Wild Hungary - A Water Wonderland (2011) - full transcript
Wildlife film about the wetlands of Hungary.
Where the Danube
leaves the mountains,
Hungary begins.
A country like no other in Europe,
influenced by the rhythms of its rivers.
Hungary's inhabitants have learned to cope
with alternating floods and droughts.
This is an ancient cultural landscape,
where wildlife still finds refuge.
Winter in the Puszta, the heart
of the Great Plains of Hungary.
Herdsmen cook the
traditional goulash soup.
This idyllic picture is
still alive in Hungary.
Young men still choose the hard life
of herding the shaggy gray cattle.
These robust animals can withstand the harsh
weather of the open plains all year round.
Herdsmen choose their dogs carefully
and train them for several months.
They make a perfect team.
Only the bravest dogs can
shepherd Hungarian gray cattle.
The wintering geese show that
these plains are not just dry land,
but what was water is at present ice.
A young white-tailed
eagle is looking for food.
A sheep carcass makes
a good breakfast,
but first of the feast are the magpies.
A greedy hooded crow, however,
wants the whole sheep for itself.
Such a tasty meal soon
attracts a bigger competitor,
the common buzzard.
There should be enough for everyone,
but some just can't bear to share.
The crow shows its frustration.
In Winter, carrion's sometimes
the only food the birds can find.
Suddenly, another buzzard arrives.
Eagles are cautious by nature.
The young white-tailed
eagle is still circling.
More and more predators gather.
A red fox passes by,
but the eagle wants a closer look.
It hasn't made up its mind yet
and the crow is pushing its luck,
but the presence of the king
of the birds is, in the end,
just too stressful.
The Puszta lies in a broad
plain in the East of Hungary.
Further West, in the middle of the
country, runs the River Danube.
Along its banks, well-preserved alluvial
forests alternate with populated areas.
The frozen channels and lakes are
a Winter paradise for children.
A young otter is surprised
by all the activity.
Hungary is densely populated,
and the wildlife often has to
share its habitat with humans.
Otters are common in Hungary,
but rarely seen.
They maintain several dens
within their territory.
The young otter moves
on to its next burrow,
a safe distance from
the noisy company.
The den usually has an underwater exit leading to
one of the channels that crisscross the forest.
Due to the ice, the fish are now
beyond the reach of the kingfisher.
Help arrives from an
unexpected quarter.
But the fisherman isn't interested in
assisting either the otter or the kingfisher.
The fisherman is looking
after his aquatic livestock.
He makes a large hole in the ice
to let poisonous gases
out and oxygen in.
He knows that fish are
wintering beneath his feet.
Catfish.
These otherwise solitary animals
gather in groups during Winter
and stay together until Spring.
They don't hibernate,
but remain active without hunting.
They stay in the safety of the pack
and jockey for position,
while constantly biting each other,
which can cause serious wounds.
The hole in the ice
attract some ravens.
They're always after for some fun.
An old white-tailed eagle is busy
collecting nesting material.
Landing on ice is a tricky business,
but the eagle has spotted
something interesting.
This bunch of dried grass
might come in very handy,
but no, it's not good enough after all.
The eagle carries on
looking in the dry sedge.
An eagle's nest or eyrie can
be up to two metres wide.
The sedge will act as insulation
to keep the eggs warm.
In the 1970s, white-tailed
eagles were close to extinction,
but today about 200
pairs soar over Hungary.
They start preparing their
nests early in the year.
This old couple have been
together for 12 years.
Winter is a hard time for red deer.
They're waiting for Spring.
And they're not the only ones.
At the end of the Winter,
men wearing bizarre masks and costumes
appear in the floodplain
forests of Southern Hungary.
The Bus?.
Five centuries ago, the locals had to hide along
the Danube to escape from the Turkish army.
Legend has it that they put on
terrifying costumes and made loud noises.
The turks thought they were being
attacked by demons and took flight.
Every year the people of Moh?cs,
the town where all this happened,
celebrate the walk of the Bus?.
Today the ceremony has
additional significance.
At the end of their walk,
the Bus? come together
and symbolically bury the Winter.
Finally the thaw begins.
