Common Cuckoo
Little Bittern climbs up the reeds at Illmitz
Turtle Doves
Our stay at the Hotel Post was extremely relaxing with large comfortable en suite rooms and an excellent buffet dinner each evening. The local beers and excellent wines of the area all added up to making our stay extremely relaxing, despite some very early (optional, pre-breakfast) birding outings in the morning.
Peekaboo! The Syrian Woodpecker nesting at the Hotel Post
The caring and considerate attention by the Egermann family and their staff, allowed us to feel at home from the moment we arrived as we sat watching for the nesting Syrian Woodpecker in the garden, with a courtesy welcome drink in our hands!
Sunset at Illmitz
Grasshopper Warbler
Some of the group, including Stephen Mabel and Janet, had flown into Vienna airport. Eddie and Hazel had taken a flight into Budapest and Andy and Kate had opted for fast rail travel to Vienna, nowadays a very efficient and comfortable option!
Purple Heron, a common sight around the lakeside
Traveling in our brand new nine seater VW Caravelle, collected from Vienna airport (our meeting point for the tour), we reached the north side of Lake Neusiedl in under an hour. Quite quickly we had collected lots of different birds including Marsh Harrier, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Bee-eater and Turtle Dove.
Wheat field with wild poppies
The first day of any tour is taken at a relaxed pace with man participants having had a very early start and once at the hotel we settled into our rooms and in the late afternoon took a lakeside walk close to the hotel.
A male Reed Bunting sings out his call from a flowering Russian Olive tree
Penduline Tits close to Illmitz
The haunting booming from Great Bittern and the calls from Little Bittern and the constant croaking of Marsh Frogs and Fire-bellied Toads along the lakeside margins was a fascinating feast for ones ears! Surprisingly, biting insects weren’t really a problem for us with only one or two bites inflicted on a few of our party. Our hotel was equally spared and thankfully no problems were encountered there with mosquitos.
A moustached Warbler, often quite a tricky bird to watch
...and off he goes!
Syrian Woodpecker
Using our rental mini-bus, we took some excursions away from the lake to the town of Puchberg-am Schneeberg where the famous rack-and-pinion railway starts on it’s journey to the top of the Schneeberg on the Eastern Austrian Alpine chain. The railway climbs to 1800m to the station at the top and with great clear skies and sunny weather we quickly encountered one of our prize catches, the Alpine Accentor. Water Pipits, Ring Ouzels and Dunnock were also watched as were Alpine Ibex (or Chamois) and passing Ravens and Alpine (Yellow-billed). Choughs. We stopped off for lunch at a mountain hut for typical goulash soups washed down with beer!
Marsh Harriers nest building in the reedbeds
...adding the final touches
A Bee-eater pursues a passing Golden Oriole
Maikäfer (Melolontha hippocastani) beetles were plentiful
Reed jumping...Great Reed Warbler
Bee-eater
Bearded Reedling collecting insects for hungry chicks
Red-backe Shrike. An adult male surveys it's patch
Icterine Warbler
The Icterine Warbler is just as noisy and unmelodious as it's southern cousin the Melodious Warbler, but always lovely to watch. See the broad lower mandible, typical of a phylloscopus.
The Phylloscopidae warbler group is comprised of many small, tree-loving warblers. Many are canopy or sub-canopy species, gleaning insects from leaves. Many are long-distance migrants. Many are also rather plain little birds — in muted tones of green, yellow, or brown — and identification can be difficult. One very widespread species is the Common Chiffchaff
Hover fly
Common Bluet
Chery time!
The Hills are Alive...Eddy photographing Alpine Accentors
Alpine Accentor at the Schneeberg
Our day visit to the Hohe Wand, a massive limestone outcrop on the lower Alpine slopes is another great place to visit and offers nature lovers different habitat as well as numerous form of insect life, particularly with butterflies. Below the crags are numerous walking trails and we spent time exploring one such country path and admiring the tranquil beauty of the area. Woodland birds were present and above we watched a male Peregrine Falcon fly into a high tree with a freshly caught Jay, attempting to lure it’s young away from the nest.
European Hare a very common site in Burgenland
Black-tailed Godwits
Our travels around the open countryside of Hungary took us to the southern end of Lake Neusiedl and the Hungarian National Park and it’s new visitor centre. Lunches are great value for money if you are feeling peckish in Hungary! Fuel prices are very high on the other hand and it would be better to fill up in Austria before heading over the border.
Bee-eater at the colony near Weiden
Hummingbird Hawk-Moth
On both sides of the border there are ample opportunities to pick up some of the rarer bird species like Honey Buzzard, Ferruginous Duck and Black Woodpecker. Literally a few kilometers back into Austria we explored the roads and tracks along to Tadten, Wallern and Pamhagen. This was an important border area between East and West during the ‘Cold War’ and is now an open area with little traffic, especially early in the morning. Great Bustards were watched at the reserve as Yellow Wagtails, Whichats, Stonechats, Skyarks, Barred Warblers, Golden Orioles and Icterine Warblers sang in the warm air.
