Birds and Budapest
Hungary, 6 days

Winter in Hungary is really exciting. Budapest is situated centrally and in its vicinity there are places within easy reach that hold wintering Red-breasted Goose, Wallcreeper and Alpine Accentor!
You can visit scenic Lake Tata, which is a significant wintering site for geese within the limits of a city and you can search for Black, Middle-spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers in the forest surrounding the lake. A nearby quarry holds wintering Wallcreeper year by year and fish ponds offer further excellent birding opportunities.
Kiskunság National Park is only an hour away from the bustling capital, holding the biggest population of Great Bustard in Hungary. In winter the birds gather in large flocks and are easy to spot on the agricultural fields.
The Danube Bend offers scenic landscapes, a medieval castle with wintering Alpine Accentor and the colourful town of Szentendre in a day trip.

Day 1
After arrival to Budapest you may take part in a city sightseeing tour or we drive directly to Tata.
Accommodation: Tata

Day 2
We visit Tata Lake, which is about 1 hour drive northwest from Budapest centre. Tata is one of the important wintering places for geese in Hungary. Red-breasted Goose is also often seen here, but due to the vast numbers it is not always easy to spot the rarities. The morning flight of the geese is a very nice experience from both visual and audio point of view! The old forest around the lake is very good for Green, Black, Middle Spotted, Lesser Spotted and Syrian Woodpeckers, as well as Redwing, Long-tailed Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper and Hawfinch.
One of the most certain site of Wallcreeper is 20 minutes drive from here. The nearby fishpond system is a good place to see White-tailed Eagle, Smew, Red-crested Pochard, Goshawk, and wintering ducks, divers and geese if the lakes are not frozen. The reedbeds hold flocks of Bearded Reedlings.
Accommodation: Tata

Day 3
Another day, combining birds and culture, we visit the Danube Bend. Driving up to Visegrád castle we will have a beautiful view of the river Danube, and then we can have our lunch at a medieval restaurant specializing in authentic medieval cuisine. The castle is a good site for wintering Alpine Accentors. On the way towards the Kiskunság NP we might stop at a quarry where at the end of winter Eagle Owls are usually very vocal.
Accommodation: Kondor Inn, Szabadszállás

Days 4-5
We spend 2 days in the Kiskunság National Park south of Budapest. We will explore the steppes with its Great Bustards. We can expect to see high numbers of these birds, as this area holds the biggest population of the country. During winter they flock together, and it is pretty easy to find them. There are good fishponds and grasslands nearby where Saker Falcon, White-tailed Eagle, Hen Harrier, Rough-legged Buzzard, Peregrine and Merlin are often seen. Depending on the bird news and the willingness of the group, we might travel further south, to visit alkaline lakes of the national park, where Tundra Bean, Red-breasted and Lesser White-fronted Geese are traditionally found within the flocks of Greater White-fronted Geese.
Accommodation: Kondor Inn, Szabadszállás

Day 6
We drive back to Budapest airport birding on the way.