Debrecen-Haláp, Hungary (Debrecen-Haláp, Ungarn) (Debrecen-Haláp, Magyarország) 01.2019.

On the first day of the year I visited the Álló-hegy Natura 2000 site near Debrecen and its relict Euro-Siberian steppic oak woods. Location: Debrecen-Haláp. Date: 01.01.2019.

Bükk Mts., Hungary (Bükk Gebirge, Ungarn) (Bükk-hegység, Magyarország) 03.2017.

In March I visited the beech forests around Miskolc in the Eastern Bükk Mountains to photograph the early spring flora. Location: Miskolc, Csanyik. Date: 18.03.2017.

Bükk Mountains, Hungary (Bükk Gebirge, Ungarn) (Bükk-hegység, Magyarország) 10.2016.

We visited the montane beech forests of the Bükk Plateau (in the Bükk National Park) in northeast Hungary in early October. Location: Bükk Plateau. Date: 06-08.10.2016.

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.

Middlesex Fells Reservation, USA I. (Middlesex Fells Reservat, USA I.) (Middlesex Fells Rezervátum, USA I.) 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 first time, I visited the Wrights Pond, Spot Pond and the Skyline Trail near the North Reservoir in mid-May. Location: Middlesex Fells. Date: 21.05.2016.

Bagamér, Hungary (Bagamér, Ungarn) (Bagamér, Magyarország) 03.2016.

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. I visited Bagamér in spring, when the rare endemic Hungarian Pasque Flowers are in blossom.  Place: Bagamér. Date: 05-27.03.2016.

Eastern Bükk Mountains II., Hungary (Östliches Bükk-Gebirge II., Ungarn) (Keleti Bükk-hegység II., Magyarország) 03.2016.

In March I visited the steep, calcareous Kőszál-Slope near Bükkszentlászló and the Bánles-Hill in the Eastern Bükk Mountains. The local blue grass or blue fescue dominated rocky grassland communities (so-called Diantho-Seslerietum and Campanulo-Festucetum pallentis), and slope steppes (Pulsatillo-Festucetum sulcatae) sustain a high diversity of plant life, among others the Bükk Blue Grass, an endemic subspecies. Location: Miskolc. Date: 03.2017.

Nyírábrány, Hungary (Nyírábrány, Ungarn) (Nyírábrány, Magyarország) 01.2016.

Nyírábrány in the South Nyírség Region is renowned for its relict birch moors, alkaline fens and lowland hay meadows. I visited the hay meadows of the local Teleki Pasture, part of the Natura 2000 network in January. Location: Nyírábrány. Date: 01-31.01.2016.

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

We visited the Natura 2000 area of the Monostorpályi Pasture in the South Nyírség, a part of the Hajdúság Landscape Protection Area in April. This place has characteristic Pannonic sand steppes and Euro-Siberian steppic woods with oaks, and famous for its ground squirrel population. Location: Monostorpályi. Date: 25.04.2015.

Øvre Pasvik, Finnmark, Norway (Øvre Pasvik, Finnmark, Norwegen) (Øvre Pasvik, Finnmark, Norvégia) 07.2011.

One of the most interesting destinations to visit on our spider-excursion in Finnmark was the so-called Pasvikdalen, the valley of the Passvikelva river located at the southernmost tip of the county. This is not really a valley, but instead a comlpex network of lakes and rivers and streams. The area is at the triple border of Finnland, Norway and Russia. It is also home of the Øvre Pasvik National Park that is famous of its brown bears. We visited this area on two occasions. The National Park is located more than 100 kms Southwards from Kirkenes in a largely uninhabited area.

Kirkenes, Finnmark, Norway (Kirkenes, Finnmark, Norwegen) (Kirkenes, Finnmark, Norvégia) 07.2011.

Ending the series of posts about Norway, this time I write about some areas around the city of Kirkenes. We visited several interesting habitats here: fjords, birch woods, lakes and barren hilltops.

Grense Jakobselv, Finnmark, Norway (Grense Jakobselv, Finnmark, Norwegen) (Grense Jakobselv, Finnmark, Norvégia) 07.2011.

On one day on our field trip in Finnmark, we traveled some 60 kms eastwards from Kirkenes to the border area of Norway and Russia. The border is along the small Jakobselva river, and one of the main villages here is Grense Jakobselv (basically just some houses). The avarage population density in Sør-Varanger is 3/sq km, but that of the border area and the adjacent easternmost part of Sør-Varanger is definetly lower! During this trip, we stopped at Jarfjordfjellet, collected some spiders at the Jakobselv river and at the shores of the Barents sea, and than traveled to the uninhabited tundra zone of the border area.