Baredine Cave, Croatia (Höhle Baredine, Kroatien) (Baredine-barlang, Horvátország) 09.2017

The Baredine Cave is located near Poreč in the western part of the Istrian Peninsula. Visitors can descend into a chamber 60 m below ground and see some specimens of the unique cave olm displayed in shallow rock pools. Location: Baredine Cave. Date: 07.09.2017.

Bagamér, Hungary (Bagamér, Ungarn) (Bagamér, Magyarország) 03.2015.

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, parts of the Natura 2000 Network. Pannonic sand steppes, sand dunes, Molinia meadows, and lowland hay meadows sustain a remarkable biodiversity here. I visited Bagamér in spring, when the rare endemic Hungarian Pasque Flowers are in blossom.  Place: Bagamér. Date: 21-31.03.2015.

Bereg Plain, Hungary (Ebene von Bereg, Ungarn) (Beregi-sík, Magyarország) 03.2015.

We travelled to Márokpapi, a small village in the Bereg Plain in East Hungary to catch the flowering of the relict population of Carpathian Crocuses in the local - and also relict - oak-hornbeam forest. Location: Márokpapi. Date: 14.03.2015.

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) 02.2014.

In February, we took a trip to the South Nyírség region in Hungary, near the Romanian border to photograph early spring flowers and amphibians. The places we visited are managed by the Hajdúság Landscape Protection Area. Location: Soth-Nyírség. Date: 23.02.2014.

Bojana Island, Montenegro (Insel Bojana, Montenegro) (Bojana-sziget, Montenegró) 09.2012.

On the way back from Albania in September 2012, we stopped on the Bojana Island (Ada Bojana) for a day, which is located at the Montenegrin side of the boarder river of the same name. There are sandy coasts, coastal forests, salt swamps and a large number of interesting reptiles on this small island.

Syri i Kaltër, Albania (Syri i Kaltër, Albanien) (Syri i Kaltër, Albánia) 09.2012.

Syri i Kaltër, or the Blue Eye is a karst spring and lake in the Mali i Gjerë mountains near Sarandë in the Southern part of Albania. It is a popular tourist attraction: clear blue water bubbles forth from a more than fifty-metre-deep pool under great pressure. The round shape of this pool gave the place its name.

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).

Sebesvíz, Bükk Mountains, Hungary (Sebesvíz, Bükk-Gebirge, Ungarn) (Sebesvíz, Bükk-hegység, Magyarország) 06.2011.

In June 2011 we visited the the brook Sebesvíz in the Bükk Mountains. Lots of rare insects were swarming, mainly dipteran species that favour the humidity around the brook. Location: Sebesvíz Brook. Date: 13.06.2011.

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.

Nyírábrány, Hungary (Nyírábrány, Ungarn) (Nyírábrány, Magyarország) 04.2011.

In April I traveled to Nyírábrány in East Hungary to some moors and to some open sandy grasslands nearby to take photos. The flora and fauna of this area is typical of the Nyírség landscape area, which is an north-eastern part of the great Hungarian Plain. There were once extensive birch moors (the lands got its name after the Hungarian word for birch), swamps, lowland oak forests and open sandy grasslands here. Nowadays the land is mostly agricultural, but there are still many places for taking nature photos here. Several such areas are protected also. Location: Nyírábrány. Date: 07-16.04.2011.

Sebesvíz II., Bükk Mountains, Hungary (Sebesvíz II., Bükk-Gebirge, Ungarn) (Sebesvíz II., Bükk-hegység, Magyarország) 04.2011.

At the end of April 2011 I cycled up from Miskolc to the Sebesvíz brook in the Bükk mountain and Bükk National Park. This is one of my favourite places for nature photography, and it is definetly one of the most interesting brooks in Hungary because it is the steepest, it has a unique fauna and it is well hidden in the forest from most tourists. I was there at the beginning of April also, see that post here. Location: Sebesvíz-brook. Date: 23.04.2011.

Zemplén mountains, Hungary (Tokajer Gebirge, Ungarn) (Zempléni-hegység, Magyarország) 08.2010.

In August 2010 I traveled to the Zemplén Mountains, again near the Regéc castle to make a cycling trip and I made some photos also. Location: Zemplén Mountains. Date: 28.08.2010.

Zemplén Mountains, Hungary (Tokajer Gebirge, Ungarn) (Zempléni-hegység, Magyarország) 10.2009.

The Zemplén mountains (also Tokaj mountains) is a mountain range in North-East Hungary, famous for its culture, its many medieval stone castles and its interesting fauna and flora influenced by the Carpathian mountains, and last, but not least, for its viper population. In 2009, October was very nice and with some friends, we took a trip there, to the peaceful mountain villages of Hejce and Mogyoróska and to the ruins of the Regéc Castle, built around 1300. Location: Zemplén Mountains. Date: 03.10.2009.

Western Bükk Mts., Hungary (Westliches Bükk-Gebirge, Ungarn) (Bükk-hgys. nyugati része, Magyarország) 06.2009.

As a biologist student in June, 2009 I took part on a field trip into the Bükk mts. (almost entirely a National Park) in North-East Hungary. We traveled through much of the Western part of this mountain range and we also made a long trip in the central part. The weather was unusually wet for this time of the year in 2009 but this fact resulted in many flowers that were still in blossom, so, after all we had luck. Here are some photos, mainly of plants, made on that week. Location: Western Bükk Mts. Date: 06.2009.

Bükk Mountains, Hungary (Bükk-Gebirge, Ungarn) (Bükk-hegység, Magyarország) 02-07.2008.

During the spring and summer of 2008 I spent many weekends in the Bükk mountains (in the Bükk National Park and on the Avas Hill of the city of Miskolc) photographing its flora and fauna. Location: Bükk Mts. Date: 02-07.2008.