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Author Archives: Tóth Máté

The Eurasian Stone-curlew in the grassland

Posted on 2025. September 1. - 15:31 by
The Eurasian Stone-curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) used to be a typical bird of the Hungarian steppes, but its population has collapsed recently. In the 1990s, there were 20-30 pairs breeding in Miklapuszta, but today they have disappeared from the area and have not yet returned despite livestock grazing and other habitat management actions in the project. The Hungarian population is currently estimated at a maximum of 50 pairs. The species particularly prefers barren, dry, grazed areas. Its nest is a depression in the ground. Both the old birds and chicks have camouflage plumage and blend in well with their surroundings. The species is highly protected in Hungary, with a conservation value of 500,000 HUF.
Eurasian Stone-curlew nestling (Photo: Szabolcs Lengyel)

Hungarian Sea Lavender blooms in Mikla-puszta

Posted on 2025. August 27. - 13:26 by

Hungarian Sea Lavender (Limonium gmelinii ssp. hungarica) might be a heraldic plant of Hungarian salt marshes, one of the most characteristic perennial flowering plants of the plains east of the Tisza, capable of turning the entire steppe purple in late summer.

It  is a native plant of steppes and alkali grasslands located at the Carpathian Basin. The plant  belongs to the family Plumbaginaceae found in the order Caryophyllaceae . Itstarts to fluorish in July, but flowering is the most intense in the second half of August and lasts for weeks.

Hungraian Sea Laveneder is considered to be a common species of the Hungarian salt steppes, especially in the Tiszántúl region. In many places, it can be found on the sides of flood protection embankments. As many salt-tolerant species have recently begun to spread along roadsides due to road salting, Hungarian Sea Lavender can also be found alongside with highways or in the parking lots of large stores in urban areas.

It is a salt-tolerant, resistant plant that is able to withstand extreme weather conditions and can sprouts even when precipitation is low. Sea Levender’s leathery leaves store water well, and its roots penetrate deep into the soil, protecting the plant from drying out in extremely dry habitats or weather conditions.

Although Hungarian Sea Lavender is not a protected plant, it must not be collected in nature reserves, just like any other plant!

Photo: Renáta Gál

The II. Biodiversity Conference was held in Hortobágy

Posted on 2025. April 9. - 15:44 by

There was a huge interest in the 2nd Biodiversity Conference organised by the LIFEforBUGSandBIRDS project, the Biodiversity Centre of the University of Debrecen, the Faculty of Agricultural, Food Sciences and Environmental Management of the University of Debrecen and the Hortobágy National Park Directorate. The theme of the event was innovative conservation with animals, focusing on regenerative agriculture, grazing and rewilding. The conference was attended by representatives of the most prominent national conservation organisations as well as international experts. The two-day conference, which included presentations and field activities, had a great atmosphere, and provided a great opportunity for professional exchange and learning from each other’s work.

The venue was provided by the Visitor Centre of Hortobágy National Park. We thank all those present for their participation!

We participated in the Eastern European LIFE Projects Platform Meeting Conference

Posted on 2025. April 3. - 15:57 by

At the end of March, the LIFEforBUGSandBIRDS project also participated in the Central and Eastern European LIFE Projects Platform Meeting Conference (CEE InterLIFE-Hungary 2025) in Balmazújváros, where participants from several Central and Eastern European LIFE projects gathered to present their activities and share their professional experiences.

At the meeting, several promotional tools were presented and distributed among the participants and a presentation was given on the project in Miklapuszta.

Photos: Attila Szilágyi

We organized a shepherds’ meeting in Fülöpszállás

Posted on 2025. February 3. - 10:13 by

We started the year by organising a regional workshop, where we introduced the project and the idea and methods of insect-friendly grazing for shepherds and farmers involved in livestock grazing. The workshop allowed the sharing of experiences and opinions about the subject among shepherds, farmers and researchers. Based on the feedback received, the workshop was very useful for both the farmers and us as we learned a lot from each other, for which we thank the participants.

We held our third annual project meeting

Posted on 2025. January 28. - 16:05 by
In mid-January, held our third annual project meeting, attended by the organisations participating in the LIFEforBUGSandBIRDS (Miklapuszta-LIFE) project and members of the Advisory Board such as Állampuszta Ltd. The beneficiaries presented their results achieved in 2024, and we also discussed future plans in technical consultations.
If you would like updates about the latest news on the project, please visit the Facebook or Instagram page or the website of the LIFEforBUGSandBIRDS project.

Information boards

Posted on 2024. October 7. - 22:12 by

We have installed information boards to demonstrate the project activities and the natural values of the area. One of the four boards is located in the courtyard of the busy Pilgrims’ House in Harta, where locals and visitors from further afield can learn about our activities. The other three have been installed on the edge of the project area, and one of them is along a nature trail that will soon be built.

The first bird ringing in 2024

Posted on 2024. July 25. - 22:14 by

In the project, the University of Debrecen conducts continuous surveys of shorebird populations and the monitoring of their nests. Nesting success studies provide important information both on habitat quality and the impact of habitat management implemented in the project. This year, we monitored a total of 169 nests of four species (Northern Lapwing, Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Common Redshank) from nest-building to the fledging of chicks. Among them, we observed families with chicks of the Kentish Plover, one of the target species of the project. In addition, we fitted colour rings on a total of 14 chicks of three species, which will help us to monitor them more effectively in the future.

Photos: Lilla Kocsis

Insect hotels on the grassland

Posted on 2024. July 17. - 22:11 by

Last year we continued the installation of artificial habitats for arthropods. We have installed newly designed, innovative insect hotels at 21 sites across the project area. Due to their design, the insect hotels primarily provide habitat for feeding, hiding, breeding and overwintering for arthropods living on or near the ground surface.

The project in Bologna

Posted on 2024. June 26. - 22:09 by

We presented the project at the 7th European Congress of Conservation Biology in Bologna, Italy in June. We presented two posters, one of which promoted the objectives and the activities in the project, while the other was about insect-friendly grazing. The two posters drew considerable interest, and we established several promising professional contacts with international experts on the topic.