Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)
Phylum Vertebrata 179 GYŐRY, OSZKÁR ZÁDOR and GYULA GÁRDONYI became avid ornithologists. In February 1975, the Sopron Branch of the Hungarian Ornithological Society 41 was formed and became the driving force. A steady turnover in membership was combined with recruitment of new people, some of whom developed into internationally acknowledged researchers. The outstanding figures included LÁSZLÓ KÁRPÁTI, GYÖRGY TRASER and SÁNDOR FARAGÓ, who is mentioned again later. TRASER was the first to devote a degree thesis to Fertő bird-life, which he followed with many other ornithological publications (TRASER 1974, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1984d and 1984e; see also UBRANKOVICS and VARGA 1977). Construction of bird observatories at Fertő resumed in 1976, and thanks to these towers, there was a jump in the number of bird species observed. The work was joined about that time by RUDOLF TRIEBL, a teacher from Apetlon, whose ties with Hungary became steadily closer. The ringing work intensified at the end of the 1970s. On August 8-16, 1978, the first Fertő bird-ringing camp was held at Mekszikópuszta. The most intriguing observation was of a specimen of Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis), which had escaped from a private zoo (KÁRPÁTI 1979a). On the same occasion, the pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinwn) was observed in Köves Ravine (UBRANKOVICS and VARGA 1978), of which LÁSZLÓ VARGA took a colour transparency as evidence. 42 Two consecutive, five-day bird-ringing camps were held at Fertőrákos on August 6-16, 1988, styled the 'Second Titus Csörgey Memorial Camp, Lake Fertő, 1988'. Altogether 714 birds of 42 species were ringed, including single individuals of the thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) and turnstone (Arenaria interpres —HADARICS et al. 1989). Turnstones have been observed near Fertőüjlak on several occasions (HADARICS 1997dand 1998c). At the third bird-ringing camp in 1990 near Fertőrákos, 1867 specimens of 47 species were marked by members of the Sopron Branch of the Hungarian Ornithological Society over six five-day periods. The capture of a hen scarlet rosefinch (Carpodacus erythrinus) was interesting confirmation of its occurrence in Hungary (MME SOPRONI HCS 1991b). The next camp, also at Fertőrákos, covered six periods of five days between July 19 and August 17, 1991, during which 930 specimens of 32 species were marked (MME SOPRONI HCS 1992). That was followed by a ringing camp at Mekszikópuszta on the east shore of Fertő on August 1-30, 1992, where 2247 specimens of 46 species were ringed (MME SOPRONI HCS 1993). A camp to ring penduline tits (Remiz pendulinus) took place at Fertőrákos in 1994. Despite extremely bad weather, 411 specimens of 9 species were caught and ringed (MOGYORÓSI 1995b). The Hanság 'Action Hungária' ringing camps opened a new chapter in Hungarian research into bird migration. 41 Magyar Madártani Egyesület Soproni Helyi Csoportja (MME Soproni HCs). 42 The pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum) was observed again in the Farkas Ravine on February 20, 1991 (ANON. 1991), but the observation was not accepted by the Faunistic Certification Committee (Faunisztikai Hitelesítő Bizottság) because of shortcomings in the evidence.
