The biodiversity of the park

Miskolctapolca Park and the boating lake

The Greek Catholic Bishopric of Munkács already established a park in the area in 1868, in connection with the development of the spa, but it was more of a park forest created from the native tree species growing there. The town of Miskolc bought the area in 1907, together with the rich natural springs that sprang up there, and after the waterworks and water network were completed in the 1910s, the park was landscaped in the 1920s, with the former chief gardener Fülöp Barabits playing a major role.

A highlight is the boating lake, which may have been created in parallel with the development of the spa. The original vegetation of the protected area was alder swamp and streamside alder woodland, supplemented by marsh and wetland meadows. The ornamental park, which is basically artificial, has preserved part of the original vegetation, mainly the tree elements: alders (Alnus glutinosa), fragile willows (Salix fragilis), white poplars (Populus alba). The mature poplars, pedunculate oaks and tall ash trees are the main features that give the park its atmosphere. These are accompanied by exotic species of trees and shrubs, which increase the beauty and uniqueness of the area. Decorative alien species such as the evergreen Japanese pine (Cryptomeriajaponica) and deciduous marsh cypress (Taxodiumdistichum) were added to the park, as well as spectacular ornamental tree species such as the blood beech (Fagussylvatica 'Atropunicea') or the line of sycamore trees (Plartanus x hybrida) in Garas Samuel Street. Other remarkable species are the marsh cypress, Gingkos and silver fir.

The birdlife of the park

The park is bustling with life almost all year round. Often in public parks like this you can see more bird species than in a forest area. This is no coincidence, as the old, sometimes hollow trees, the shrubs, both large and small, and the planted annual and perennial flowerbeds provide excellent habitat for them to search for food.

During springtime, the much-loved Blackbird (Turdus merula), among others, tries to outdo the Song Thrush (Turdus phylomelos) with its territory-marking song, which has the most varied and complex rhymes in the bird world. Both build their cup-shaped nests in bushes and branches. The nestlings of both species can be mistaken for orphans as they hop around on the ground and chirp to their parents, even though they only left the nest too early because of lack of space.

The largest pigeon species in Europe, the Ornate Pigeon (Columba palumbo), did not do well in nest building, nor did the Balkan Pigeon (Streptopelia decaocto), which was unknown in Hungary in the 1800s. Both species have undergone a strong urbanisation, the former used to nest in more open forests and agricultural areas, but are now found in most large cities. Their nests are loosely structured constructions of few twigs, mostly built on deciduous trees.

There are various birdhouses in many places in the park. This is to ensure the successful breeding of birds nesting in the trees in the forest environment. For safety reasons, the presence of decayed and prone to falling trees is not allowed in a public park. Fortunately, most bird species are willing to occupy these artificial dwellings. The common winter visitors to the bird tables, the coal tit (Parus major) and the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), often raise 10-12 nestlings in them. So does the scaup (Sitta europeae), named for its 'sliding' movement up and down the trunk of the tree. All three bird species feed on insects, seeds and berries, but they can never relax their alertness, as they can be attacked at any time by the hawk (Accipiter nisus), their natural enemy.

On May nights, we can hear the distant singing of the male nightingale (Luscinia megarynchos), from bushes and shrubs. The larynx of this bird, which often sings until dawn, can produce up to 4 notes at the same time, so it is justly called the king of birdsongs.

As the sun comes up, the joiners of the bird world begin to work. The great woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) rarely occupies the pre-placed birdhouses, as it likes to carve its own out of living trees, usually at a height of 2 m. Its 3-5 nestlings are fed by both parents with insects, worms and sometimes seeds, and leave their nests when they are 20 days old.

Similarly to the great woodpecker, the green woodpecker (Picus viridis) makes its own nest hole. It is particularly fond of groves and parks, and is often seen hopping around on the ground looking for ants.

In summertime, you can also see mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), mute swans (Cygnus olor) and the shy moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) at the boating lake.

Wildlife in the Boating Lake

The Miskolctapolca boating lake with its diverse wildlife is the only lake in a public park in Miskolc. It can be considered a semi-natural ecosystem, but it is also home to a number of species known in Hungary, from arthropods to mammals.

Unlike the biting mosquito species, the chironomids (Chironomidae) suck only plant sap during their imago phase of their adult life, but more importantly they can be found in almost all living waters, providing important food for a wide variety of species. The common water-beetle (Hydrophilus piceus) remains entirely water-based, unlike the adult chironomids. One of the largest beetle species in Europe, it can grow up to 4-5 cm in size.

As in all standing and flowing water, the medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis), a member of the annelid family, is found here. Its beneficial blood-purifying properties, used in traditional medicine, can only be enjoyed when sterile, cultured specimens are used.

The lake is also rich in amphibians. The large lake frog (Pelophylax ridibundus) is the largest water-bound native frog species, reaching up to 15 cm in length without legs. The small frog (Pelophylax lessonae), which is smaller than the large lake frog, also occurs in similar habitats. A hybrid species, the bullfrog (Pelophylax esculentus), has evolved from the natural mixing of the two species. As the 3 species mostly live in the same habitat, it is often difficult to distinguish them. In the lake, we can also find a well-known and widespread Eurasian species of snake, the water snake (Natrix natrix), which, contrary to its name, is not closely connected to water. Water snakes kill their prey by squeezing them, so they do not have venomous teeth. They are particularly fond of small fish and frogs.

It is important to note that all amphibian and reptile species are protected in Hungary! Ever-shrinking wet habitats make it particularly difficult for amphibians to reproduce, so their protection is essential for the conservation of these species.

The most common bird on the lake is the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), which can also be considered the ancestor of the domestic duck. It is the earliest of our domestic duck species to start mating and often begins to breed in March. The ornamental drake and the egg-laying female have a distinct sexual dimorphism. Much larger than the mallard, the mute swan (Cygnus olor) is Europe's largest flying bird, weighing up to 15 kg. It builds its large nest at the edge of the reeds of shallow lakes, where it lays 6-8 dirt-white eggs, which the female will brood on for 36 days. More recently, the mandarin duck (Aix galericulata) has been found in the boating lake. This species, originally native to China and East Asia, has spread worldwide through artificial introductions in parks and around ornamental lakes.

Among mammals, the European squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) can often be seen hopping from branch to branch in search of seeds and insects. Like the squirrel, the large pele (Glis glis) also go into hibernation in winter, but before they do so both species stock their nest holes with food in addition to their reserves of body fat. On summer evenings, the common horseshoe bat (Eptesicus serotinus) can consume up to 2,000 flying insects in a single night, identifying their position by the ultrasound it emits and reflects from its food.