Destinations: Zemplen Hills, Hungary

These hills lie in north-east Hungary about 35 km NE of Miskolc and stretch to the Slovakian border. The west of the area is flanked by the River Hernad, the east by the River Bodrog. They are mainly covered in deciduous forests and woodlands which are home to Ural Owl and nine species of woodpecker. Eagle Owl breeds in some of the more rocky areas. Honey Buzzard, Eastern Imperial, Lesser Spotted and Short-toed Eagles soar over open areas. Black Stork is around and White Stork common in villages along the rivers. Bee-eaters are often found in these valleys, too. Passerines include Collared (common) and Red-breasted (rare) Flycatchers, Red-backed Shrike, Barred and Wood Warblers, Woodlark and Hawfinch.

Country Profile: Slovenia

Slovenia (Slovenija) gained its independence from Yugoslavia in June 1991 after a short 10-day war. Today it is a Republic which joined the European Union in May 2004. The capital is Ljubljana. The currency is the Euro. Slovenia is borderd by Austria to the north, Croatia to the south and east, Italy to the west and Hungary to the north-east. There is also a short stretch of Adriatic coastline (about 47 km) to the south-west. Slovenia covers some 20,273 km² and is thus one of Europe's smallest countries. However due to it lying in a zone where four major regions meet (the Alps, the Carpathian Basin, the Adriatic Sea and the Dinaric Mountains) Slovenia has a surprisingly rich variety of landscapes. In the east there are fertile farmland landscapes, low-lying basins, temporary wetlands like Cerknica, hay-meadows and rolling hill country with orchards and vineyards. In the south of the country there are limestone karst regions with gorges, sinkholes, numerous cave systems and rushing streams, and other areas with vast mixed forests. The short Adriatic coastline is lined with beaches, rocky shores, salinas and old port towns. Yet above all this is a montainous country, some 40% of its total area in fact. The imposing Kamniske-Savinjske Alps, the Karavanke Mountains and the Julian Alps, with their many snow-caped peaks of over 2000m, run across the north of Slovenia. It is these limestone and dolomite ranges with their pastures, meadows, conifer forests, sheer rock walls, rugged ridges, deep valleys, glacial lakes, tarns, rapids and scenic waterfalls, that ultimately typify the Slovanian landscape. The highest point in the county (Triglav 2864 m above sea-level) is in the Julian Alps, as is Slovenia's highest lake Zgornje Krisko jezero. With its 3 km-long and 1000 m high north wall, the second highest wall in all the Alps, and a vast glacia below its summit Triglav is impressive. With more than half of the country forested, and much of this forest cover being in semi-natural state, Slovenia is perhaps not surprisingly important for many boreal species. For example, all ten European woodpeckers breed, nine residents and the migratory Wryneck. Though not necessarily common within the country, and some are indeed rather local and restricted in range, Slovenia has internationally significant populations of birds like Corncrake, Rock Partridge, Scops and Ural Owls, Rock Thrush, Firecrest, Melodious Warbler, Wallcreeper, Alpine Chough, Snowfinch and Cirl and Rock Buntings. Bird species which are regarded as typically northern, southern, western and eastern, all coincide in this relatively small area. Great variations in elevation (from sea-level at the Adriatic to well over 2000 m in the Alps) also play their part, with for example, Citril Finches and Snowfinches breeding in the Alps less than 100 km from Black-winged Stilts and Kentish Plovers on the Adriatic coast. For such a small country it is remarkable that over 200 bird species have bred.

Special Birds: Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Europe's smallest woodpecker species is fairly common, in the right habitat, throughout the region. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor is found in a wide range of broadleaved woodland types, including old forests, flood-plain woods and even parks and gardens, as long as there are good numbers of trees with dead snags. Being small it does not need the large boled trunks that some other woodpeckers need in which to locate their nesting holes. Often very slender trees are used as breeding and foraging sites, especially birches, alders and willows. The bird in the photo is a male: note the red crown. Females are totally pied, i.e. black and white with no red at all.

