Lake Fehér of Kardoskút is situated between municipalities of Hódmezővásárhely and Orosháza, around 50 km from Szeged. The sodic lake was formed from the riverbed of ancient Maros, covers almost 80 hectares and is surrounded by an alkaline grassland more than 8000 hectares. Naturalness of the ancient grassland is secured by grazing with sheep and cattles.
Lake Fehér of Kardoskút is one of the biggest, most natural sodic lakes that preserved in South Alföld. While Lake Fehér of Szeged has one of the sodic lakes characteristics in the name only, on its name-fellow in Kardoskút the salt flats can be observed even nowadays on the dry lakebed („fehér” means „white” in Hungarian). In fact, when the lake dries up partly or completely by reason of dry summer weather, the formerly dissolved sodium-salts form a white layer on the soil surface.
In springs after rainy winters the grasslands around the sodic lake are diversified with greater water bodies which secure good quality habitats together with Lake Fehér for waterbirds breeding in the country. The most magnificent natural phenomenon in the area is bird migration, since the shallow lake and the surrounding grasslands offer resting or feeding habitat for many migratory species.
One of the attractions at Fehér-tó of Kardoskút is the spring migration of whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus). Unfortunately this shore bird breeding on the northern tundra can be observed in less and less number, hundreds of them still use Lake Fehér as roosting site on the way back to their breeding sites however. Another great gathering appears in autumn, when thousands of northern lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) come together as water level decreases in the lakebed by the end of summer. Not only the individuals of European golden plovers (Pluvialis apricaria) can show up in the crowd while using the country as migration corridor but also a critically endangered species of Middle-Asia and Southwestern Siberia can be observed almost every year, namely the sociable lapwing (Vanellus gregarius).
Because no comparable water body can be found nearby, cranes (Grus grus) also visit the lake in huge numbers in the migration period, making Lake Fehér of Kardoskút the second after its name-fellow in Szeged on the list of the greatest roosting places in the region. The lake is popular among greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) in the autumn and winter period, too, in their groups of thousand birds the individuals of strictly protected red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis) and lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus) can be spotted regularly here.
WARNING! Lake Fehér is a strictly protected area, entry allowed only with permission and guidance.