Wednesday 8 June 2011

Hortobagy, Hungary, 1st June, 2011

Day 5, the final day. Rollers.

Usual time, 04.40 hours, we were picked up by Attilla, our guide to take us to the Roller Hide, 4 x 4, travelled over 2/3 miles of basic tractor road, arround the grass and reedbed areas of this vast, flat grassland plain, seeing

Marsh Harrier
Montagu's Harrier, 2 m and 1 f, super display

Perfect light, blue sky, arrived at the Roller Hide.

Roller

    Roller

    Roller


                             Roller


                              Roller


                             Roller


  
                             Roller


                             Roller


    Roller


    Roller

The Rollers came and went for intervals but always in binns vision.
Whilst the Rollers were perched at one of its long distant perching sites a bird came into view at about 150 metres distance, in the grassland.

'Mick, is that a Greylag Goose'.

'No, thats a Great Bustard, a female'

A Great Bustard, (now thought to be a 1st year male) walked out into an area of short grass, immediatly started to display, the full Monty, wings up, the lot, then started to walk towards us,we photographed and watched the bird for several mins, 5 perhaps, then, the Great Bustard simply dissapeared in longer grass, never to be seen  this session. Stunning stuff.

Great Bustard


Great Bustard

This little chap appeared, he liked Mick as you can see !

10.30 hours. the sun had moved round to shade the Rollers, the temperature was very high, time to move on



returning, spectacular views of Montagu's Harriers


    Montagu's Harrier, m


                             Montagu's Harrier, f

                            Montagu's Harrier, f


moved onto our last location of our visit, we were transferred to David's car to be taken to

Woodland Drinking Hide 2
This hide is more open, better light, here saw

Collered Flycatcher, m and f
Red-backed Shrike, m and f

Robin
Chiffchaff

and most of Woodland Drinking Hide 1 species list seen

    Great Spotted Woodpecker

    Red-backed Shrike, m

                             Red-backed Shrike, m

                             Red-backed Shrike, m
    Red-backed Shrike, m
    Red-backed Shrike, f

                              Red-backed Shrike, m

                             Red-backed Shrike, m

    Red-backed Shrike, m

    Collared Flycatcher, m



                             Collared Flycatcher, m

    Collared Flycatcher, m

    Collared Flycatcher, f
 

                             Starling

18.00 hours close of play, back to hotel 19.00 hours
You just can't get better than this !




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