"Life on the Hungarian Great Plains (Alfold) is primarily supported by its main river, the Tisza. The river's surroundings form a suitable habitat for rare local species.Softwood groves along the Tisza banks remind us of good old solid forests, where grapevine runs up and around the tree trunk, thick vegetation persists on clearings, and swampland spots the area. This habitat is ideal for animal species that prefer to hide and stay in reserve:
*Leaf bugs dominate the upper (tree crown) and middle (bush) level of the forest. These include the sawfly, and a wide choice of beautiful butterflies.
*Willow groves on the lower part of the Tisza hide the Hungarian color-changing butterfly (Apatura m. metis). Apart from this small corner of the country, this protected butterfly-race can only be found in Eastern Asia.
*Above the groves, graceful birds spot the sky. Most dominant is the Blue Heron (Ardea cinerea), but other heron-species also abound.
*Birds of prey, laying nest in thicker forests, include unique Hawks, which are awesome to observe.
*The Chickadee (Remiz pendulinus) mounts its round nest on waterside willows.
The riverbank hardwood groves, sadly waning with the passing years, serve as habitat for species, which do not occur in other parts of the plains:
*Their undergrowth hides the shiny door snail with ribbed shell (Laciniaria plicata),
*The pulmonate land snail (Bradybaena fruticum), and
*Many other, rare snail genuses.
*Peculiarities include the rare (and protected!) small Apollo butterfly (Parnassius mnemosyne), and
*The southern festoon (Zerynthia polyxena), the caterpillar of which develops on the poisonous Dutchman's pipe only.
*Unique groups of the groves' bird fauna include the Gray-headed Woodpecker (Picus canus) and
*The Stock Pigeon (Columba oenas), both nesting in the cavity of tree trunks.
Primeval waters formed the most characteristic area of the Great Plains. Hortobagy, the nature reserve, contains various habitats. Scanty vegetation on the lick moorland attracts
*grasshoppers and
*locusts, which do well in the desert-like environment."
More from the source: Puszta.com
13.05.2008