From the mountains that
surround Hungary on all sides,
millions of creeks run down
to the heart of the basin.
The silent floodplain forest along the Danube
undergoes a miraculous transformation.
The dozen local species of frog and
toad take on their mating colors,
accompanied by a loud serenade.
The Spring snowflakes are well adapted
to the temporary water coverage.
The Alpine squill too
awakes to new life.
The female white-tailed eagle
is waiting for her mate.
She needs a break from brooding.
Despite being together for 12 years,
the pair greet each other
with audible affection.
The male takes over.
The female can now
stretch her wings
and take care of other
important business.
The male, meanwhile,
feeds the one week old chicks,
which are vulnerable to bad
weather and attacks by ravens.
But these tiny eaglets have
very experienced parents
and are thus safe.
The Balaton, Central Europe's biggest
lake lies West of the Danube.
The first sailors are out,
but they have no idea what is
about to begin underwater.
Asp, a species of carp.
When the water temperature
reaches 10 degrees Celsius,
they swim up the river Zala,
that feeds the Balaton.
The Zala runs through one of the most
extensive areas of reeds in Europe,
the little Balaton.
The asps migrate to their spawning place.
First, the smaller males appear in groups,
attracting eagles from afar.
But the half metre long
fish are too big to catch.
The fish are close to their destination,
but first they face some rapids.
More and more birds arrive,
but not drawn by the asps.
Just like salmon,
asps can jump rapids.
The otter is just curious.
The swan is searching
for precious asp eggs,
but as yet, there's only a
little caviar to be found.
The male asps reaches
the spawning place.
Each chooses and defends its territory,
until the females arrive.
In the heat of the fight,
accidents can happen.
A few eggs are already
glued to the vegetation.
The brown bullhead's favorite delicacy
and just what the egrets
have been waiting for.
They're here to catch the fish
that come to feed on the asp eggs.
As the day comes to an end,
the female asps arrive.
Each night, several hundred
asps come together here,
with one female to ten males.
As the eggs are released,
the males fight to fertilize
them in the strong current.
The males try to attract the bigger
females with a vibrating dance.
An eel comes along to feed on the eggs.
It had better be quick.
The asp run only lasts a week.
Today, most of the Hungarian wetlands have
been drained and replaced by croplands.
But Spring still sees the
return of the white storks,
an iconic bird for Hungarians.
Not all the wetlands have been lost.
Hungary has well-preserved
floodplain forests along the rivers.
The Gemenc forest, along the
Danube River in Southern Hungary.
In April, the woods are still underwater,
creating a wildlife paradise.
Red deer are a common
sight in Gemenc.
The water offers shelter
from stinging insects,
but also plenty of fresh food.
European pond turtles race each other
for the best spots for sunbathing.
But getting there isn't easy.
The marsh frog has attracted
the attention of a water snake.
But there are witnesses everywhere.
A larger predator is also on the prowl.
With an estimated 10,000 animals,
Hungary has one of the largest
populations of common otters in Europe.
When the otter starts hunting,
the turtles, not wanting to
be on the menu, move off.
Once spotted,
the frog has no chance.
Otters feed mainly on fish, but there's no
doubt one of their favorite meal is frog.
Finally, even the turtle has made
it to its sunny vantage point.
In a few weeks, the red deer
hinds of Gemenc will give birth,
somewhere in the
depths of the forest.
Hungary still has a great
number of alluvial forests.
In the South, the flood area can extend
up to ten kilometres wide along the Danube.
A watery paradise for the catfish,
one of the biggest
freshwater fishes in Europe.
For the fishermen,
it's harvest time.
Down below,
the catfish is building a nest.
It clears the willow root
with its muscular tail
and then inspects its handiwork.
Now a female can come.
The fisherman checks the
traps on a daily basis.
He learned his trade from
his father and grandfather.
Bream, pike and carp
are caught in the nets.
The old catfish has always been
careful to avoid the traps.
Eventually, a female shows up.
The love between catfish
is not overly romantic.
Blows from the male to her flank
encourage the female to spawn.
With success.
The male will now guard the eggs
till the young are ready to hatch
in three days time.
In May, the bee-eaters returned from
their Winter quarters in Africa.
