WOODPECKERS, OWLS & GROUSE Tour in detail
Day 1
KOSICE to TATRAS
You will fly to Kosice in the east of Slovakia, from where there will be a 140 mile transfer to your hotel, which is located by a sub-alpine meadow where the first Carpathian Snowbells will be in bloom. Typical birds that inhabit the surrounding woodland are Crested Tit, Firecrest, Ring Ouzel (alpine race) and Nutcracker.
Day 2
TATRAS and LIPTOV BASIN
We will spend two days in the mountain forests, about 3000 feet above sea level. There are countless excavated woodpecker holes in the mature spruce and beech trees and they are often used by Tengmalm’s and Pygmy Owl. Many birds here are fairly elusive and owls belong to them. A local expert who knows where all those secretive birds have their territories will accompany us. Besides, we can expect to see all of the abundant local woodpeckers like Black, Grey-headed or White-backed.
Common passerines here, include Mistle Thrush, Ring Ouzel, Willow Warbler and various tits. Honey Buzzard and Lesser Spotted Eagle search for prey in open areas. Goshawks can be encountered in the forest and Black Stork is regular. Three-toed Woodpecker is sometimes hard to find, but otherwise an abundant breeder in the spruce forests. A Capercaillie occasionally turns up, while Hazel Grouse is seen regularly in April. We will also check out a large reservoir where migrating waterfowl gathers - mainly divers, ducks and goosanders.
To see Wallcreeper, we must take a mile long walk to the limestone cliff where it breeds. Nutcrackers are always seen there and occasionally a Peregrine.
Day 3
TATRAS to EAST SLOVAKIA
We will change hotels today and continue driving through lovely landscape, passing Spissky castle, one of the largest ruins in Europe. We will have planned a trip by chairlift to the Tatra summits in the afternoon. Water Pipits are everywhere at the elevation of 2000m, but we will be trying to spot some of the scarcer inhabitants of the alpine zone - Alpine Accentor, Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Marmot and the endangered Tatra race of Chamois.
Two overnights in a excellent hotel near Zemplinska Sirava Reservoir
Day 4 & 5
EAST SLOVAKIA, Fishponds, quarries, forests and fields
The sunny east of Slovakia, with a taste of the eastern plains, shares many species with neighbouring Hungary. During our two day stay, we will see some raptors on the nest and double our chances of seeing White-backed and Grey-headed Woodpecker, Red-breasted Flycatcher, plus a few others. We should complete our list of woodpeckers there. Local experts do not usually fail to find Black Stork, Saker and Imperial Eagle on the nest, and they have always a breeding Ural Owl to hand.
We will also visit Senne ponds. This area cannot rival Hortobagy but we can view birds very closely due to their much smaller size. Bittern, Red-necked Grebe and all marsh terns, just 40 feet away, are well worth seeing and quite often an unexpected vagrant turns up too. We will be based by a large artificial lake and will have busy mornings as the place really will be alive with spring bird songs.
Day 6 & 7
VOLOVSKE HILLS and SLOVAK KARST
The Volovske Hills, part of the largest Slovak mountain range, are characterized by tranquil mixed forests adjacent to the Slovak Karst. We will search for different species in each area. All European woodpeckers breed around here and we will do our best to see those not encountered elsewhere. Little forest owls and Hazel Grouse are again present, so we double our chances of seeing them. Collared Flycatchers and Wood Warblers are common and we will try to find two common larger owls - Long-eared and Tawny Owl. Black Storks are usually seen from the hotel, where we can find host of other passerines.
The Slovak Karst is an area created by limestone and we will be shown a number of local breeding species. Rock Thrush and Eagle Owl in a quarry, Hoopoe, Rock Bunting, Woodlark and maybe a few early arrivals such as Bee-eaters are most typical. We usually watch for Imperial Eagle from a castle ruin, listening to a ‘booming’ Bittern in the pond below. We should also see Short-toed Eagle and Saker, both of which breed in the Karst.
Day 8
VOLOVSKE HILLS to KOSICE
You will be transferred back to Kosice for your mid-afternoon return flight to London. Being so close to the airport we can afford to devote whole morning to Saker and Ural Owl. The first can be found amongst the large fields, now mostly using nestboxes, and the latter populates the beech forests in the hills that surround Kosice town.
Accommodation
- 2 nights in family hotel near Liptovská Mara reservoir
- 3 nights in a nice hotel near Zemplinska Sirava reservoir (Slovakia)
- 2 nights in the Slovakian Karst region (Slovakia)
Our price includes:
- all travel as noted in the itinerary
- all accommodation based on double/twin rooms
- 3 meals per day (starting with dinner DAY1, finishing with picnic lunch DAY8): generally breakfast at the accommodation, packed lunch, dinner (consists of 3 courses and caffe)
- services of the leader(s)
- trip materials.
Activity level:
Generally easy to moderate walks
Weather can be cold in the higher regions while generally favourable at lower elevations