Kis-Balaton belongs to the Balaton Uplands National Park. As its name indicates it is connected to our Hungarian See, the Lake Balaton, however it has natural and strictly protected areas as well. We visited the few open spaces for public.
The Buffalo reserved is really a great place with goats on the play ground and semi-wild water buffalos all around. There is an electric wire which keeps the animal away from the friendly humans visitors. Huge open area with a small entrance fee.
A narrow trail leads us to the field, where one can come up face to face to all sorts of household mammals (mostly ungulates) and of course some curious buffalos.
Information boards area available all along the way and not only with Hungarian explanations. This area is packed up with nest boxes and bat boxes and there is a high stand in the middle of the field so it is worth to walk around the whole way.
This field is ideal for ground squirrels (Spermophilus citellus) so we observed quite a few from a very short distance.
Traditional Hungarian well and its description.
View from the high stand.
This is the gate to enter an other erea which belongs to the Kis-Balaton. This is really the place when we can observe birds as it a protected wetland area. I have seen the common species as usual and a little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis). Little cormorants are not rare here but I have only seen the 'big brother' (Phalacrocorax carbo).
There is a wooden bridge which leads through a channel and brings us to an island.
Usually there is a small fee for parking but it is rather worth to come here by bike as it is kinda part of the bike trail which runs around the Lake Balaton.
