2011 Tour Narrative
After over two decades of Haydntage it might be assumed that this annual tour no longer had the capacity to surprise. But on our first day this year the revelations kept coming. First, a flock of 38 Bee-eaters (usually gone by mid-September), flying around us at Oberstinkersee – and the pool itself hosting literally hundreds of waders from Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint to Red Knot and Sanderling and including over 200 Avocets, 60 Ruffs, and 20 Spotted Redshanks! Then trees decorated with 60 Pygmy Cormorants – a Red Data Book species whose European breeding colonies are concentrated in the Balkan Peninsula, especially the Danube Delta, and which first appeared in Austria with a singleton only five years ago. It now numbers 500. Ferruginous Ducks (another Danube Delta speciality and another near-threatened species), 250 Red-crested Pochards, Spoonbill, Red-backed Shrike, Kingfisher, and Crested Lark added continual variety. And finally a flock of nine Great Bustards displaying alongside our vehicle brought our birdwatching to a joyous close. But still the surprises came. In the Haydnsaal that evening a 14-metre screen formed the backdrop to the Ossiach Academy Orchestra and Dvorak’s New World symphony was accompanied by back-projected images of the New World ranging from traditional scenes of North America to the landscape of Mars, a new world for our generation. Even more innovative were the three-dimensional abstract images which accompanied Haydn’s Surprise symphony - truly the ultimate surprise on a day of surprises.
The following day, although rain stopped play up the Hohe Wand, nearby Forchtenstein castle provided a very convenient (and fascinating) dry option until the sun came out once more and the woodland around Rosalia chapel yielded Mistle Thrushes and Bullfinches galore plus a flock of tits and crests. A talk by our good friend and celebrated musicologist Richard Wigmore was the prelude to an absolutely astounding performance of Haydn’s Creation by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Trevor Pinnock. The same orchestra and conductor also delighted us the following evening with works by Haydn, Purcell, Boccherini, and Salamon. But for one of our group – a devoted admirer – Trevor’s most memorable act was to prepare her breakfast tea the following morning. ‘Tea will never taste the same.’ Between Trevor’s two concerts we enjoyed a fascinating day at Hohenau ringing station and were impressed by their technique and the original and unique research they are undertaking to reduce bird fatalities flying into windows. Birds in the hand included Marsh and Great Reed Warblers but birds overhead ranged from Black Stork and Red Kite to Eastern Imperial and White-tailed Eagles. Nearby another Red Kite alongside our vehicle was a highlight of the week.
Other highlights – of which there were many – included the six White Storks at Rust and the Red-necked Phalarope and Garganey there, the tree full of 34 Penduline Tits at Brietenbrunn (a species often just glimpsed or heard only), the obliging Spotted Nutcracker and male Crossbill up the Hohe Wand, the woodpeckers in the Gloriette woodland, the seven White-tailed Eagles in Hungary plus a Red-footed Falcon. The Long-tailed Tits, and Little Gulls, the instant Alpine Choughs at the summit of Schneeberg accompanied by a raptor passage which included Booted Eagle and Honey Buzzard, the ‘at last’ Firecrest and Crested Tits, the perched Hawfinch…
As for the concerts, each one was a classic of its kind with memorable performances by Giovanni Antonini and Il Giardino Armonico, the Basel Chamber Orchestra, Adam Fischer and the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Philharmonic, Sir Neville Marriner and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Michael Schneider and La Stagione Frankfurt, and The Philharmonics.
So much thrilling music, so many special birds. Together with the superb cuisine, the attractively varied scenery, the endless friendly encounters, and the frequent opportunities to relax, there really was no better place to spend mid-September. Bryan Bland
Updated: December 2011