Rétszilas Lakes - Nature Reserve
 

Rétszilas Lakes are the southernmost and one of the most significant sections of the ecological green corridor of the Sárvíz Valley. It plays a major role in the lives of birds around, and those migrating through.

The nature reserve is located in Fejér county, in the southern part of Sárrét and nothern part of South-Mezőföld, in the depth of Rétszilas. Its main boundaries are the two channels of the region, Malom and Nádor canals. These two combined provide the water for the more than 600 hectares of welands.

Basic Information

- Decree of protection: 25/1996. (X. 9.) KTM decree
- Törzskönyv number: /TT/96
- Size of protected area: 1495 hectares, with the whole area under RAMSAR
- Villages around boundaries: Pusztaegres, Sáregres, Sárbogárd

Short description of protected natural riches
Almost two thirds of Mezőföld (the region we are in), used to be covered in wooded steppes and forests. Probably the process of foraging started after the steppe phase has been influenced by anthropogenic effetcs. In the days of Joseph II, there were barely more forests on Mezőföld than there is today.
Due to the good water supply in the region, it's a preffered habitat to all kinds of wetland fauna. From a conservation point of view, the swamps are very important and have high values.
In addition, several more protected plants are found here. Of these, the orchid populations are arguably some of the most amazing. The 4 subspecies found here live in communities , counting 10-1000 individuals. The highly protected spider-orchid is of great value.

The nature reserve's flora is very similar to that of the Great Plain. This, in part, is due to the cultural impact of the people living there. More than others, plant and animal communities living in the open have survived the years gone by.
The wildlife around fish lakes are some of the most rarely researched areas. It's only the birdlife that has been explored; annual surveys have been helping ornithologists to produce detailed results.
The fact that the area is zoologically barely explored is due to the huge presents of invertebrates, even though, many of the recognized and classified species are on the protected list.
Exploration of fish is mostly limited to farmed species, but we know that the presence of the European weather loach or weatherfish has been proven in the streams and canals.

Large water surfaces provide an excellent living habitat for amphibians and water-based reptiles. Great crested and smooth newts as well as brown and green toads are the first to appear in the spring. Later on we can hear the loud noise of fire-bellied toads and water frogs (marsh and bullfrogs) and tree frogs mating. Water snakes are widespread in the whole area. Sunbathing European pond turtles can be seen regularly around the  banks and tree trunks.

Of mammals the highly protected otter has to be mentioned in the first place. They leave very clear clues behind, mostly during the winter. From their regularly used paths, it can be concluded that are numerous otter families that live around the lakes. The excellent opportunities for finding food and relatively unperturbed area provides wonderful living conditions for this beautiful and endangered animal. There is also a large number of foxes but the protected species of stoats, moles, water and bicoloured shrews have been spotted too. Lately we have been seeing signs of beaver activity, which is a new and exciting experience.
 

The most significant value of the Rétszilas Lakes Nature Reserve is its birdlife. Over 220 species have been identified so far, which amounts to almost 60% of all birds native to Hungary. The majority of the protected birds, about 100 species, also nest in the area.

The trademark of nature preservation, the great white egret enriches the area with 60-80 pairs each year. There are hundreds of them on the lakes during the months of autumn, most of which stay until the end of winter. Quite a few squacco herons and little egrets and spoonbills regularly lay their eggs on the reed islands of the lakes. Purple herons and bitterns nest in the rancid reed. An outstanding value of the preserved area is the globally endangered ferruginous duck, 25-30 pairs of which stay here to lay eggs. Tufted ducks and red-crested pochards have regularly nested here recently too.

A sign of unspoiled nature is that the rather shy greylag geese can find quite a few spots to nest here. The first time Mediterranean gulls were found to nest on the gull farm was in 1949. 25-35 pairs of this beautiful species lay their eggs on the island that gives home to 400-500 black-headed gulls. The lakes offer great comfort for song birds living in the reed as well; the rare species of bluethroats, bearded tits and moustached warblers. European penduline tits hang off the branches of willows standing by the canals almost every 100 meters. The noble black stalks also lay their eggs nearby and visit the lake regularly whilst raising their chicks.

During migration it is not uncommon to have as many as many as 15 thousand geese, together with some greylag geese coming from the North. There are about 10 000 wild ducks and coots above this enormous flock of geese. Snow and bar-headed geese have also appeared here recently. Black kites, white-tailed short-toed eagles and ospreys can also be regularly spotted during the autumn and spring migration periods.  For the sake of their protection hunting of waterbirds is strictly prohibited in the whole area.

Based on the above reasons, the region was awarded RAMSAR status.