Nyírábrány, Hungary (Nyírábrány, Ungarn) (Nyírábrány, Magyarország) 04.2017.

In April I visited the ash-dominated riparian mixed forests of the Kis-Mogyorós Forest, a Natura 2000 site in Nyírábrány, South Nyírség Region. Location: Nyírábrány. Date: 17.04.2017.

Middlesex Fells Reservation, USA II. (Middlesex Fells Reservat, USA II.) (Middlesex Fells Rezervátum, USA II.) 05.2016.

The Middlesex Fells is a forest of 3,400 acres just north of Boston, protected since 1894. The Fells are an upland with narrow north–south ridges and valleys, vulcanic bedrock, glacial kettle ponds and water reservoirs. Despite being on the edge of the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area, its flora is remarkable, with Rich Mesic Forests, Rocky Summits, Pitch Pine-Scrub Oak Communities, Vernal Pools, etc. The area is one of the few surviving sites of the Boston Basin Ecoregion. For the second time, I visited the Oakldale Park, the eastern Cross Fells Trail, and the Virginia Wood Trail in late May. Location: Middlesex Fells. Date: 28.05.2016.

Nyírábrány, Hungary (Nyírábrány, Ungarn) (Nyírábrány, Magyarország) 05.2015. I.

Nyírábrány in the South Nyírség Region is renowned for its relict birch moors, alkaline fens and lowland hay meadows, especially at the Keszler-tag Birch Moor and the Káposztás-lapos Meadow, parts of the Natura 2000 network. In late spring, one can find here the Brook Thistle, the Fibrous Tussock-Sedge, the White Helleborine or the Bay Willow, relict species that are more common in mountainous areas and in Northern Europe. Location: Nyírábrány. Date: 01-31.05.2015.

Bagamér, Hungary (Bagamér, Ungarn) (Bagamér, Magyarország) 05.2015.

Most of the isolated remaining natural landscapes of the South Nyírség Region are integrated into the Hajdúság Landscape Protection Area. 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, parst of the Natura 2000 Network. Pannonic sand steppes, sand dunes, Molinia meadows, and lowland hay meadows sustain a remarkable biodiversity here. At the edges of the protected areas, oak and silver linden forest patches can be found that harbour the Steppe Iris.  Place: Bagamér. Date: 01-09.05.2015.

Miskolc, Hungary (Miskolc, Ungarn) (Miskolc, Magyarország) 04.2015.

Some photos taken in and around the city of Miskolc, Northeast Hungary in April. Location: Miskolc. Date: 17-19.04.2015.

Debrecen, Hungary (Debrecen, Ungarn) (Debrecen, Magyarország) 06-08.2014.

In the summer of 2014 I found many peculiar arthropods and fungi in the city of Debrecen, as well as the recently described orchid named Tallos' Helleborine. Location: Debrecen. 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.

Debrecen, Hungary (Debrecen, Ungarn) (Debrecen, Magyarország) 04-05.2014.

I photographed mostly common plant species and some insects in the spring of 2014 in Debrecen. Location: Debrecen. Date: 04-05.2014.

Létrási Cave, Bükk Mountains, Hungary (Létrási-Höhle, Bükk-Gebirge, Ungarn) (Létrási-vizesbarlang, Bükk-hegység, Magyarország)

We visited the Létrási Cave in the Bükk National Park this October. This cave is altogether 3500 m long and can only be visited on a guided tour. It is regularly flooded but this time it was quite dry, so I could take some photos of the local fauna. Location: Létrási Cave. Date: 13.10.2013.

Debrecen, Hungary (Debrecen, Ungarn) (Debrecen, Magyarország) 06-08.2013.

In the summer of 2013 I stumbled upon some rare or rarely photographed species in Debrecen. Location: Debrecen. Date: 06-08.2013.

High Tatras, Poland (Hohe Tatra, Polen) (Magas-Tátra, Lengyelország) 08.2013.

In August 2013 we spent some days in the High Tatras at the border of Slovakia and Poland. On the Polish side, at a glade called Łysa Polana, the Białka mountain brook provided a great opportunity to photograph the aquatic animal life of the Tatras. Location: Łysa Polana. Date: 19.08.2013.

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.

Tarcal, Hungary (Tarcal, Ungarn) (Tarcal, Magyarország) 07.2013.

Last week I visited the municipality of Tarcal in the UNESCO area of the Tokaj Wine Region in North-Hungary. The area is famous for its vineries, the protected wetland habitats along the Bodrog and Tisia rivers, and the beautiful mountains. The protected areas are part of the Tokaj-Bodrogzug Landscape Protection Area and partly also the Ramsar Areas.

