Birding in Hungary 2026 - Day 3 - BÜKK HILLS PART 1

Birding in Hungary III

19 July 2026

Tard

Today, despite watching the France vs England match into the early hours of the morning, I still woke up at half past four, with about 3 hours of sleep. Eager to start getting some lifers, however, I couldn't fall back asleep. 

While everyone else was sleeping, I crept out onto the balcony, from where I heard and saw many birds, such as: Spotted Flycatcher, Hawfinch, Serin, a Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Spotted Flycatcher

We therefore drove to the nearby town of Tard, where there is a nature reserve. Upon arrival, we saw loads of Bee-eaters and two Turtle Doves, which were perched on a wire, with the male displaying to the female.

One of the Turtle Doves

We walked onto the reserve, where started by seeing a Buzzard, Stonechats, heard some Green Woodpeckers, and saw many Red-backed Shrikes. Later, we walked up a small hill, where we saw some butterflies, mainly Meadow Brown, although I got my lifer Silver-studded Blue. 

Male Silver-studded Blue

While watching butterflies, I heard a Grey-headed Woodpecker, a lifer! It sounded like it was coming from a nearby wooded patch. I went into the small wood, and soon spotted an Icterine Warbler, and heard a few Marsh Tits. While listening for the Grey-headed Woodpecker, which called occasionally from nearby, I heard a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. I eventually got brief views of the latter, but the former never made an appearance. We then found pieces of honeycomb on the ground, which we think is from a Honey-Buzzard, having attacked a bee or wasp nest.  

I then saw a woodpecker, which turned out to be a Middle Spotted Woodpecker, our 5th woodpecker of the day, and I heard a Short-toed Treecreeper, and a few Nuthatches.

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

In the open "puszta" habitat, we saw some Buzzards, and a couple Ravens, but it was otherwise not the most bird rich area. 

View looking south towards the village of Tard

Later that day, we heard a Syrian Woodpecker, our sixth Picadae sp. of the day, and something that Hungary is famous for. We also saw a Hummingbird Hawk-Moth

Hummingbird Hawk-Moth

In the evening we got views of an Imperial Eagle near Tard, where we had been birding in the morning.