Vienna - Day 3 - Around Illmitz

We started the day with breakfast at 8. o’clock. Soft bread rolls, cheese and ham slices and tea or coffee. Today was much more bird focused. We drove to Holle, where we parked the car and started a 2 mile walk to the Przewalski's horse paddock. It was extremely hot and we went from shade to shade, trying to keep out of the sun. Along the track we had very good views of Barred Warblers, Red-backed Shrikes, Spotted Flycatcher and a Hoopoe flew along the field next to the track. There were several Marsh Harriers flying around which resulted in some Black-winged Stilts flying up to chase them off. We saw Purple Herons, Great White Egrets and lots of Greylag Geese. The fields next to the track were full of various flowers, including Small Scabious, a very delicate knapweed, Spiny Restharrow and Dragon’s Teeth. There were lots of colias sp butterflies, some of which were probably Eastern Pale as well as a helice Clouded Yellow.

We spent a little time trying to see a Great Reed Warbler that was singing by the stables but no luck.  On the walk back a Golden Oriole flew over our heads and into a tree. We drove round to collect DW who had continued on along the track to see if he could find any dragonflies, but it was so dry that there didn’t seem to be any habitat for them. We parked by a watchpoint for lunch in some shade and revived after the heat on the track where we were joined by a large Green Bushcricket. Everywhere was so dry and the soda lakes were just white, crusty pans.

On the drive along to ports… we stopped at a tower hide which looked out over some water with more Greylags, Grey Herons, Little Egrets, Little Ringed Plovers and a spoonbill. Tree sparrows hopped around the thatched picnic seating.

We drove back to Illnitz and stopped in the town for another ice cream before going out to Zillicke,  an area with a lookout out over another dried up soda lake with crested larks around the picnic area and using the handrails on the lookout as vantage points. DW spent some time looking for dragons finding an amazing Spurge Hawkmoth caterpillar while we rested in the shade watching the larks and Tree Sparrows.

We drove a short distance to the biological station. Parking the car the first thing we noticed was a House Martin ‘hotel’, which was very well populated. The whole site was a hive of activity with Golden Orioles singing, Turtle Doves purring, Great Reed Warbler in the reeds and a Penduline tat with a nest in a tree. We spent some time walking around getting really good views of the Oriole and the Penduline with Serin and a Linnet. Nightingales were singing and there were Common Terns flying over a pool.

Drive to bussr area and Andau bridge ….. harriers, hares.

Drive back for dinner.

Vienna - Day 2 - Sousliks

We were up for breakfast at 8 o’clock. It was an extensive buffet with eggs, cheese, ham, bread rolls, bread slices, cereals and jam, etc. You could make tea or coffee or choose between apple or orange fruit juice plus yogurts. We made ourselves lunch rolls and then paid up, packed the car and set off to look for sousliks. The site we were given was near a swimming lake and a quick look at the map led to a slight diversion before we found a sign warning of ‘Siesels’. We stopped to take a picture of the sign and looking round we realised that this was the place. There were Susliks everywhere across a grassy field. We got out to see if we could bet a few pictures but they were a little distant and quite wary if you got too close. A man started mowing the area and it looked like pictures may be difficult.

We noticed a couple sitting on the grass at the other end of the field. There was a seat out in the middle of the field with a lot of activity around it. I decided to walk out slowly, hoping that any disturbance would be short-lived. As I sat down sousliks came running towards me. They were obviously used to people feeding them and they were very curious.

They were still wary of any sudden movements but approached too close for the camera at times, climbing over my feet and up my trouser legs. David came over with some peanuts, which was magical with sousliks of all ages feeding from our hands and climbing around searching for nuts. One  was even brave enough to help itself from the pot.

A few adults started collecting nest material, one even using David’s legs as cover before heading down it’s burrow. The animals were smaller that the hamsters and their burrows were much smaller and more hidden in the grass.

We eventually moved away and parked at the swimming lake where PB found a Lesser Purple Emperor was feeding on sap from a tree trunk. Looking around there were sousliks in the swimming lake compound, running across the road into the fields, even on the verge by the parking area.

We headed off, stopping at a bridge just along the road where Nightingale and Blackcaps sang, Banded demoiselles fluttered from perches over the river and we found a Green Snaketail Dragonfly.

We drove on over the river Danube to the roman camp at Carnuntum. We stopped in the car park where we discovered that it would cost 11eu and, on reading our information again, decided we didn’t need to enter the ruins as the amphitheatre was 5 minutes away and free. We drove round, parked and a 2min walk brought us to the remains of a roman gladiator training centre. There were more sousliks but much less tame. This site was only discovered in 2011, apparently and most of it was still under grass. An interpretation board said that the arena could hold 30.000 people.

Round the back there was Dense-flowered Mullein amd views of an old roman arch.

We looked around and spent some time exploring the lovely grassy verges with Sainfoin, Sage and a host of other wild floweres attracting Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites, Queen of Spain and **** moth .

We did a little exploring, looking for riverine woodland, drove down a lane, parked and walked along a track beside some ponds and river overflows. It was extremely hot making the Small-flowered Balsam wilt where it was in the sun. There were a few butterflies about, including Provencal Short-tailed Blue and we saw a bee-eater at the end of the track but it soon flew off.

We then headed towards Illmitz. We parked up and looked around, finding an ice-cream shop with Pistachio, as well as about 15 other flavours. David and I enjoyed an ice cream before I visited the tourist information centre which had a very technical machine that gave you a list of the available accommodation in the area, prices and availability. With the help of a very kind chap I printed out 3, we chose one to try and eventually found the house. Unfortunately, he was full, so were the other Gasthauses we tried in the area. A very kind gentleman offered to help, ringing round to find some rooms. After he found one he offered to show us where it was so we followed him on his bike till he stopped at a nice looking house called . He introduced us to the lady and we decided to stay here. We sorted out our rooms and then went out again to Lange Lacke. We parked by a hide and scanned round the area. There were a few more sousliks in a field by the road. We explored the area to the west of the lake, stopping a few times to look at some butterflies, which we identified as Short-tailed Blue, possible Provencal Short-tailed Blue and Silver-studded Blue. Birds around the area included Lapwing, Skylarks singing everywhere and Greylag Geese, with a few waders on a shallow lake edge. It was lovely to see the fields of flowers.

We drove back around 8.30 and tried some cafés and found one open on the square so we ate there. The waiter was very friendly and helpful and we had an enjoyable meal before going back to our rooms where we tried the bat detector but no bats.