotel close to Hortobágy National Park
3 nights in an excellent family run hotel by the foot of the Bükk hills with the best cuisine in the region

Departure Dates
15-22 October, 2009
17-24 October, 2010

Price
Our price includes:
- all travel as noted in the itinerary;
- all accommodation based on shared rooms (most rooms are twin bedded), at most locations there are single rooms as well for extra charge (Please ask for a single room at the time of booking!);
- 3 meals per day, generally breakfast at the accommodation, packed lunch, dinner (consists of at least two courses);
- services of the leader(s);
- trip materials.

The all inclusive land price of this tour: 
8 days at 841 GBP + 115 GBP single room supplement in 2009

Not included:
- flights to and from Budapest;
- optional programmes to places of interest and entrance fees involved;
- airport and other departure taxes, tips;
- food beyond generally 3 meals/day mentioned in the itineraries;
- excess baggage charges;
- telephone calls;
- alcoholic beverages;
- compulsory personal insurance.
If you have questions about the inclusion of any cost item, please contact us.

Itinerary

1	After arriving in Budapest we travel towards Hortobágy National Park, birding en route.

2-4

We spend 3 days in the park exploring the fishponds, including the famous Hortobágy Halastó. We visit Northern Hortobagy, the typical Puszta habitat to experience masses of Common Cranes flying overhead and raptors including Rough-legged Buzzard and White-tailed Eagle. We look for Stone Curlew and Great Bustard near Nagyiván and visit day roosts of hundreds of Long-eared Owls. The fishponds attract many waterbirds including Pygmy Cormorant, Ferruginous Duck, Lesser White-fronted Goose, ducks and waders. The reedbeds are home to Penduline and Bearded Tits.

5	We head towards the Bükk Hills and we stop on the way at suitable places to search for Saker Falcon and Imperial Eagle.

6-7

In the Bükk National Park we visit the most untouched part of the forest to search for Black, Grey-headed, White-backed, Middle Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers, Ural Owl and Hawfinch. We walk in picturesque valleys and visit an abandoned quarry looking for Eagle Owl, Rock Bunting and a surprise Wallcreeper.

8	We travel to Budapest Airport stopping en route to look for some extra bird species.