They dig nests in the sandy wall in the
towers over a tributary of the Danube.
The warm day is a
perfect for bathing.
Along the river,
the birds find everything they need.
A dragonfly is a welcome meal.
The indigestible bits are simply spat out.
It's the mating season,
and presenting a gift to a
female brings rapid reward.
Spring has now well and truly arrived.
At the top of the oak tree,
the eagle chicks are already 5 weeks old.
And they're getting hungry.
The male is out hunting, and the whole
family is hoping he'll be successful.
Will he catch anything?
Careless carp often feed
close to the surface.
A fatal error.
The chicks can't wait.
White-tailed eagles have adapted
well to their environment
and are flexible regarding their food.
But the adults have to mince
the fish for the little ones.
Carefully, the male feeds his young
and takes a little bite for himself.
The eagle family has food in
abundance close to the nest.
So it's easy to raise two chicks a year.
Late Spring, and there is still water on the Great
Hungarian Plains in the East of the country.
The common pochards
haven't started nesting yet,
but the pairs of greylag goose are
already proudly showing their offspring.
The chicks are closely
watched over by their parents.
A white-winged tern brings a
present to its chosen mate.
These rare birds nest on floating
islands in the wetlands of the Puszta.
The Hungarian gray cattle are
not typical water dwellers,
but it takes time for the
soil to soak up the water.
Fresh grass is sprouting everywhere,
but it's still thin,
and the cattle quickly graze it up.
They have to cross dozens of channels on
the flooded Puzsta to reach new pastures.
The herdsmen knows this can
be dangerous for the calves.
Cows try to stay with their
young during the crossing,
as the little ones might
be accidentally trampled.
Finally, they make it across.
40 years ago, this ancient breed
of cattle was almost extinct,
with only 160 animals left.
Now, thanks to careful husbandry,
6,000 of them graze in Hungary.
The Tisza River meanders
through the Great Plains.
Its shores are home to the biggest
colony of sand martins in Europe,
with 4,000 nesting birds.
Burrow after burrow for over a kilometer.
The chicks leave the nest at the same
time as a spectacular phenomenon called
the blooming of the Tisza,
the flight of the mayflies.
Mayflies spend three years in the mud,
before coming to the surface
one Summer afternoon to mate.
Soon the females are surrounded by males.
Perfect timing for the sand martins.
The insects are a great start to life.
Others also profit from
the mayflies' mating ritual.
The entire spectacle lasts one hour.
After mating, the mayflies die.
The females have laid their eggs
on the surface of the water,
from where they will sink into
the mud and stay as larvae.
The feast is over.
For the white-tailed eagle too,
a good day comes to an end.
A June morning in the
forests along the Danube.
The eagle chicks
are already quite big.
The adults bring food
only twice a day,
but the female no longer
bothers with feeding.
She leaves.
It's the chicks which will
now decide the hierarchy,
and sibling rivalry is inevitable.
Until recently pictures like
these were the exception.
Now after the death of many white-tailed
eagles due to pesticide use and hunting,
the Hungarian eagles are recovering.
In a few days the chicks
will leave the nest.
It's time to practice.
Hungarian heat.
On the Great Plains, it's like being
baked in an oven, shade is scarce.
The white stork shelters
its young from the sun.
In the lakes and rivers, humans and
wildlife alike enjoy the Summer.
Pygmy cormorants like bathing
just as much as people do.
Despite the heat,
life in the countryside goes on.
In the forests,
the changes are dramatic.
Water levels have dropped drastically,
since the Spring flood,
leaving countless ponds, where
millions of fish are now trapped.
The black stork honks together
with grey herons and egrets.
In such an abundance of food,
rivalries don't matter.
Such a feast doesn't go
unnoticed by the otter.
Otters need to eat
about a kilo of fish a day.
These members of the marten
family can cover large distances.
This one traveled maybe 20
kilometers to find the pond.
As soon as a fish is caught, it's off to
the safety of the dense undergrowth.
Soon the fish have to face their destiny.
But, the very last moment,
salvation arrives.
Clouds bring rain
to the thirsty land.
The water fills the dried river
beds in the Gemenc forest.