Porto Ferro, Sardinia (Porto Ferro, Sardinien) (Porto Ferro, Szardínia) 05.2013.

We traveled to the Baratz Lake and the nearby coastal area called Porto Ferro in the Sassari Province of Sardinia. The area had such a high diversity of landscapes, plants and animals that we spent the whole day here. The coast of Porto Ferro is situated at the northern edge of the Capo Caccia/ Isola Piana Marine Protected Area and its 2 km long beach is guarded by 3 towers built in the 17th century. Location: Porto Ferro. Date: 02.05.2013.

Tenerife: Orotava Valley (Teneriffa: Orotava-Tal) (Tenerife: Orotava-völgy) 03.2013.

Tenerife is the largest of the 7 main Canary Islands, characterised by its main volcano, the Teide (3718 m). With my wife, we spent almost 2 weeks here and on the island of La Gomera in March. This time of the year is good to catch many of the islands endemic plants in flowering period. The plant and animal life on the Canary Islands are incredible, a very high proportion of the species are endemics and and even the types of plant communities are very special, found nowhere else on Earth but on other Macaronesian Islands. Tenerife, due the presence of the Teide, has an astonishing vertical zonation and many of its areas are protected. First, I show photos of the biggest valley, the Orotava Valley, which faces the Atlantic Ocean on the north of the island.

Fir of Hotova-Dangell National Park, Albania (Nationalpark Tannenwald von Hotova-Dangell, Albanien) (Hotova-Dangell Fenyvese Nemzeti Park, Albánia) 09.2012.

We visited the termal ponds of Ura ë Kadiut in the Fir of Hotova-Dangell National Park (Parku Kombëtar Bredhi i Hotovës-Dangelli) and spent two days here. The rapid-flowing river, Lëngarica that flows through the national park created a valley with sludgy rift and the thermal springs are found on the sides of this valley. They are very popular among tourists and local people as well. Some of the thermal springs have dense vegetation, while others are simple rock pools. The chemical composition of the thermal waters varies greatly. After heavy rains, the river even covers some of the thermal pools.

Kelemér, Hungary (Kelemér, Ungarn) (Kelemér, Magyarország) 09.2011.

In the middle of September I went on a cycling tour to the Aggtelek National Park in north-eastern Hungary. I took all my photography equipment with me, because I wanted to take some pictures in the unique peat bogs of Kelemér and at a little lake in Jósvafő. I started my tour in the town of Putnok and cycled up towards the peat bog. There are two such bogs close to each other near the village called Kelemér, and both of them are strictly protected. There are very few peat bogs in Hungary and these are the easternmost ones. The bogs are hidden in a dense forest and inside them so many trees (Downy Birches, willows, poplars) are growing that it is quite easy to walk past them without even noticing them. That is probably one of the reasons that these bogs remained quite intact throughout the ages. They are truly unique habitats in Hungary, where climate and the lack of high mountains do not favour the persistence of such bogs (see here).

South Nyírség, Hungary (Süd-Nyírség, Ungarn) (Dél-Nyírség, Magyarország) 08.2011

On the last day of August we drove out from Debrecen eastwards, towards Újléta, to a characteristic sandy habitat surounded by lowland forests and agricultural landscape. On the way we stopped at the Fancsika lakes where we searched for insects and spiders using a sweeping net in the patches of swamp habitats and the cattail vegetation by the water. Even here numerous spectacular species were found that I've never seen before, but the real sensation was found during the night-lamping.

Debrecen, Hungary (Debrecen, Ungarn) (Debrecen, Magyarország) 06-08.2011.

During the summer of 2011 I photographed many peculiar animals in Debrecen (in East-Hungary) and in its surroundings. Here are some of them.

Bugac-Puszta, Hungary (Bugac-Puszta, Ungarn) (Bugac-Puszta, Magyarország) 08.2011.

In the middle of August, with some friends we traveled to an area of the Great Hungarian Plateau quite well known among tourists: the Puszta. We spent 2 days in a nature reserve called Bugac-Puszta near the village of Bugac. The nature reserve is part of the Kiskunság National Park, which is in turn part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. There are characteristic sandy plains and patches of White Poplar - Juniper woods which form a floristic association. The climate is arid and very hot in the summer. These characteristics and the unique fauna make Bugac-Puszta an excellent destination for nature photographers (but the best time to travel here is probably not August).