29 November – 03 December 2015
Owls, geese and cranes
With David Lindo
&
Milan Ruzic

>>> see photos from this tour in nov/dec 2012 here <<<

Program itinerary:

Day 1 – 29 November 2015 Belgrade-Ečka (D)
After arrival in Serbia, we will transfer you in Ečka. Here you will be accommodated in a hotel Kaštel Ečka. After accommodation, dinner will be served in hotel restaurant. Overnight stay.

Day 2 - 30 November 2015 Kikinda and surroundings (BD)
After breakfast, you will departure to your first Bird watching area. First we will visit Kikinda town, a so called World Owl Capital. This unique site is a town square which hosts the larges Long-eared Owl roosting site of up to 750 birds! Also, additional LEO roosts will be visited in the near surrounding of Kikinda where you can take photos from a real close. We will be also looking for some urban dwelling Short-eared Owls, Little Owls and Syrian Woodpeckers. Along the way we will stop for some Hen Harriers and Great Grey Shrikes.     

In the evening hours, return to Zrenjanin. In this city, you will have dinner in local restaurant. After dinner, transfer to Ečka. Overnight stay.

Day 3 – 1 December 2015 Bečej and surroundings (BD)
After breakfast, you will departure to our second birding area. First we will visit Bačko Gradište village. There is a medium sized Long-eared Owl roosts of up to 150 birds, but also Night Herons overwinter here since 2006. This is a very unusual case of successful winter stays of a typical long distant migrant. After this village we will go to Fantast Castle. There we will be also looking for wintering Long-eared and Short-eared Owl as well as signs of Little and Barn Owls in the stables of a local farm. On the way from Bačko Gradište to Fantast Castle we will be passing beside one of the largest carp fishponds in Serbia where we will look for Pygmy Cormorants and other wildfowl.

In the evening hours, arrival in Bečej where we will have dinner in local restaurant. After dinner, transfer to Ečka. Overnight stay.

Day 4 – 2 December 2015 Slano Kopovo (BD)
After breakfast, you will departure to your second birdwatching site. This is Slano Kopovo nature reserve, an area of vast alkaline grasslands, shallow salty lakes and reedbeds. This is the most famous site for Common Crane migration in Serbia as it attracts up to 20,000 birds in a day. Several thousand White-fronted Geese and various ducks will also be present there. Every winter several Red-breasted Geese stop here on the way to Black See coast, and some Saker Falcons hunt birds around.

In the evening hours, arrival in Novi Bečej. In this city, you will have dinner in local restaurant. After dinner, transfer to Ečka. Overnight stay.

Day 5 – 3 December 2015 Ečka – Belgrade (B)
After breakfast, departure to Belgrade on your flight back home. The end of the program.

Price per person in double room: £695 / 895 €
Supplement for single room: £95 / 125 €

Price includes:

• Transfer according the program
• Accommodation in Kaštel Ečka for 4 nights (1 half board and 3 bed and breakfast)
• 3 x dinners in local restaurant
• Guide during the tour

Price doesn’t include:

• Flight to/from Belgrade
• Drinks during the meals
• Other meals not mentioned in the program

BOOKING:

Please contact our partner in UK: Travel The Unknown
David McGuinness, david@traveltheunknown.com
Skype: traveltheunknown, +4420 7183 6371