|
Trip Reports
Butterfly - watching Holidays
Hungary
-
"Birds and Butterflies"
June 2006
a group tour
with Sunbird Tours
led by Richard
Lewington, butterfly illustrator
trip report by
Sunbird Tours
After meeting our
Hungarian hosts Gabor and Safi at Budapest Airport, we set off on
Sunbird’s first Birds and Butterflies tour of Hungary. After a
brief stop near the airport to watch vulnerable European Sousliks,
a squirrel-like rodent, we left for our first destination, the
Hortobágy Puszta to the south-east. On the way we stopped to scan
for the Imperial Eagle, with one appearing majestically giving
excellent views directly overhead. Chestnut Heaths were the first
butterflies recorded and 20+ Painted Ladies were seen, having
arrived from the south.
By the following
morning, a few interesting moths had been attracted to the moth
trap, including the Orache Moth, Water Ermine and Essex Emerald,
all rare if not extinct in Britain. The morning was spent at the
fishponds on the Hortobágy Reserve and although the rain
continued, we found Large Coppers and Silver-studded Blues as well
as many caterpillars of the Southern Festoon and Swallowtail. This
was an excellent place for water birds, including Great White
Egrets, Little Bittern, Squacco and Night Heron as well as several
Red-footed Falcons and Marsh Harriers. However, the biggest
surprise of the trip was in the afternoon, when a Great Bustard
was seen flying and then settled in an area known as ‘The House of
the Angels’, the first time this magnificent bird has been
recorded in this area for several years.
The next day we left
the Hortobágy area, stopping at Little Hortobágy to look for Saker
Falcon, of which we had a distant view. We then stopped at a sandy
quarry where an active colony of stunning Bee-eaters mixed with
many Sand Martins. The nearby flowery bank had Reverdin’s,
Green-underside and Little Blues and a single Large Wall. Our
mid-afternoon arrival at Aggtelek saw more rain but this did give
us the opportunity to see a beautiful Fire Salamander, the symbol
of the national park. Because of the rain we decided to visit the
famous caves for the rest of the afternoon. The sun eventually
appeared late in the afternoon and after checking into our
comfortable accommodation, we walked in the nearby hills and saw
many butterflies, notably Turquoise and Chequered Blues and the
first Woodland Ringlet.
The fourth day was
spent in the hills around Josvafo with some great butterflies
including Large Blues, Assmann’s Fritillaries and a Fenton’s Wood
White. After lunch we went to some hills a few kilometres from
Josvafo where Hoopoe and Hawfinch were seen and a Syrian
Woodpecker was heard. Nightingales, Cuckoos and Turtle Doves were
our constant companions, seen and heard here and throughout the
trip.
Next morning we took a
walk along a wooded valley in the hope of seeing the Poplar
Admiral but were unsuccessful due to dull weather. However the
lake at the end of the walk had White-legged and Blue-tailed
damselflies and a lovely male Beautiful Demoiselle. A group of
caterpillars found feeding in the willow trees we first were
thought Large Tortoiseshells in fact proved to be those of the
much rarer Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell. Many others were later
found, some stranded and pupating in the vegetation due to the
high water level. The sunny afternoon was spent in the hills
where, as well as lots of Large Blues and a Spotted Fritillary, we
had good views of Chapman’s and Osiris Blues.
During breakfast on our
last day in Aggtelek, a Black Woodpecker flew across the wooded
valley and later in the nearby hills the sun shone and our first
Eastern Baton Blue was seen. A lake at the bottom of the hillside
was active with several new species of dragonfly, including an
impressive Emperor. After lunch and a fairly long and invigorating
drive to the Bükk Hills we split, with one group looking for
woodpeckers and owls and the other for butterflies. One Ural Owl
was heard and of the butterflies, the most noteworthy were more
than a dozen Clouded Apollos.
A bright and sunny
morning on our seventh day took us into the Bükk hills and on a
roadside stop we saw our first Purple-shots Coppers and plenty of
Large Wall Browns. Later in the morning two Imperial Eagles were
seen, one with a buzzard for size comparison. Before lunch a walk
in the flowery fields surrounding us produced plenty of
butterflies including Small Pearl-bordered
Fritillaries and Scarce Swallowtail. Several lizards scurried
through the grasses and a large female Sand Lizard posed
cooperatively for photographs. Brightly coloured males were also
frequent. After lunch and a bumpy drive along a tree-lined valley
White-backed Woodpeckers and Hawfinches appeared. Further on at
some damp meadows, Large Coppers, Clouded Apollos and Mazarine
Blues were seen in good numbers.
Our final full day
started rainy and during a walk around the village of Nosvaj and a
nearby wooded valley, we saw Middle-spotted Woodpeckers, Collared
Flycatchers and Hawfinch. The rest of the morning was spent in the
historic town of Eger, where a charming group of traditionally
dressed women entertained us with their singing. Lunch was in a
small restaurant in a nearby village, after which we drove into
the mountains stopping at various places on the way.
Before our flight home
and after saying goodbye to Safi, we headed for the Kiskunsag
National Park for a short visit and stopping off on the way we
added two new butterflies to our list - Queen of Spain Fritillary
and Essex Skipper, as well as Scarce Emerald and Southern Emerald
Damselflies. Finally on the last leg of the journey, as if to
order, we had good views of a Hoopoe and Golden Oriole by the
roadside.
The hospitality and
enthusiasm shown by Gabor and Safi, and the cultural and
environmental diversity of Hungary ensured that this enjoyable
trip is a must for the future.