It keeps coming and coming...
...with no sign of stopping.
An exodus begins.
The ants hurry to rescue their eggs,
their only hope of a future.
Within hours, the flood
overwhelms the forest.
The game is agitated.
Wild boar and red deer
are good swimmers,
but there is no dry land left.
In Gemenc, the water level can rise
by eight meters in a couple of days.
Safe on higher ground,
the deer calves have to stay
where they are for several days,
plagued by mosquitoes.
One full step and the current
will sweep them away.
Once again the alluvial
forest is underwater.
Many animals perish in the torrents.
Others make the most of it.
Otters rarely seek
each other's company,
but, during the mating season,
they spend several days together.
They're not bothered by the fact
that their chosen place is man-made.
An open floodgate.
The fishermen now has to paddle
some distance to his cottage.
The dykes were built in the 19th century,
but some landowners
refused to pay the high costs.
For this reason the dykes are
occasionally quite away from the river,
allowing the Danube to
roam free in its valley.
The fisherman's come to check if
all is in order at his fishing cottage,
which, like the neighboring houses,
is on stilts.
The two eagle chicks
have left the nest.
After three months together,
the time has come to part.
One of them leaves the alluvial forest.
Who knows where in Hungary
the winds will take it.
Its brother stays.
It spots a family of mallards.
The chicks look like easy pickings.
The eagle's technique
still needs working on.
All the same, the mother duck still has
to keep a watchful eye on her brood.
Next time, the outcome
could be very different.
The foggy breeze is the
first forerunner of Autumn.
The flood goes again
as quickly as it came.
The time has come for
the red deer to rut.
In the reeds a golden jackal is
startled by the bulls' bellowing.
A sandy beach in the Gemenc forest
is the perfect place for combat.
A young bull challenges the lead stag.
The hinds, meanwhile,
begin a rarely-seen ritual.
Dancing red deer,
filmed for the first time.
The fisherman is proud to continue
the traditions of his ancestors.
It's been a good year.
Two floods helped keep
the fish stocks healthy.
The young catfish are seeking
out places in which to shelter,
during the coming Winter.
200 kilometers to the East,
in the middle of the Great Plains,
the corn harvest has begun.
Leftover seeds are picked up by cranes.
The birds haven't nested in
Hungary for a hundred years,
but they still stop here on their way
from Northern Europe to Africa.
For the chicks, there's
always something to play with.
The herdsman shares his lonely territory
with the noisy guests for several weeks.
On an Autumn day, that can be up
to 100,000 cranes on the Puszta.
The cranes stay until the
first snows of Winter.
Every evening they settle
by large artificial lakes.
In Autumn, the big fishing lakes
are emptied of water and fish.
The perfect place for cranes
to spend the night safely.
A young eagle passes by,
possibly the one from
the floodplain forest.
It spotted something.
A dead crane wing might
make an interesting meal,
but then again maybe not.
For birds like this
young white-tailed eagle,
the shallow lakes of the Puzsta
offer a rich supply of food
even in Autumn.
Many young eagles gather on
the Puszta for the Winter.
After leaving the nest, they
usually roam around for five years,
before choosing their own territory.
Dead fish is easy prey.
The problem is getting
a bill clean afterwards.
The artificial lakes show how
well wildlife and human activity
can coexist in Hungary.
Soon Winter returns to
the alluvial forests.
The first sleet shows that the
season is just flexing its muscles.
It looks as though the thin ice has broken
under the weight of a young deer.
A convenient lunch for the old eagles.
One of the chicks may have
flown off to the Puszta,
but the other is still hanging around.
The adult male tries
to chase it away,
but it's the chick that
scares its father off.
Quickly the adult calls for help.
The female makes it clear.
This is their territory and even
their own chick has to leave.
The youngster understands.
It's time to go.
The bond between the old
couple is very strong.
As usual in Winter time, they will
court and strengthen their alliance,
with the aim of raising
chicks again next year
in their nest in the floodplain forest.
For the young otter too,
a good year comes to an end.
It has developed well and
will soon start a family.
There is still much of
its watery empire left.
The prospects are good that
the floodplain forests of Hungary
will be home to otters and eagles
for centuries to come.
