Swis Nature

Duna-Dráva National Park

Water lilies, black storks…

The sand-bars of the Danube are constructed of rough sand, so when the level of the water is low, the habitat gets rather dry. At such places, purple willow or almond willow bush bosks can be found. Along the dead channels, at the banks covered by silty sand, bosks of willow trees occur. They can be recognized easily as white willow has a silver coloured foliage. They are usually flooded in the spring. Summer snowflake is our typical plant. We can see a picturesque landscape when they bloom in masses.

White and fringed water lilies paint the dead channels of Gemenc white or yellow in May. Both are protected. The common bladderwort, which is well-known for catching insects, is also spectacular when blooming. Water chestnut is a species that remained from the Warm Age. Two species of water ferns, water clover and salvinia natans, are also common. They reproduce by sporulation and both are also protected. At the riverside, the water vegetation is surrounded by swamp plants. Reed beds are followed by high land plant communities.

Park forests of oak, ash, and elm can be found in the high flood plain, which is only flooded when the flood itself is a major one. Such species of trees can be found both in the flood plain and the protected area. Oak, broad-leaved elm, and Hungarian ash constitute the forest. Under the trees, rich undergrowth developed, including the protected woodbine and wild grape. At the level of herbs, we can find the checkered lily, of which flower has pinkish-brownish spots, arranged like a chessboard. The remains of these forests, which are rich in species, can be found in the Béda-Karapancsa area. Hungarian thorn is a protected and native shrub of the lower valley of the Danube.

Research has proved the occurrence of 51 fish species in the Danube region. Of the Danube fish, sterlet and burbot still occur quite often. Pike is the predator fish of the dead channels.

Concerning the avifauna of Gemenc and Béda-Karapancsa, the black stork and white tailed eagle populations of the region are of European importance. Of the crane species, little egrets, great egrets, night herons, purple herons, and some couples of Eurasian bitterns nest in the reed-beds. The common grey heron nests in willow hursts. The European beaver was reintroduced in Gemenc, as it died out in the 19th century. Wild cats are active during the night. Deer antlers brought down in Gemenc are world-famous.

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