Limosa - Birdwatching and Wildlife Hoildays Worldwide

Neusiedl has long been a firm Limosa favourite - and with good reason! One of Europe’s largest lakes, it’s also one of the very best for birds. To the east, lie the splendid wetlands of the Seewinkel and the start of the Great Hungarian Plain; to the north, the riverine forests of the March; and to the west, the pine-clad foothills of the Austrian Alps - which we shall access via a scenic rack-and-pinion railway journey aboard the Fire Salamander. The whole presents a tapestry of habitats surpassed only by the impressive range of birds to be found there.

Spring and autumn visits to Lake Neusiedl are always a delight. European Serin and Black Redstart are garden birds here and European White Storks still build their bulky stick nests on village rooftops. Most of central Europe’s long list of special birds occur, too. Spoonbill, Great Egret, Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested Pochard, Great Bustard, European Bee-eater, Syrian Woodpecker, Eurasian Penduline-tit, Red-backed Shrike and Eurasian Golden Oriole should all be about - busy nesting in May and with noisy families in tow by September. Tucked away corners of reed still harbour the elusive Bluethroat while the lake’s more open shores - a summer home to Kentish Plover, Pied Avocet and Black-winged Stilt - lure passing waders such as Spotted Redshank, Ruff and Temminck's and Little Stints. Both spring and autumn can be excellent for migrants and, as a bonus, we should encounter an array of butterflies too.

During the week, we’ll also enjoy two or three longer days out, travelling west to the alpine habitats of the Hohe Wand and the Schneeberg for the likes of Alpine Chough and Eurasian Nutcracker, then north to wonderful Marchegg reserve in search of Black Stork, Black and Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, Eastern Imperial Eagle, and in spring Collared Flycatcher.

One of the many joys of visiting the Neusiedl area, however, is that much of our birding can be done within an hour’s drive of our excellent four-star, family-run hotel - itself just a few minutes walk from the lake’s immense fringing sea of reed. The hotel’s splendid buffet-style breakfasts and dinners are another delight. Not recommended for those in a hurry, this tour features easy walks and a mix of leisurely picnics and sit-down lunches taken at one of the region’s many excellent Gasthofs. But the hotel is also well situated to provide the option of rewarding pre-breakfast birding for those that want.

Limosa first visited Lake Neusiedl in 1989. Now with the experience of more than twenty previous visits, why not join us - spring or autumn - for some memorable central European birding?