Subtitles:
ANDR? MIRANDA
leaves the mountains,
Hungary begins.
A country like no other in Europe,
influenced by the rhythms of its rivers.
Hungary's inhabitants have learned to cope
with alternating floods and droughts.
This is an ancient cultural landscape,
where wildlife still finds refuge.
Winter in the Puszta, the heart
of the Great Plains of Hungary.
Herdsmen cook the
traditional goulash soup.
This idyllic picture is
still alive in Hungary.
Young men still choose the hard life
of herding the shaggy gray cattle.
These robust animals can withstand the harsh
weather of the open plains all year round.
Herdsmen choose their dogs carefully
and train them for several months.
They make a perfect team.
Only the bravest dogs can
shepherd Hungarian gray cattle.
The wintering geese show that
these plains are not just dry land,
but what was water is at present ice.
A young white-tailed
eagle is looking for food.
A sheep carcass makes
a good breakfast,
but first of the feast are the magpies.
A greedy hooded crow, however,
wants the whole sheep for itself.
Such a tasty meal soon
attracts a bigger competitor,
the common buzzard.
There should be enough for everyone,
but some just can't bear to share.
The crow shows its frustration.
In Winter, carrion's sometimes
the only food the birds can find.
Suddenly, another buzzard arrives.
Eagles are cautious by nature.
The young white-tailed
eagle is still circling.
More and more predators gather.
A red fox passes by,
but the eagle wants a closer look.
It hasn't made up its mind yet
and the crow is pushing its luck,
but the presence of the king
of the birds is, in the end,
just too stressful.
The Puszta lies in a broad
plain in the East of Hungary.
Further West, in the middle of the
country, runs the River Danube.
Along its banks, well-preserved alluvial
forests alternate with populated areas.
The frozen channels and lakes are
a Winter paradise for children.
A young otter is surprised
by all the activity.
Hungary is densely populated,
and the wildlife often has to
share its habitat with humans.
Otters are common in Hungary,
but rarely seen.
They maintain several dens
within their territory.
The young otter moves
on to its next burrow,
a safe distance from
the noisy company.
The den usually has an underwater exit leading to
one of the channels that crisscross the forest.
Due to the ice, the fish are now
beyond the reach of the kingfisher.
Help arrives from an
unexpected quarter.
But the fisherman isn't interested in
assisting either the otter or the kingfisher.
The fisherman is looking
after his aquatic livestock.
He makes a large hole in the ice
to let poisonous gases
out and oxygen in.
He knows that fish are
wintering beneath his feet.
Catfish.
These otherwise solitary animals
gather in groups during Winter
and stay together until Spring.
They don't hibernate,
but remain active without hunting.
They stay in the safety of the pack
and jockey for position,
while constantly biting each other,
which can cause serious wounds.
The hole in the ice
attract some ravens.
They're always after for some fun.
An old white-tailed eagle is busy
collecting nesting material.
Landing on ice is a tricky business,
but the eagle has spotted
something interesting.
This bunch of dried grass
might come in very handy,
but no, it's not good enough after all.
The eagle carries on
looking in the dry sedge.
An eagle's nest or eyrie can
be up to two metres wide.
The sedge will act as insulation
to keep the eggs warm.
In the 1970s, white-tailed
eagles were close to extinction,
but today about 200
pairs soar over Hungary.
They start preparing their
nests early in the year.
This old couple have been
together for 12 years.
Winter is a hard time for red deer.
They're waiting for Spring.
And they're not the only ones.
At the end of the Winter,
men wearing bizarre masks and costumes
appear in the floodplain
forests of Southern Hungary.
The Bus?.
Five centuries ago, the locals had to hide along
the Danube to escape from the Turkish army.
Legend has it that they put on
terrifying costumes and made loud noises.
The turks thought they were being
attacked by demons and took flight.
Every year the people of Moh?cs,
the town where all this happened,
celebrate the walk of the Bus?.
Today the ceremony has
additional significance.
At the end of their walk,
the Bus? come together
and symbolically bury the Winter.
Finally the thaw begins.
From the mountains that
surround Hungary on all sides,
millions of creeks run down
to the heart of the basin.