Destinations: Krka National Park, Croatia

The Krka National Park in Central Dalmatia (Croatia) lies along the scenic, often rushing Krka River. This is not an easy place to bird as access is limited to certain areas and "off the beaten track" exploration may mean finding yourself in an mine-field! Seriously, there are uncleared mined areas, some marked, some not, close to the park, so roads and clear tracks should not be left. Common birds include Yellow-legged Gull, Scops Owl, Cetti's and Subalpine Warblers, Spanish Sparrow, Blue Rock Thrush, Western Rock Nuthatch and Cirl and Corn Buntings. Pygmy Cormorants are increasing and with a little luck Rock Partridge and Rock Thrush can be seen. Raptors include Short-toed and Golden Eagles. The area lies just inland from Sibenik, an hour and a litle north of Split.

Special birds: Greater White-fronted Goose

Large numbers (100s of 1000s) of Siberian race Greater White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons albifrons spend their winters in eastern Europe. They roost on large reservoirs, lakes and fish-ponds and feed in the large crop fields that dominate many lowland areas. Most arrive in mid-October and leave in March. Though some stay into April. Local conditions - temperatures, food supply, hunting pressures - dicate local concentrations. In many places they are the most abundant wintering goose and flocks are always worth checking carefully for other goose species.

Country Profile: Slovakia

Slovakia (Slovensko) is a Republic which joined the European Union in May 2004. The capital is Bratislava. The currency is the Koruna (SKK) the Slovak Crown. It is a small but long country stretching from its capital Bratislava on the Austrian border in the west to the Ukraine in the east. It is completely land-locked being bordered by Poland to the north, the Czech Republic to the west, Austria to the south-west, Hungary to the south and the Ukraine to the east. Slovakia is above all a mountainous country and a birding trip here should concentrate on upland and forest species. Indeed, some of the best forest birding in Europe is here. Many ranges are high, with vast forests and some places within them are distinctly wild with Lynx, Wolf and Brown Bear. Slovakia covers some 48,845 km² and is largely montane though there is a belt of lowlands in the south along the Danube and in the far east corner of the country. Not surprisingly there are some varied landscape as altitudes range from as low as 92m to 2655 m at the highest peak Gerlachovsky Stit in the High Tatras. Some upland landscapes, such as those in the Slovensky Raj, are stunning and very much picture-postcard stuff. There are impressive crags and gorges, sheer cliffs, steep forested ridges, stony scree, tarn-dotted boulder terrain, Alpine pastures and rushing stream valleys with rapids and waterfalls. In winter, these places are arguably even more impressive on the eye as they are blanketed in silent snow and waterfalls hang frozen in the air. Lower down, away from these rugged, higher elevations there are more bucolic landscapes with meadows, hay-fields and broadleaved woods dotted with quiet villages and old wooden churches. In the old-growth beech forests of the Vihorlatské Vrchy and the Bukovské vrchy trees lie and rot where they fall and the timber and rocks are covered in the green of lichen and moss. The rolling hills, stream valleys, gorges, juniper-dotted rocky plateaux and grassy meadow of karst regions like Slovensky kras are yet another picturesque landscape. Slovakia's importance to European bird populations mainly concerns its numerous hill and mountain ranges. Raptors are well represented with important populations of two threatened species, Red Kite and Eastern Imperial Eagle, a Lesser Spotted Eagle population of hundreds of pairs and some Saker. Corncrakes breed mainly in upland meadows and Great Bustards hang on in agricultural land in the Danube flood-plain. Some of Europe's rarest owls and woodpeckers inhabit Slovakia's vast forests in good numbers, especially when the size of the country is considered. Ural Owls breed in high numbers in good vole years, and a general increase and westward expansion of its range is apparent. Hazel Grouse are not uncommon in older forests. The Alpine habitat of the higher mountain ranges supports key populations of Golden Eagle and Wallcreeper

Special Birds: Spanish Sparrow

Male Spanish Sparrows Passer hispaniolensis are not that colourful but they are handsome birds with their bold black body streaking, black "burglar mask", white cheeks and rich chestnut caps. Females are very much like female House Sparrows. In fact, Spanish and House Sparrows will interbreed and so care should be taken before claiming a Spanish Sparrow away from its core range. They occur in the Balkans, particulary in eastern Romania and Bulgaria where they often nest in small colonies inside roadside White Stork nests. At the end of the breeding season they sometimes form large flocks in rural areas.