The famous Hortobágy and Dracula’s country
Hungary and Romania, 12 days

Our tour offers a unique combination of first class birding in several interesting habitats, such as the steppe of Hortobágy in Hungary, the hills and valleys of Transylvania and the mountains of the Eastern and Southern Carpathians in Romania. The world-famous Hortobágy Puszta preserves rare bird species such as Pygmy Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Ferruginous Duck, Long-legged Buzzard, Red–footed Falcon, Great Bustard and Aquatic Warbler, to name just a few. Romania should be high on the list of destinations for every birdwatcher. Transylvania is characterised by beautiful landscapes, scenic gorges and lakes, vast hay meadows and endless forests, where Golden Eagle, Capercaillie, Wallcreeper, Alpine Swift and Rock Thrush are found. It is dotted with nice villages, medieval towns and fortresses. The Carpathian Mountains provide a good opportunity to discover exciting mountain species including Ural and Tengmalm’s Owl, Ring Ouzel and Nutcracker. We also have a chance there to view rare mammals such as Chamois and Brown Bear.

Day 1
We arrive at the Budapest Airport where our English speaking guide meets us. We stop to check for Imperial Eagle en route as we travel towards the famous Hortobágy National Park, where we stay for 3 nights.
Accommodation: Hortobágy

Days 2-3
We explore the marshes and fishponds of Hortobágy National Park for Bittern, Little Bittern, Squacco Heron, Spoonbill, Black, White-winged and Whiskered Terns and many more species. The biggest and most famous fishpond is called Hortobágy Fishpond, which attracts breeding Red-necked Grebe, Pygmy Cormorant, Glossy Ibis, Ferruginous Duck, and numerous waders and waterfowl. We might witness among the more common passage birds Marsh and Broad-billed Sandpiper. We might hear and with a bit of luck even see Little Crake, Spotted Crake and Water Rail around the ponds and marshes.
All Hungarian raptor species have been registered around the Northern Steppes, but Long-legged Buzzard, Montagu's Harrier and Saker Falcon are the ones to look for during our visit. Red-footed Falcon nests in colonies; one of them is situated close to the main road.
The grasslands of Nagyiván are home to Stone-Curlew and the magnificent Great Bustard. It will be definitely one of the highlights of the tour to witness these enormous birds.
Spring is an excellent time to enjoy the sight and song of warblers, such as Moustached, Marsh, and Savi's Warblers. We might also admire the handsome Aquatic Warbler that has a healthy population here. Other species we can encounter frequently include Bee-Eater, Roller, Penduline and Bearded Tit, Red-backed and Lesser Grey Shrike, and Golden Oriole.
Accommodation: Hortobágy

Day 4
We say good-bye to the Hortobágy and continue our journey towards Romania. First we pass the city of Debrecen, and then we cross the border soon reaching the first hills, where we stop at nice places to look for raptors. We hope to find Ortolan Bunting near a reservoir along our way. Depending on our arrival time we might go straight to the scenic Turda Gorge which is situated among limestone crags. We spend the rest of the day at this breathtaking nature reserve, wandering among the 1000 feet-high walls of the gorge. Highlights here might be Golden Eagle, Alpine Swift, Dipper, Syrian and Grey-headed Woodpecker.
Accommodation: World Heritage Village of Torockó, traditional century-old houses

Days 5-7
We visit the upper part of the beautiful Turda Gorge in the morning looking for Rock Thrush, Barred Warbler, Tawny Pipit and Rock Bunting.
Leaving the area we enjoy spectacular views of the hills crossing the Transylvanian Basin. The end of the day will find us at the foot of the Harghita Mountains. Our base will be close to Zetea. From here we make excursions to the nearby Harghita Mountains, where the ancient pine wood is home to Capercaillie and Hazel Grouse and mammals such as Brown Bear and Wolf are still found in nice numbers. Bear watching can be arranged upon request in professional and secure hides with good chance of seeing this huge animal. Three-toed and White-backed Woodpecker is fairly common here. The elusive Ural Owl breeds in old Beech woods, while Nutcracker, Crested Tit, Firecrest and Common Crossbill are numerous in the evergreen forest.
We make a day trip to the narrowest and most monumental gorge of the Eastern Carpathian Mountain range, Bikaz Gorge, which is without doubt one of the most certain and easily accessible site for Wallcreeper in Europe. The gorge also holds Grey Wagtail, Willow Tit, Ring Ouzel and Dipper. The magnificent Chamois is one of the rarest mammal species here. Nearby Killer Lake was created in 1837, when a small stream was abruptly blocked by a landslide in the forested valley and the basin was filled with water. The lake is now full of trunks of dead trees still standing in the water, preserved by the high concentration of iron and other minerals.
Another scenic place close to our accommodation is a swamp-meadow near Senetea, where Scarlet Rosefinch is singing from the end of May, and chances are good to observe Great Grey Shrike and Lesser-spotted Eagle. The noisy Corn Crake might also call here throughout the day at this time of the year.
Accommodation: Zetea

Days 8-11
On our way to the Southern Carpathians we might be able to pay a short visit to the legendary Saint Anne Lake, the only crater lake of Europe. Being rich in rarities it is a paradise for botanists, zoologists and geologists alike. Many woodpecker species are around and with luck we can find White-backed, as well as Collared Flycatcher. There is a chance for Ural Owl that often hunts in the meadows, sometimes even during the day. The nearby Mohos Marsh used to be the twin lake of St. Anne. Now it is one of the biggest highland moors of Europe with unique flower and moss species. Later we cross the city of Brasov to arrive to Zarnesti, to our beautifully located hotel.
Based in Zarnesti we discover the famous Bucegi Mountains. A downhill stroll through mountain scenery where we may see Red-breasted Flycatcher and Wood Warbler, takes us down to a quarry where Crag Martins and the elusive Eagle Owl live. We walk through alpine meadows and pine forests to look for Nutcracker, Common Crossbill, Crested Tit and Ring Ouzel. In Zarnesti Gorge, a dramatic limestone valley, where sometimes Wallcreeper breeds, we have good chances to see Alpine Swift and Crag Martin. Bear watching is also an option in a specially located hide, where we have never failed before to see at least one Brown Bear, but we have found Wild Cat and Wild Boar as well. In the valley leading to the hide, we look for Ural Owl, Lesser-spotted Eagle and listen to the calls of Corn Crake and Nightjar in the evening.
Bran, the home of “Count Dracula” is also nearby. The castle atop a cliff was built in 1378 and had a strategic role in protecting the pass and served as a custom checkpoint as well. According to the legend Vlad Tepes, better known as “Count Dracula” lived here.
We might visit the Fagaras Mountains as a day trip, where we might see Three-toed Woodpecker, Alpine Accentor, Nutcracker, Common Crossbill, Crested Tit, Ring Ouzel and we have another chance for Wallcreeper as well.
Accommodation: Zarnesti

Day 12
After breakfast we drive to Bucharest to catch the flight back home.