Grebe Nature Trail (Péteri Lake)

Stations:
1. From the molehill of the sand ball
2. Water world
3. The birdlife of the lake
4. Lichens
5. Forests around the lakes
6. Tracking

1. From the molehill of the sand ball
Péteri Lake is a member of the sand ridge between the Danube and Tisza, shaped by the NW-SE wind. The geological base of the area is Late Ice Age loess, now alkaline. The wider surroundings are surrounded by drifting sand in all directions. The wind played the biggest role in the formation of the lake. The lake changed its original shape due to the sand advancing from the northwest. The sand is 2-3 meters thick, below it is muddy loess and snail mud, indicating the formerly marshy nature of the area. The soil formed on the bedrock is an important life condition for the plants living on it, which form the base of the food chain.

2. Water world
The clear waters are very rich in wildlife. The insect larvae, small crustaceans, water snails, and worms living here are important food for the newts, fish, and birds living in the canal and lakes. The protected fish called meadow loach searches for its food in the mud. Among amphibians, in early spring and autumn, we can see the crested and spotted newt. The marsh turtle can be observed sunning itself on reed bundles and tussocks. Water birds such as grebes, herons, and egrets hunt for fish in the water. Our natural environment is affected by many human impacts. Nature can endure and avoid these to a certain extent. Many fertilizers and chemicals wash from arable lands into the soil, entering the lakes and the Dong-ér canal as well. The species composition and quantity of tiny water creatures allow us to infer the degree of pollution.

All amphibians and reptiles are protected in our country!

3. The birdlife of the lake

Péteri Lake is a favored habitat for water birds. Valuable is the heronry developed in the reed beds, inhabited by the purple heron, great egret, grey heron, night heron, and spoonbill. In spring, the surroundings are loud with reed warblers and sedge warblers. On open waters, you can often see the great crested grebe, coot, and cormorant. Loose groups of black-headed gulls float on the lake. Wild duck species also find their living conditions in this area.

4. Lichens

Clean air is essential for terrestrial living beings and the ecosystems here. The air is largely polluted due to human impacts. This causes phenomena like acid rain, which destroys many of our country’s forests. Lichens living on trees and soil are the most sensitive to air purity. Lichens are formed by the symbiosis of fungi and algae/microalgae. Fungal threads absorb water, and algae produce food. They settle on the soil and trees. The most frequent are bark lichens, which tolerate pollution better.

5. Forests around the lakes

In the protected area, human presence is clearly visible. Around the lakes, saline pastures, sandy fields, meadows, and groups of trees with farmsteads create a true Kiskunság atmosphere. There are no natural forest communities, but from an ornithological perspective, the gray poplar groves and acacia plantations introduced from North America around the farmsteads are important habitats, hiding places, and feeding grounds. Among shrubs, common hawthorn, black elder, and wild rose are the most frequent. Various types of pine and black pine have also been planted.

6. Tracking
For animals living around the lakes, often only the footprints or feeding traces they leave betray them. In the surrounding meadows, the European hare and roe deer seek plant-based food. The eastern hedgehog and forest shrew are common, while the common shrew is rarer; their rich insect fauna provides their food. Early bats and little owls prey on nocturnal insects. The characteristic rodent of the reed beds is the pygmy mouse. Foxes make their dens among willow trees or dead reed bundles on the dams. The otter is a strictly protected mammal species in the area.