Burnet Moth sp.
Maikäfer about to fly
Greenfinch
Greylag Geese
Common Buzzard
Bluethroat
In Summary
Illmitz is the ideal base and is a fantastic location for birding and natural history groups. With the Hotel Post we found an exceptionally comfortable and birder friendly hotel.
Breakfast and evening meals were excellent and the English speaking staff were extremely helpful in offering a lot of up-to-date information, maps and advice about the area.
We all felt very welcomed and would not hesitate to recommend this a base for other groups
Bee-eater showing that fantasic plumage in the sunlight
The Beetles
List of Species
Birds
Grey Partridge Perdix perdix
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
Greylag Goose Anser anser
Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Gadwall Anas strepera
Mallard Anasplatyrhynchos
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Garganey Anas querquedula
Common Teal Anas crecca
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina
Common Pochard Aythya ferina
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
European White Stork Ciconia ciconia
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia.
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris Heard
Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
Great Egret Ardea alba
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus
Black Kite Milvus migrans
Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
Great Bustard Otis tarda
European Water Rail Rallus aquaticus Heard
Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Common Coot Fulica atra
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
Common Redshank Tringa totanus
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Common Gull Larus canus
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias
Black Tern Chlidonias niger
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Rock Dove Columba livia
Common Wood Pigeon Columba palumbus
European Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur
Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus.
Common Swift Apus apus
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius
Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocoposs syriacus
Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius
Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio
Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor
Eurasian Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus
Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
Common Magpie Pica pica
Eurasian Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes Heard
Eurasian Jackdaw Coloeus monedula
Rook Corvus frugilegus
Carrion Crow Corvus corone
Common Raven Corvus corax
Coal Tit Periparus ater
Great Tit Parus major
Eurasian Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
Eurasian Penduline-tit Remiz pendulinus
Common Sand Martin Riparia riparia.
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Northern House Martin Delichon urbicum
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
Crested Lark Galerida cristata
Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
Grasshopper Warbler Locustella naevia Heard
River Warbler Locustella fluviatilis Heard
Savi's Warbler Locustella luscinioides
Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus
Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Marsh Warbler Acrocephalus palustris
Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus.
Common Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Western Bonelli's Warbler Phylloscopus bonelli
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria
Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca
Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis
Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus
Northern Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea
European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula
Fieldfare Turdus pilaris
Song Thrush Turdus philomelos
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
European Robin Erithacus rubecula
Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica
Black Redstart Phoenicurus ochruros
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
European Stonechat Saxicola rubicola
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
Collared Flycatcher Ficedula albicollis
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Alpine Accentor @ Schneeberg
Dunnock Prunella modularis @ Schneeberg
Yellow (Blue-headed race) Motacilla flava flava
White Wagtail Motacilla alba
Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta @ Schneeberg
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
European Serin Serinus serinus
European Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
Common Linnet Carduelis cannabina
Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra
Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella
Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
MAMMALS
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Dead on road
European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus
European Hare Lepus europaeus
European Suslik Spermophilus citellus Dead on road
Weasel Mustela nivalis
Shrew sp (see how they ran...)
Western Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus Dead on road
Red Deer Cervus elaphus
Western Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus
Alpine Chamois Rupicapra rupicapra
AMPHIBIANS Fire-bellied Toad Bombina bombina Heard
Common Marsh Frog Pelophylax ridibundus
REPTILES
Common Wall Lizard Podarcis muralis
Grass Snake Natrix natrix
BUTTERFLIES
Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius
Large White Pieris brassicae
Small White Artogeia rapae.
Green-veined White Artogeia napi
Bath White Pontia daplidice
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines
Berger's Clouded Yellow Colias hyale
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
Wood White Leptidea sinapis
Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Large Copper Lycaena dispar
Sooty Copper Lycaena tityrus
Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus
Little Blue Cupido minimus
Brown Argus Aricia agestis
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
Woodland Ringlet Erebia medusa
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus
Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
Wall Brown Lasiommata megera
MOTHS
Reed Leopard Phragmitaecia castaneae
Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae
Three-spot Burnet
Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata
Speckled Yellow Pseudopanthera macularia
DAMSELFLIES & DRAGONFLIES
Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Migrant Spreadwing
Common Winter Damsel Sympecma fusca
Azure Bluet Coenagrion puella
Variable Bluet Coenagrion pulchellum
Common Bluet Enallagma cyathigerum
Large Red-eye Erythromma najas
Common Bluetail Ischnura
Green-eyed Hawker Aeshna isoceles
Blue Emperor Anax imperator
Lesser Emperor Anax parthenope
Hairy Hawker Brachytron pratense
Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa
Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata
Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum
Thank you to all who made this a such a great holiday and memorable wildlife experience!
Stephen Daly May 2011
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