Tchik, Tchik

For once the first woodpecker I heard this morning in the garden, from the balcony, was NOT a Syrian. No, as I stepped out I heard the sharp, harsh tchik, tchik of a Great Spotted Woodpecker coming from the hazel that borders the neighbouring garden. I suppose this call, one of its most regular and familiar calls, could be written as chick, chick or even kik, kik ... much is in the ear of the beholder. It takes a little time to differentiate this call from a similar one made by Syrian, which is softer, less sharp, less harsh, but after a while, having heard both species regularly, one gets one's ear in.

Quiz woodpeckers

I have been working steadily on my new WOODPECKER BLOG. I have got a lot of basic info down, and plenty of fine photos from all over Europe. Now I have started to include photos of "quiz" woodpeckers, that is, so-called "mystery bird" photos. Actually, the ones I have uploaded so far are not that difficult to ID to species, though getting sex and ages right has been harder. I will add a few more tricky ones in the next few weeks. Please take a look: http://woodpeckersofeurope.blogspot.com/

Common Cranes

The mass migration of Common Cranes (Grus grus) through eastern Hungary will soon be starting. In fact, the first few early arrivals are here, joining the few that now oversummer. Numbers will really start to build up as October gets underway. In recent years over 70,000 cranes have ended up resting and feeding in the east of Hungary, mainly in the Hortobagy region. A great sight indeed, but the noise they make often impresses people, too, sometimes more so than the spectacle. October is going to be a very busy month for me and my team of birding guides. We have groups, families and individuals to show around and most want to see the Cranes... but we won't neglect the other birds, geese, ducks, Great Bustards, Saker, Eastern Imperial Eagle, Black Woodpecker, etc, etc... There is still a little time for you to get over here and on board to see all this wonderful stuff, but if you are tempted please get in touch very soon.

Kiskunsag again

I went to the Kiskunsag again for a day, this time guiding a keen birder from San Diego in Southern California. It was interesting to compare the sightings from two consecutive days. More or less the same number of species, the 2 Rollers we saw in the same places as the day before, the Great Bustards more or less in the same spots but the Monday Red-footed Falcons half a mile away from the Sunday ones, and more of them! An addition yesterday was two White-tailed Eagles, one adult, later one immature. Another difference was that yesterday we really struggled to see Bearded Tits! Though they called and called, they would not show themselves... finally a male did, but it was hard work. Maybe because this was one of the species that my guest really wanted to see? You know, Murphy's law and all that? Or is it some other kind of law?

Kiskunsag

We went out today from Budapest, around the grasslands, farmlands and ponds of the Kiskunsag region. Within an hour of picking my TV film-maker chum Nigel and his wife up at their Budapest hotel, we were watching our first Great Bustards. Next up was a late juvenile Roller, then a couple of Turtle Doves, a few of Red-backed Shrikes and later a group of stunning Red-footed Falcons sitting on the ground and flying about hawking for insects... males, females and young birds. It was surprisingly warm, a glorious September day. After a rather too hearty Hungarian Sunday lunch we headed to some fishponds. Here we saw came across a Pond Terrapin crossing the track. On the bird front there was a Purple Heron, Penduline and Bearded Tits and Whinchats and White Wagtails moving through in good numbers. A Hobby was following a flock of Swallows. Finally, we scanned a pond that was being draine, a magnet for shorebirds including Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Dunlin, Little Stint, Wood Sandpiper... also a gang of Spoonbills and the first Little Gull of the autumn. All in all, a good mix of resident and passage birds.

Woodland woodpecker activity

I had an hour in the deciduous woods above the city. There are lots of signs of woodpecker activity in the woods. Autumn is upon us and the old beech trees in particular are being hacked out by Black and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. They are not breeding now, of course, and have no need to excavate nest-holes or feed chicks, so more time can be spent foraging. They are also a little more visible now, as the trees are beginning to shed their leaves. I have started to put info and photos of the signs that woodpeckers make on my other blog, which concentrates on woodpeckers: http://woodpeckersofeurope.blogspot.com/ If you get a minute, take a look.

Black Redstart

Though autumn is well on its way, the nights drawing in, and temperatures beginning to fall, some birds are still singing. A pair of Black Redstarts live in our neighbours' yard and the male, a cracking jet black and charcoal-coloured fellow with a bright rusty tail and a large white wing panel, sings from time to time from the top of their TV satellite dish. I say "sings", well, if you have ever heard a Black Redstart "sing", you will know that I use that term loosely. This song has a sharp, loud crackling element, something like pebbles being shaken together in a bag. Not an ugly song, and in a funny way rather pleasant... but he is no Nightingale.