Why Hungary?
Hungary is situated in the Carpathian Basin at the heart of Europe, and due to its location and climate, has an amazingly species-rich flora and fauna. Our nature walks take us through grasslands that have never had fertilisers or pesticides applied to them, through oak and hornbeam forests, beside species-rich lakes and cool mountain streams.
Butterflies
Whereas Great Britain has approximately 59 species of butterfly, 160 species have been recorded in Hungary, with 60 of those being "blues". The Hungarian butterflies include unusual species such as the Nettle Tree (below) and the Southern Festoon, and large, spectacular species such as the Scarce Swallowtail, Dryad, Camberwell Beauty, and Purple Emperor. Add to these the many species of Fritillary, Coppers, and Hairstreaks, and you get an idea of how special the area is. To see some of my photographs of Hungary's butterflies, please visit : http://flickr.com/photos/22791682@N06
Birds
Hungary has become a well-known destination for birders, and this is not surprising when one looks at the list of species recorded here. The mountainous areas offer many varieties of Woodpecker, including Black, Grey-headed, Great-, Middle-, and Lesser Spotted, Syrian, and the rare White-backed. The forested mountains are also home to the Black Stork.
Summer colour is provided by Golden Orioles, Bee-eaters (above), and Rollers, and the wetland areas host species such as Purple Heron, Squacco Heron, Great White Egret, Glossy Ibis, Black-, White-winged Black-, and Whiskered Tern, Little Bittern and Bittern.
Herptiles
Reptile and amphibian enthusiasts should have an enjoyable time in Hungary as there are 18 species of amphibians, and 15 species of reptile here. Among these are the Green Lizard (below), Agile Frog, and the superb Aesculapian Snake.
Mammals
The heavily forested mountain areas offer protection for large mammals such as Red Deer, Roe Deer, Mouflon, and Wild Boar (below).
Smaller mammal species include Pine Marten, Badger, Red Squirrel, Edible Dormuse, Red Fox, Eurasian Lynx, and the occasional Wolf slips across the border from time to time!