The silent floodplain forest along the Danube
undergoes a miraculous transformation.
The dozen local species of frog and
toad take on their mating colors,
accompanied by a loud serenade.
The Spring snowflakes are well adapted
to the temporary water coverage.
The Alpine squill too
awakes to new life.
The female white-tailed eagle
is waiting for her mate.
She needs a break from brooding.
Despite being together for 12 years,
the pair greet each other
with audible affection.
The male takes over.
The female can now
stretch her wings
and take care of other
important business.
The male, meanwhile,
feeds the one week old chicks,
which are vulnerable to bad
weather and attacks by ravens.
But these tiny eaglets have
very experienced parents
and are thus safe.
The Balaton, Central Europe's biggest
lake lies West of the Danube.
The first sailors are out,
but they have no idea what is
about to begin underwater.
Asp, a species of carp.
When the water temperature
reaches 10 degrees Celsius,
they swim up the river Zala,
that feeds the Balaton.
The Zala runs through one of the most
extensive areas of reeds in Europe,
the little Balaton.
The asps migrate to their spawning place.
First, the smaller males appear in groups,
attracting eagles from afar.
But the half metre long
fish are too big to catch.
The fish are close to their destination,
but first they face some rapids.
More and more birds arrive,
but not drawn by the asps.
Just like salmon,
asps can jump rapids.
The otter is just curious.
The swan is searching
for precious asp eggs,
but as yet, there's only a
little caviar to be found.
The male asps reaches
the spawning place.
Each chooses and defends its territory,
until the females arrive.
In the heat of the fight,
accidents can happen.
A few eggs are already
glued to the vegetation.
The brown bullhead's favorite delicacy
and just what the egrets
have been waiting for.
They're here to catch the fish
that come to feed on the asp eggs.
As the day comes to an end,
the female asps arrive.
Each night, several hundred
asps come together here,
with one female to ten males.
As the eggs are released,
the males fight to fertilize
them in the strong current.
The males try to attract the bigger
females with a vibrating dance.
An eel comes along to feed on the eggs.
It had better be quick.
The asp run only lasts a week.
Today, most of the Hungarian wetlands have
been drained and replaced by croplands.
But Spring still sees the
return of the white storks,
an iconic bird for Hungarians.
Not all the wetlands have been lost.
Hungary has well-preserved
floodplain forests along the rivers.
The Gemenc forest, along the
Danube River in Southern Hungary.
In April, the woods are still underwater,
creating a wildlife paradise.
Red deer are a common
sight in Gemenc.
The water offers shelter
from stinging insects,
but also plenty of fresh food.
European pond turtles race each other
for the best spots for sunbathing.
But getting there isn't easy.
The marsh frog has attracted
the attention of a water snake.
But there are witnesses everywhere.
A larger predator is also on the prowl.
With an estimated 10,000 animals,
Hungary has one of the largest
populations of common otters in Europe.
When the otter starts hunting,
the turtles, not wanting to
be on the menu, move off.
Once spotted,
the frog has no chance.
Otters feed mainly on fish, but there's no
doubt one of their favorite meal is frog.
Finally, even the turtle has made
it to its sunny vantage point.
In a few weeks, the red deer
hinds of Gemenc will give birth,
somewhere in the
depths of the forest.
Hungary still has a great
number of alluvial forests.
In the South, the flood area can extend
up to ten kilometres wide along the Danube.
A watery paradise for the catfish,
one of the biggest
freshwater fishes in Europe.
For the fishermen,
it's harvest time.
Down below,
the catfish is building a nest.
It clears the willow root
with its muscular tail
and then inspects its handiwork.
Now a female can come.
The fisherman checks the
traps on a daily basis.
He learned his trade from
his father and grandfather.
Bream, pike and carp
are caught in the nets.
The old catfish has always been
careful to avoid the traps.
Eventually, a female shows up.
The love between catfish
is not overly romantic.
Blows from the male to her flank
encourage the female to spawn.
With success.
The male will now guard the eggs
till the young are ready to hatch
in three days time.
In May, the bee-eaters returned from
their Winter quarters in Africa.
They dig nests in the sandy wall in the
towers over a tributary of the Danube.
