Photographic AdventuresIn this issue we would like to take you on a journey to the Hortobágy National Park, featured on UNESCO’s world heritage list, and at the same time Hungary’s best known bird sanctuary. The Park, which became a protected area in 1973, today covers an area of 1,100 square kilometres. Central Europe’s largest grassy plain, the Park stretches between the towns of Tiszafüred, Balmazújváros and Karcag. It primarily owes its protected status, reinforced by the Ramsar Convention, to its extraordinary variety of bird species.

Allow yourself 4-5 days to do justice to your photography. It’s more adviseable to photo one or two more special birds rather than running around, trying to capture every species. With this in mind, the Red-footed falcon ( Falco vespertinus ), Common kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus ) and Cormorant ( Nymphoides peltata ) , to name but three, provide wonderful subjects. I recommend taking an official guide in the reserve in order to gain access to those locations which offer the opportunity for beautiful photos. Furthermore, if you wish to enter the strictly protected areas of the sanctuary, you require an accommpanying guide and need to obtain permission. This also serves the interest of nature photographers since our objective is to protect the birds’ nests.
Regarding what you need to take with you, we categorically recommend Canon F/2.8 300 mm lens; an option is Canon F/2.8 70-200 mm lens, and it’s worth taking 1.4x and 2x extenders, which increase the focal length of the lenses. The tried and tested Gitzo tripod, together with the popular Manfrotto 503HDV head were used on our photographic adventure. If coming from abroad, a good tip would be the light carbon tripod and the Wimberley head. To facilitate our photography, the fast camera body and the Sandisk Extreme IV memory card could be employed. Don’t forget to pack spare batteries and if possible a portable storage device which for me meant a Vosonic VP 8360.