A 25 years dream fullfilled
today. I visited a very remote valley today
at Southern Zala county upon the invitation of a local entomologist,
Zoltan Scherer, who did find a unique
Woodland Brown population in 2001. This butterfly
used to be occured all along the western border and the NE,
but only a few remnant population survived around Aggtelek
and Zemplen Hills today. However this population quite different!
According to my own theory the almost extinct lowland populations
representing a kind of undescribed ecological form, maybe
a real taxa, phenotypically unseperable from the mountain
populations. Used to be we had this form from the Kiskunsag
area (Peszer), where occured together with Chequered Skipper
and Esper's Marbled White, the lattest extinct completely
in 1913. We also had this "taxa" from the Kis-Balaton
region and Drava-lowlands, but no any populations left anymore.
So I was very happy to be informed about this last pocket
(3 small satellite sub-populations just next to each-toher).
I was completely astonished not only with the beauty of the
butterfly, but about the habitat itself. I have seen this
vegetation only once, exactly at the former spot of Esper's
Marbled White, I just mentioned above.
Another very exciting fiding was today a large number of Green-eyed
Hook-tailed Dragonflies, which is a mega from Hungary, we
have only one known population in the country. I also passed
some very exciting spots where the occurence of White-backed
Woodpecker is very-very likely. We have historical records
from this corner of the country, but nobody researched these
sites recently. A project for us, coming very soon! :))
11
June, 2009
Woodland
Browns chasing each other. A very difficult species to photograph.
Extremely shy and restless...
Finally
I got one fresh female, which gave us a stunning view.
A
fine fresh male specimen, photographed a wekk later when I
returned with some local conservationist.
The
Woodland Brown's unique habitat.
Green-eyed
Hook-tailed Dragonflies. We have seen hundreds today, however
this is one of the rarest dragonfly of Hungary.
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