Mire of Álmosd, Hungary (Moor von Álmosd, Ungarn) (Álmosdi Daru-láp, Magyarország) 08-09.2016.

The wet meadows of the Daru Mire of Álmosd in the southernmost part of the Nyírség Region are remnants of the postglacial period, when former river valleys were closed by sand dunes. It has many relict plants of cooler eras. It is located next to the even wetter Mire of Kokad and both are parts of the Kék Kálló Valley Natura 2000 area. Location: Mire of Álmosd. Date: 08-09.2015.

Nyírábrány, Hungary (Nyírábrány, Ungarn) (Nyírábrány, Magyarország) 04.2016.

Early this April, I was lucky to find Green-Winged Orchids, along with some other plants and arthropods on the Teleki Pasture (Natura 2000) in Nyírábrány, South Nyírség Region. Location: Nyírábrány. Date: 14.04.2016.

South Nyírség, Hungary (Süd-Nyírség, Ungarn) (Dél-Nyírség, Magyarország) 06-08.2014.

Most of the isolated remaining natural landscapes of the South Nyírség Region are integrated into the Hajdúság Landscape Protection Area (and partially into the Natura 2000 Network). Here, on the north-eastern part of the Great Hungarian Plain, a slight depression may be called a valley, and small elevations are referred to as hills. Hence the names of some protected areas: Valley of the Kék-Kálló, or Daru Hills of Bagamér. I visited these places and the Gúti Forest, the Teleki Pasture, the Káposztás-Plain and the small Keszler-tag Birch Moor in summer. Meadow-steppes, sand dunes, moors and old-growth forests sustain a remarkable biodiversity here. Place: Vámospércs, Nyírábrány and Bagamér. Date: 06-08.2014.

South Nyírség, Hungary (Süd-Nyírség, Ungarn) (Dél-Nyírség, Magyarország) 04-05.2014.

Most of the isolated remaining natural landscapes of the South Nyírség Region are integrated into the Hajdúság Landscape Protection Area (and partially into the Natura 2000 Network). Here, on the north-eastern part of the Great Hungarian Plain, a slight depression may be called a valley, and small elevations are referred to as hills. Hence the names of some protected areas: Valley of the Kék-Kálló, or Daru Hills of Bagamér. I visited these places and the Jónás-rész Pasture, the Teleki Pasture, the Kis-Mogyorós Forest, the Káposztás-Plain and the small Keszler-tag Birch Moor in spring. Meadow-steppes, sand dunes, moors and old-growth forests sustain a remarkable biodiversity here. In the spring of 2014, I mainly focused on the characteristic and common plants of these places. Place: Vámospércs, Nyírábrány and Bagamér. Date: 04-05.2014.

High Tatras, Slovakia (Hohe Tatra, Slowakei) (Magas-Tátra, Szlovákia) 08.2013.

In August 2013 we visited the Slovakian part of the beautiful High Tatras which is one of the most famous national parks of Slovakia. The weather was rather dry and the vegetation was already somewhat autumnal. We also visited the botanic garden at Tatranská Lomnica to see some of the botanic highlights of the Tatras - many of these are endemics. Location: High Tatras National Park. Date: 17-20.08.2013.

South-Nyírség, Hungary (Süd-Nyírség, Ungarn) (Dél-Nyírség, Magyarország) 06-07.2013.

Every year I spend some weekends in Nyírábrány and every time I find some nice species. Here are some examples from this June and July. Location: Nyírábrány. Date: 06-07.2013.

Sarandë District, Albania III. (Kreis Sarandë, Albanien III.) (Sarandë járás, Albánia III.) 09.2012.

We spent our last days in Albania between the villages of Kulluricë and Kodër. The landscape dominated by only 100-300 m high mounds is spectacular (and there is a nice view on the hills of Corfu), the vegetation was diverse even in the autumn and we managed to find many reptiles and arthropods here.

South-Nyírség, Hungary (Süd-Nyírség, Ungarn) (Dél-Nyírség, Magyarország) 07.2012.

In the middle of June, 2012, I went out one morning to take some photos in the sandy areas near the village Nyírábrány in East-Hungary. This place is very good to find many kinds of hymenopterans and there are also some wet meadows with many spiders.

Kisgyőr, Hungary (Kisgyőr, Ungarn) (Kisgyőr, Magyarország) 08.2011.

I spent only one and a half hour in Kisgyőr this summer. This is a small village near Miskolc in north-east Hungary that I regularly visit for taking photos. It is surrounded by a protected landscape of warm, submediterranean slope-steppes, bush-forests and old orchards, called The Galya. The area constitutes the southernmost part of the Bükk-mountains, but its flora and fauna is more like that of the submediterranean slopes in the Balkans. Despite the very short trip, I managed to find several nice themes to photograph and I think this is a good proof that one does not have to travel far from home to find an astonishing nature.

Miskolc, Hungary (Miskolc, Ungarn) (Miskolc, Magyarország) 06.2011.

In the middle of June I took a short trip to Komlóstető, a small hill partially covered with houses that belongs to the city of Miskolc. There is a small, arid meadow, which does not seem to be of interest at first sight, howewer it has a suprisingly interesting animal life. Many invertebrates live here that I’ve never seen before anywhere else. Location: Miskolc, Komlóstető. Date: 12.06.2011.

Bugojno, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bugojno, Bosnien und Herzegowina) (Bugojno, Bosznia és Hercegovina) 05.2011.

In the mountainous area near Bugojno, central Bosnia we made many interesting discoveries. Meadows with blossoming orchids interrupted the dense Illyrian forests, brooks were flowing nearby, and due to the rather high elevation above sea level the local plant life was in a much fresher state than the one in Croatia. The fauna is very diverse. Here, the animal world of Central Europe and the Mediterranean Region meet and there are also several endemic species. Location: Bugojno. Date: 24-25.2011.

Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Livno, Bosnien und Herzegowina) (Livno, Bosznia és Hercegovina) 05.2011.

We travelled from Čiovo to Southern Bosnia for one and a half days where we got to kwnow this land rich in interesting landscapes. After leaving the border, we traveled past karst landscapes in a mostly uninhabited region in the traditional county of Herzeg-Bosnia. The first area that we searched through was a field at the edge of a shrubby forest dominated by Downy Oak, near Zagoričani, Livno. Than we visited a large open limestone pavement landscape nearby. Location: Zagoričani, Livno. Date: 24-25.05.2011.

Trogir, Dalmatia, Croatia (Trogir, Dalmatien, Kroatien) (Trogir, Dalmácia, Horvátország) 05.2011.

In Middle Dalmatia we found a fascinating flora and fauna, a part of which I’ll try to present in this post. We searched through the hills surrounding Trogir, here the landscape is mostly characterised by arid slopes with large rocks, mediterranean plant communities, and an insect fauna typical of arid areas. Location: Surroundings of Trogir. Date: 23.05.2011.