Woodpeckers of Hungary & Slovakia, May 2015.

White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotus, Hungary May 2015.

Woodpeckers featured heavily during the recent trip I co-led for Limosa to Hungary & Slovakia.
We managed to see ten species including Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus, that we had to travel to Slovakia for.
The other 'tricky' species was White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotus. We saw one in Slovakia but the Three-toed was on view at the same time, taking priority. So it was nice to see a pair in Hungary on our return there at the end of the tour.
Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, Goshawk Accipiter gentilis and Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis were nice distractions while we waited for these woodpeckers to appear!

White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotus, Hungary May 2015.

The ten species were:

• Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius
• Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
• Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
• Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
• Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus
• Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius
• White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor
• Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus
• Wryneck Jynx torquilla

Wryneck Jynx torquilla was the last of the ten species of woodpecker seen in Hungary and Slovakia during the recent Limosa tour there.

Owls in Hungary & Slovakia, May 2015.

Long-eared Owl Asio otus, Nadudvar (Hungary).

 We had some very nice encounters with owls during the recent Limosa tour to Hungary and Slovakia.
The grounds of the hotel in Hortobagy were simply filled with birds in a nice mix of habitats - lake with reed-fringed margins, oak woodlands with dense understory and gallery woodland with scrub.
One of the first species we saw was Long-eared Owl roosting in Willows over the lake and these could be seen every day, only shifting roosting positions slightly.

Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, Zemplen Hills (Hungary).

 In the Zemplen Hills we were treated to this nesting Eagle Owl on a hot and rather hazy morning. The adult can just be seen in the centre but the four chicks were almost impossible to see.
Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, Red-backed Shrikes Lanius collurio, European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster and Wood Lark Lullula arborea were also on view while watching these owls at distance through the 'scopes.

The forests of the Slovakian Ore Mountains, May 2015.

Tengmalm's Owl Aegolius funereus, Slovakia May 2015.

 A two-day excursion into Slovakia took us into the Ore Mountains mainly for woodpeckers, but obviously there were various bonus birds too. This Tengmalm's Owl certainly fell into that category during a real 'purple patch' that included Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus (the main reason for visiting Slovakia), White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopus leucotos, Crested Tit and later a Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes.

Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, Nadudvar.

Back in Hungary we did manage to see 'the big one' - Ural Owl Strix uralensis, but unfortunately this individual remained in the canopy and impossible to photograph.

This migrant Eurasian Nightjar was found roosting over the lake near our hotel one morning.

Hungary, May 2015: Red-footed Falcons, Magdolna, Hortobagy.

Male Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus. 

Just home after co-leading Limosa Hungary & Slovakia tour with Zoli Ecsedi.

We started the trip in the Hortobagy NP and on the first day visited this marvellous Red-footed Falcon breeding colony. Most of the birds use the specially provided nest boxes in a rookery (they often use nests of corvids) in an isolated stand of False Acacias Robinia pseudoacacia.

Female Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus.

The colony site at Magdolna, Hortobagy National Park, 3 May 2015.

The 'Red-foot' is my favourite falcon and it's definitely a tough call to say which is the most attractive - female (above) or male (below).

Sprawling Speedwell Veronica prostrata.

Andalucia, April 2015.

Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

 We left Extremadura in heavy rain storms for Andalucia. Our first stop at Dehesa de Abajo in the Coto Donana was special with Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata, drake White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala and Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris on show the minute we parked the buses!

Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata

White-headed Duck (drake) Oxyura leucocephala

Hoopoe Upupa epops

Red-crested Pochard Netta ruffina

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (male) Dendrocopus minor

 Finding Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at the nest was perhaps one of the unexpected highlights of our trip into Andalucia. Considering how difficult to see in the UK nowadays it was a delight to watch a pair at the nest near El Rocio.

Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata

Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

Penuline Tit (male) Remiz pendulinus

We spent some time watching Penduline Tits near the nest (just above this male in the photo) using 'scopes at a safe distance. Another Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was located as we did so.

Viper's Bugloss Echium vulgare, Dehesa de Abajo.

Iberian Bluetail Ischnura graellsii

Iberian Puss Moth Cerura iberica

Extremadura, April 2015.

Roller Coracius garrulus

 I've just finished co-leading a birding tour for Limosa to Extremadura and the Coto Donana in Spain with Fernando Enrique.
It was a superb week's birding with many highlights. Extremadura was full of raptors including Bonelli's, Golden, Spanish Imperial, Short-toed and Booted Eagles, many Montagu's Harriers and vultures galore (including Black and Egyptian).
Bustards are of course a major attraction in Extremadura and we saw many Little Bustards as well as some large (20+) gatherings of Greats.
A marvellous morning was spent watching raptors in Monfrague NP with vultures leaving their roost, Black Wheatear, Spanish Imperial Eagle on the nest and much more.

Eurasian Griffon Gyps fulvus

Eurasian Griffons (centre) between Black Vultures Aegypius monachus 

Black Stork Ciconia ciconia nesting.

Rock Bunting Emberiza cia

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius

Eurasian Griffons leaving the rock viewed from Salto de Gitano in Monfrague NP.

PERU

Peru's iconic Incan ruins at Machu Picchu.

 My first birding tour leading job was in Peru. It was the mid-nineties and I threw myself in the 'deep end' in Manu - a region with around a thousand species. Over the next fifteen years or so I led more than thirty tours to Peru, mostly to Manu but managed to branch out to the Maranon Valley in the north, Iquitos in the Amazon, the Central Highway and the southern Puna zones.

I have to admit to being a little shocked when I noticed that my last trip to Peru was in 2009, after being a more than frequent visitor there.

Most tours started with a day or two on the Pacific Coast near Lima or an excursion into the Andes. Manu tours would start in Cusco, maybe with a day at Machu Picchu before heading down the Manu Road into the cloud forests and then by boat to the lowland rainforests.

Torrent Duck (female) Merganetta armata.

The 'Cock-of-the-Rock blind' on the Manu Road near San Pedro.

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (male) Rupicola peruviana.

Fasciated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum, a retiring species of fast-flowing mountain stream and foothill rivers.

Birding on oxbow lakes in the lowlands.

Hoatzin Opsithocomus hoazin.

Horned Screamers Anhima cornuta.

Long-tailed Potoo Nyctibius aethereus.

Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl Megascops watsonii.

Board walk to the macaw-lick hide on the Madre de Dios.

Blue-headed Pionus menstruus, MealyAmazona farinosa and Orange-cheeked Pionopsitta barrabandi Parrots 

Mealy Parrots.

Red-and-Green Macaws Ara chloropterus at the lick. 

Blue-and-Yellow Macaw Ara ararauna.

Blue-throated Piping-Guan Pipile cumanensis.

Collared Puffbird Bucco capensis.

Peruvian Pelicans Pelecanus thagus on the coast near Lima.

Peruvian Thick-Knee Burhinus superciliaris.

Inca Tern Larosterna inca.

Diademed Sandpiper-Plover Phegornis mitchellii on Andean bogs along the Central Highway above Lima.