From the 14th to the 18th of May I travelled to and visited the Slovak Karst, on behalf of Proact, at the invitation of SOSNA.

The SOSNA (English) page

TRAVEL

From our summer cottage in the Northwest of the Czech Republic it took over 12 hours by train (including delays) to reach the regional capital of Kosice. The return journey was of similar duration. Thus 2 days were spent in travelling but, as I was funding the trip from my own pocket, expenses were kept to a minimum. With the exception of a part of the return trip, suitably enough in heavy rain, through the heavily industrialised area around Ostrava (comparable to the Ruhr Gebiet or Black Country 50 years ago), I thoroughly enjoyed a relaxed trip through the over 800 km of the Czech and Slovak countryside with magnificent landscapes and nice birds. The undoubted highlight was chugging past a Black Stork (Ciconia nigra), standing unconcerned in a shallow river next to the railway line, just short of the Czech-Slovak border in the foothills of the White Carpathians (Bile Karpaty).
I arrived in Kosice at 22:30 and was met and taken to my accommodation (B & B) by Samo Pacenovsky of SOSNA.


DAY ONE - KOSICE AND THE LOCAL FORESTS

The next day was a working one which began with visiting the SOSNA offices and included interviews with a TV station and a local newspaper. These commitments fulfilled, Samo showed me around the City of Kosice (Cassovia in Roman times) for what remained of the afternoon. If one ignores the so-called Lunik pre-fab satellite estates which surround the old town, it is possible to envisage the bustling trading centre of former times situated on the strategic north-south route between Hungary and Poland. Centred around the most easterly gothic cathedral in Europe (158 steps to the top of the tower - super view), the extensive and cosmopolitan old town has been restored to much of its former splendour. The whole of the centre is reserved for pedestrians only and pubs and restaurants abound in the main streets and the adjacent courtyards and arcades. McDonalds has happily been banned to the outskirts - there is however a Tesco supermarket and a Pizza Hut (with restrained facades) in the main street.

Our first bird excursion was in the evening to the nearby forests to look for the Ural Owl and Pygmy Owl. It turned out to be late in the season and, apart from finding and old nest of the latter (talk about the needle in the haystack; but pitch black and almost impenetrable) we had no luck. The same applied to a 'sure' European nightjar site.


DAY TWO THE CHÝM FISHPONDS

We left late due to a further TV interview, with an influential Slovak programme, which unfortunately didn't come off. I had foolishly left my driving licence at home and Samo had not driven a car since passing his test 10 years ago, so travel was by public transport. After a 40 minute bus drive, and a short hike, we reached the lavish vegetation of the Chým fishponds. These are South of Kosice close to the Hungarian border. On the approach I had a possible Lanner falcon; but Samo was looking elsewhere and, as a past president of the Slovak Ornithological Society, he wasnt having any unconfirmed sightings. Pity, it would have been a first for me and Samo acknowledged that Lanners were to be seen in the region.

At the ponds I became aware of, and thankful for, Samos incredibly sharp hearing and identification talents, as he picked up one warbler after another. We spent several hours at the ponds, missed the bus, and hiked 10 km cross-country (with shouldered tripod and scope) to catch a late train to Kosice. Samo has put together a list of what we saw (and might have seen). See Bird List Chým.


DAY TWO HRHOV AND THE KARST

We left early by bus for the Hrhov ponds. The first part of the drive was uneventful and we passed the still large industrial complex now in the ownership of, as a smart sign displayed, US Steel. Cheap labour - there'll be alot out of work when Slovakia joins the EU. On the road we were continually passed by trucks and other vehicles owned by the dreaded BETOX quarrying and mining company. We passed the main vast factory site in the karst foothills with behind it the huge and hideous scar of the quarry being exploited by the Belgian firm Carmeuse. From then on we headed further into the impressive karst landscape and it was clear to me why this had to be a National Park. Not only the unspoilt oak forests and scrub covered hills each village has its resident White Stork for instance.

To the north of the road lies Hrhov village with 2 Black Storks circling high over the woods - to the south the Hrhov ponds and fish farm. The latter is a grey pre-fab concrete structure with a high fence and looking very uninviting. The main pond is a sorry sight. Chemicals have killed off 80% of the reed beds and what remains is concentrated in the northwest corner. The magnificent views of Marsh Harriers, Bearded Tits, Savis and Great Reed Warblers are a indication of how varied the fauna was and hopefully will be again. Butterflies, insects. snakes and rare plants have also been badly affected. Just for us a Wryneck swung on a bulrush as if to show that the warblers arent the only acrobats. Nearby we watched a Saker being energetically mobbed by a pair of Kestrels who seemed keen to inherit her nest box high on an electricity mast. This is part of the successful Saker re-introduction project. The electricity company switches off the power during the mounting of the nest box - thereafter the otherwise prevalent eggers need a lot of motivation to scale the 30 m high towers and risk a high-voltage shock. But I suppose they will rent a helicopter if the price is right.

Again, after a full day, we left by a late train as I had to head back to the Czech Republic the next day. 'Hrhov Bird List' is again Samos work.

Thanks Samo, your fantastic local knowledge the stories of where and how to find what were almost as good as seeing the birds themselves. Samo is an Owl man; but nothing much which flies runs or crawls in East Slovakia escapes his notice for long.

Thanks also to Julia and Stefan Szabo of SOSNA, as well as the others whose names I didnt catch the trip, though short was fascinating and I learnt a lot - dekuji vam!

David Conlin
Proact Coord

Proact © David Conlin 2001