The warm day is a
perfect for bathing.
Along the river,
the birds find everything they need.
A dragonfly is a welcome meal.
The indigestible bits are simply spat out.
It's the mating season,
and presenting a gift to a
female brings rapid reward.
Spring has now well and truly arrived.
At the top of the oak tree,
the eagle chicks are already 5 weeks old.
And they're getting hungry.
The male is out hunting, and the whole
family is hoping he'll be successful.
Will he catch anything?
Careless carp often feed
close to the surface.
A fatal error.
The chicks can't wait.
White-tailed eagles have adapted
well to their environment
and are flexible regarding their food.
But the adults have to mince
the fish for the little ones.
Carefully, the male feeds his young
and takes a little bite for himself.
The eagle family has food in
abundance close to the nest.
So it's easy to raise two chicks a year.
Late Spring, and there is still water on the Great
Hungarian Plains in the East of the country.
The common pochards
haven't started nesting yet,
but the pairs of greylag goose are
already proudly showing their offspring.
The chicks are closely
watched over by their parents.
A white-winged tern brings a
present to its chosen mate.
These rare birds nest on floating
islands in the wetlands of the Puszta.
The Hungarian gray cattle are
not typical water dwellers,
but it takes time for the
soil to soak up the water.
Fresh grass is sprouting everywhere,
but it's still thin,
and the cattle quickly graze it up.
They have to cross dozens of channels on
the flooded Puzsta to reach new pastures.
The herdsmen knows this can
be dangerous for the calves.
Cows try to stay with their
young during the crossing,
as the little ones might
be accidentally trampled.
Finally, they make it across.
40 years ago, this ancient breed
of cattle was almost extinct,
with only 160 animals left.
Now, thanks to careful husbandry,
6,000 of them graze in Hungary.
The Tisza River meanders
through the Great Plains.
Its shores are home to the biggest
colony of sand martins in Europe,
with 4,000 nesting birds.
Burrow after burrow for over a kilometer.
The chicks leave the nest at the same
time as a spectacular phenomenon called
the blooming of the Tisza,
the flight of the mayflies.
Mayflies spend three years in the mud,
before coming to the surface
one Summer afternoon to mate.
Soon the females are surrounded by males.
Perfect timing for the sand martins.
The insects are a great start to life.
Others also profit from
the mayflies' mating ritual.
The entire spectacle lasts one hour.
After mating, the mayflies die.
The females have laid their eggs
on the surface of the water,
from where they will sink into
the mud and stay as larvae.
The feast is over.
For the white-tailed eagle too,
a good day comes to an end.
A June morning in the
forests along the Danube.
The eagle chicks
are already quite big.
The adults bring food
only twice a day,
but the female no longer
bothers with feeding.
She leaves.
It's the chicks which will
now decide the hierarchy,
and sibling rivalry is inevitable.
Until recently pictures like
these were the exception.
Now after the death of many white-tailed
eagles due to pesticide use and hunting,
the Hungarian eagles are recovering.
In a few days the chicks
will leave the nest.
It's time to practice.
Hungarian heat.
On the Great Plains, it's like being
baked in an oven, shade is scarce.
The white stork shelters
its young from the sun.
In the lakes and rivers, humans and
wildlife alike enjoy the Summer.
Pygmy cormorants like bathing
just as much as people do.
Despite the heat,
life in the countryside goes on.
In the forests,
the changes are dramatic.
Water levels have dropped drastically,
since the Spring flood,
leaving countless ponds, where
millions of fish are now trapped.
The black stork honks together
with grey herons and egrets.
In such an abundance of food,
rivalries don't matter.
Such a feast doesn't go
unnoticed by the otter.
Otters need to eat
about a kilo of fish a day.
These members of the marten
family can cover large distances.
This one traveled maybe 20
kilometers to find the pond.
As soon as a fish is caught, it's off to
the safety of the dense undergrowth.
Soon the fish have to face their destiny.
But, the very last moment,
salvation arrives.
Clouds bring rain
to the thirsty land.
The water fills the dried river
beds in the Gemenc forest.
It keeps coming and coming...
...with no sign of stopping.
An exodus begins.
