Bayerischer Wald - Germany
The Bavarian Forest is a region and National Park in the eastern part of Germany directly on Germany’s border with the Czech Republic. The National Park coveres an area of 24.250 hectares and together with the neigbouring Bohemian Forest it forms the largest contiguous area of forest in Central Europe.
I visited the Dreisessel area which belongs to the Bavarian Forest in from 2014 until 2018. Due to the storm 'Kyrill' and the hungry Bark Beetle the Dreisessel and the surrounded mountains have remarkable tops....the trees are dead. The good news is that nature is recovering and a lot of new trees and plants are growing and flowering.
In 2014 I visited the Dreisessel a few times as I noticed that on the small fields near the road a lot of (endangered) butterfly species were flying. An other big high-light was the discovery of some areas with a lot of Great Burnet and in one area I found the Dusky Large Blue. In 2015 I could not find the diversity of butterflies which I found in 2014. Of course I visited the spot of the Dusky Large Blue but I also discovered two other spots where next to the Dusky Larg Blue also the Scarce Large Blue is living. In 2016 I visited again the spots near the Dreisessel but could not find much butterflies as most of these spots were used to store chopped down trees. The amount of butterflies was dramatically low during my visit in 2016; due to the heavy rain showers the plants and grass was that high that the farmers needed to mow their grasslands earlier....unfortunately also the wild flower meadows which I visted in 2014 and 2015.
2017 was disastrous.....I have no other words! The Dusky Large Blue spot was halved, wild meadows mown on the spots near the Dreisessel empty/butterfly-free. In two weeks time I only found TWO resting butterflies, a Large Skipper and a Sooty Copper.
In 2014 I visited the Dreisessel a few times as I noticed that on the small fields near the road a lot of (endangered) butterfly species were flying. An other big high-light was the discovery of some areas with a lot of Great Burnet and in one area I found the Dusky Large Blue. In 2015 I could not find the diversity of butterflies which I found in 2014. Of course I visited the spot of the Dusky Large Blue but I also discovered two other spots where next to the Dusky Larg Blue also the Scarce Large Blue is living. In 2016 I visited again the spots near the Dreisessel but could not find much butterflies as most of these spots were used to store chopped down trees. The amount of butterflies was dramatically low during my visit in 2016; due to the heavy rain showers the plants and grass was that high that the farmers needed to mow their grasslands earlier....unfortunately also the wild flower meadows which I visted in 2014 and 2015.
2017 was disastrous.....I have no other words! The Dusky Large Blue spot was halved, wild meadows mown on the spots near the Dreisessel empty/butterfly-free. In two weeks time I only found TWO resting butterflies, a Large Skipper and a Sooty Copper.
GALLERY 2017:
GALLERY 2016:
GALLERY 2015:
GALLERY of the farm/accommodation animals:
Due to her sad life story, little pony 'June' was the attraction of the farm during my stay in 2015. At arrival she was about five weeks old but lost her mother one week earlier. In the beginning she was very very sad but fortunately she recovered! Thanks to the cats Emily and Fuchsi it felt completely like home. In 2016 June had become a 'big' pony who lives together with the other pony's in the wild meadow of the farm.
GALLERY 2014:
