kányavári sziget - a little accessible island of the kis-balaton.
the kis-balaton was once part of the lake balaton before sedimentary deposition of the river zala & the human hand through cutting peat separated it. it was also close to silting up until a blue algae incident at lake balaton happened that arrived there through the kis-balaton's influxes and it was discovered that the lake system of the kis-balaton is an important part of lake balaton's ecosystem. that was back in the 60ies and in 1976 they finally started to recultivate the whole area and now it's part of the natural & biological protective system again that it once has been. you can find lots of protected flora and fauna there, amongst them herons & otters & white-tailed eagles & large white-faced darters also lots of amphibia and special plants. it's a really species-rich biotope now and contributes to the well-being of lake balaton, animals, plants & of course even human beings, because they stop here to see a unique functioning ecosystem that can't be found anywhere in europe. it's a true paradise and it was alway on our itinerary when we visited hungary in the past. its boggy and marshy character is something we don't get to see in germany a lot and it feels really like a jungle. and everytime we visited we got to see lots of wildlife and that is of course a real highlight. especially when you get to see a majestic great white heron ( which we did see this time around!!! ).
we visited kányavári sziget, a little island that's accessible via a really interesting-looking bridge. most of the kis-balaton is heavily protected and only accessible with professional guidance and only kányavári sziget is open all year round for visitors. i still feel that this little spot is doing great in showing you the history and importance of the whole area and whisks you off into a lovely habitat of nature that i am sure you will end up loving. i love it! it's a super special place.
crossing the bridge to kányavári sziget. the bridge was built in 1983. and yup, that's my momma. from the bridge you have a wonderful view over the surrounding marshland and you can discover a lot of birds already ( like ducks, coots, swans and cormorants), even fish ( we saw carps ), and what always excites me, dragonflies!
ducks taking a nap, or cleaning themselves. the lake was covered with yellow water lilies ( and more ) and they were just starting to bloom.
the lake landscape offers a lot of reed shores and creates a true air of jungle.
over all these years this sight still makes my heart beat and my eyes get all shiny. so beautiful.
coots nesting.
the bridge viewed from the isle. wooden bridges are very common in this part of hungary and they often sort of have the same style. i like it!
wandering along the shores. there's always lots of midges on the island, as it is surrounded by bogs and swamps and water. so in the summer you should really take some repeller with you, or try to wear longer clothes. they can be quite aggressive here. i think i got away pretty unharmed this time, but there were years were it was almost unbearable and we didn't stop slapping after them, haha.
ooooh, i love all the green colour here. my brother swore he saw a grass snake, and i think i also caught a glimpse of it, so if you are scared of snakes, uhm, this place might not be the right thing for you 😁
throughout the isle you have plenty of options to sit down and do a picknick or just watch & listen to nature around you. or to put it simply: relax.
time and time again a new perspective opens up and offers you lovely views of the lake.
dead wood is always magnetizing to me.
so much green everywhere. and it was so lush!
and then we met the king of the little balaton - a great white heron ( that i mistaked for a crane, shush ). it suddenly appeared on a meadow we were passing by and waded slowly and deliberately towards a little wooded area. i was very quick to shoot a few pictures from afar ( we were at least 50 meters away when we noticed it ) and am delighted that my pictures turned out great considering the distance. it was such an exhilarating experience, to see such a big bird so close to you. and everyone kept super quiet so to not disturb it. i was beyond pleased after this encounter, i felt magically touched 😍
i feel like this shot highlights the fact that the white heron is a really big bird! they can grow up to almost 110 cm ( which i consider huge - as i am only 158 cm small 😂 ).
after the heron vanished from sight into the woods we continued our little walk and discovered a few beautiful blooms ( that got visited by lots of buzzing insects ;) ). bird wetch & yarrow is growing side by side here.
the blue was so intense!
we left the more swampy side of the lake behind us and entered the open areas of it.
a small look-out invites you to scan the surroundings for birds and insects.
birdsfoot deerwetch in all its yellow glory.
the little look-out tower again.
nice views are abundant.
i don't know why a fork was attached to this construction, but it's just one of those things that are so random, that they need to be documented.
we went up a bigger look-out tower that gave you even more insight to the surrounding landscape. you can also have barbeques on kányavári sziget!
almost looks like straght out of a monet painting there, doesn't it?
the western view from the look-out! you can see a spell of not so fine weather coming. it rained a bit later on, but it wasn't severe.
a little bit further to the right and the bad weather signs are nowhere to be found. sunshine galore 😅
the big look-out tower from the ground.
we walked to the southern tip of the isle...
... and found some more marshlands and reed shores.
this was shot at the outermost tip of the isle towards the south.
slowly we made our way back to our starting point. i found a lovely spot that had a view on the bridge, but was mostly hidden!
and then we crossed the bridge again and the light changed a bit and it looked so fucking magical. i really can only repeat it again and again, this place gets me every time. and i really have no more words. just look at it...
a cormorant sunbathing and drying its wings. did you know that cormorant feathers are not entirely water-proof? the structure of their feathers is very different to a lot of water birds and it soaks after a while. that's why you can always find these birds sitting somewhere with outspread wings, drying themselves!
the last picture of the beloved kis-balaton. seriously one hell of a recommendation from me, to everybody who wants to spend a few hours in a little european jungle!
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