The ants hurry to rescue their eggs,
their only hope of a future.
Within hours, the flood
overwhelms the forest.
The game is agitated.
Wild boar and red deer
are good swimmers,
but there is no dry land left.
In Gemenc, the water level can rise
by eight meters in a couple of days.
Safe on higher ground,
the deer calves have to stay
where they are for several days,
plagued by mosquitoes.
One full step and the current
will sweep them away.
Once again the alluvial
forest is underwater.
Many animals perish in the torrents.
Others make the most of it.
Otters rarely seek
each other's company,
but, during the mating season,
they spend several days together.
They're not bothered by the fact
that their chosen place is man-made.
An open floodgate.
The fishermen now has to paddle
some distance to his cottage.
The dykes were built in the 19th century,
but some landowners
refused to pay the high costs.
For this reason the dykes are
occasionally quite away from the river,
allowing the Danube to
roam free in its valley.
The fisherman's come to check if
all is in order at his fishing cottage,
which, like the neighboring houses,
is on stilts.
The two eagle chicks
have left the nest.
After three months together,
the time has come to part.
One of them leaves the alluvial forest.
Who knows where in Hungary
the winds will take it.
Its brother stays.
It spots a family of mallards.
The chicks look like easy pickings.
The eagle's technique
still needs working on.
All the same, the mother duck still has
to keep a watchful eye on her brood.
Next time, the outcome
could be very different.
The foggy breeze is the
first forerunner of Autumn.
The flood goes again
as quickly as it came.
The time has come for
the red deer to rut.
In the reeds a golden jackal is
startled by the bulls' bellowing.
A sandy beach in the Gemenc forest
is the perfect place for combat.
A young bull challenges the lead stag.
The hinds, meanwhile,
begin a rarely-seen ritual.
Dancing red deer,
filmed for the first time.
The fisherman is proud to continue
the traditions of his ancestors.
It's been a good year.
Two floods helped keep
the fish stocks healthy.
The young catfish are seeking
out places in which to shelter,
during the coming Winter.
200 kilometers to the East,
in the middle of the Great Plains,
the corn harvest has begun.
Leftover seeds are picked up by cranes.
The birds haven't nested in
Hungary for a hundred years,
but they still stop here on their way
from Northern Europe to Africa.
For the chicks, there's
always something to play with.
The herdsman shares his lonely territory
with the noisy guests for several weeks.
On an Autumn day, that can be up
to 100,000 cranes on the Puszta.
The cranes stay until the
first snows of Winter.
Every evening they settle
by large artificial lakes.
In Autumn, the big fishing lakes
are emptied of water and fish.
The perfect place for cranes
to spend the night safely.
A young eagle passes by,
possibly the one from
the floodplain forest.
It spotted something.
A dead crane wing might
make an interesting meal,
but then again maybe not.
For birds like this
young white-tailed eagle,
the shallow lakes of the Puzsta
offer a rich supply of food
even in Autumn.
Many young eagles gather on
the Puszta for the Winter.
After leaving the nest, they
usually roam around for five years,
before choosing their own territory.
Dead fish is easy prey.
The problem is getting
a bill clean afterwards.
The artificial lakes show how
well wildlife and human activity
can coexist in Hungary.
Soon Winter returns to
the alluvial forests.
The first sleet shows that the
season is just flexing its muscles.
It looks as though the thin ice has broken
under the weight of a young deer.
A convenient lunch for the old eagles.
One of the chicks may have
flown off to the Puszta,
but the other is still hanging around.
The adult male tries
to chase it away,
but it's the chick that
scares its father off.
Quickly the adult calls for help.
The female makes it clear.
This is their territory and even
their own chick has to leave.
The youngster understands.
It's time to go.
The bond between the old
couple is very strong.
As usual in Winter time, they will
court and strengthen their alliance,
with the aim of raising
chicks again next year
in their nest in the floodplain forest.
For the young otter too,
a good year comes to an end.
It has developed well and
will soon start a family.
There is still much of
its watery empire left.
The prospects are good that
the floodplain forests of Hungary
will be home to otters and eagles
for centuries to come.
Subtitles:
ANDR? MIRANDA