Species list,
Hungary, late June 2006.
The following list
of butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies and birds was compiled by
Richard Lewington and the tour participants.
Column 1 = number of days recorded
Column 2 = greatest daily count
Butterflies
|
Clouded Apollo
|
2 |
12 |
|
Parnassius mnemosyne |
|
Southern Festoon
|
2 |
100 |
larvae |
Zerynthia polyxena |
|
Swallowtail
|
1 |
2 |
larvae |
Papilio machaon |
|
Scarce Swallowtail
|
2 |
1 |
|
Iphiclides podalirius |
|
Fenton's Wood White
|
1 |
1 |
|
Leptidea morsei |
|
Black-veined White
|
4 |
10 |
|
Aporia crataegi |
|
Green-veined White
|
6 |
10 |
|
Pieris napi |
|
Orange Tip
|
5 |
12 |
|
Anthocharis cardamines |
|
Pale Clouded Yellow
|
2 |
2 |
|
Colias hyale |
|
Berger's Clouded Yellow
|
2 |
12 |
|
Colias alfacariensis |
|
Brimstone
|
3 |
2 |
|
Gonepteryx rhamni |
|
Black Hairstreak
|
4 |
10 |
|
Satyrium pruni |
|
Green Hairstreak
|
3 |
3 |
|
Callophrys rubi |
|
Small Copper
|
1 |
1 |
|
Lycaena phlaeas |
|
Large Copper
|
4 |
10 |
|
Lycaena dispar |
|
Sooty Copper
|
3 |
4 |
|
Lycaena tityrus |
|
Purple-shot Copper |
1 |
2 |
|
Lycaena alciphron |
|
Provencal Short-tailed Blue
|
2 |
6 |
|
Everes alcetas |
|
Eastern Short-tailed Blue
|
1 |
3 |
|
Everes decoloratus |
|
Small
Blue |
5 |
50 |
|
Cupido minimus |
|
Osiris Blue
|
1 |
2 |
|
Cupido osiris |
|
Eastern Baton Blue |
3 |
2 |
|
Scolitantides schiffermülleri |
|
Chequered Blue
|
3 |
2 |
|
Scolitantides orion |
|
Green-underside Blue
|
4 |
10 |
|
Glaucopsyche alexis |
|
Large Blue
|
4 |
20 |
|
Maculinea arion |
|
Silver-studded Blue
|
7 |
100 |
|
Plebejus argus |
|
Reverdin's Blue
|
5 |
6 |
|
Plebejus argyrognomon |
|
Mazarine Blue
|
4 |
6 |
|
Polyommatus semiargus |
|
Chapman's Blue
|
1 |
4 |
|
Polyommatus thersites |
|
Adonis Blue
|
1 |
3 |
|
Polyommatus bellargus |
|
Turquoise Blue
|
4 |
10 |
|
Polyommatus dorylas |
|
Common Blue
|
8 |
12 |
|
Polyommatus icarus |
|
Pearly Heath
|
2 |
20 |
|
Coenonympha arcania |
|
Chestnut Heath
|
8 |
20 |
|
Coenonympha glycerion |
|
Small Heath
|
6 |
6 |
|
Coenonympha pamphilus |
|
Woodland Ringlet |
5 |
100 |
|
Erebia medusa |
|
Large Wall Brown
|
5 |
10 |
|
Lasiommata maera |
|
Wall Brown
|
1 |
1 |
|
Lasiommata megera |
|
Meadow Brown
|
3 |
20 |
|
Maniola jurtina |
|
Speckled Wood
|
4 |
10 |
|
Pararge aegeria |
|
Map Butterfly
|
1 |
3 |
|
Araschnia levana |
|
Weaver's Fritillary
|
3 |
3 |
|
Boloria dia |
|
Pearl-bordered Fritillary
|
1 |
3 |
|
Boloria euphrosyne |
|
Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary
|
2 |
6 |
|
Boloria selene |
|
Peacock Butterfly
|
3 |
1 |
|
Inachis io |
|
Queen of Spain Fritillary
|
1 |
1 |
|
Issoria lathonia |
|
Assmann's Fritillary
|
2 |
2 |
|
Melitaea britomartis |
|
Glanville Fritillary
|
2 |
6 |
|
Melitaea cinxia |
|
Spotted Fritillary
|
1 |
1 |
|
Melitaea didyma |
|
Lesser Spotted Fritillary
|
4 |
20 |
|
Melitaea trivia |
|
Knapweed Fritillary
|
4 |
10 |
|
Melitaea phoebe |
|
Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell
|
1 |
100 |
larvae |
Nymphalis xanthomelas |
|
Red Admiral
|
2 |
2 |
|
Vanessa atalanta |
|
Painted Lady
|
6 |
20 |
|
Cynthia cardui |
|
Chequered Skipper
|
5 |
10 |
|
Carterocephalus palaemon |
|
Dingy Skipper
|
4 |
3 |
|
Erynnis tages |
|
Large Skipper
|
5 |
3 |
|
Ochlodes venata |
|
Safflower Skipper
|
2 |
6 |
|
Pyrgus carthami |
|
Grizzled Skipper
|
4 |
10 |
|
Pyrgus malvae |
|
Orbed Red-underwing Skipper
|
1 |
2 |
|
Spialia orbifer |
|
Essex Skipper |
1 |
1 |
|
Thymelicus lineola |
|
