Norsholm Area

The Norsholm area is quite vast and contains many minor sites shortly described here. The areas mentioned are marked with a star on the map. Press on a star and you can see the name of the area.

Grensholmsbron: Winter site with open waters even during harsh winters. Thousands of Μαυροκέφαλη Πάπια (at most 2000), hundreds of Νανοπρίστης (only numerous during november and december), (Ευρωπαϊκή) Βουκεφάλα (at most 700), Πρασινοκέφαλη Πάπια (at most 600), and Χηνοπρίστης (at most 600). Among more rarer wintering birds it is most known for wintering Χρυσαετός, and (Ευρωπαϊκή) Αλκυόνη. Other not yearly winter visitors are Two-barred Crossbill, Pine Grosbeak during invasions, and (Κοκκινόλαιμο) Νανοβουτηχτάρι, Καπακλής, Twite, Ψαλίδα (του Βορά), Θαλασσοπρίστης, and Arctic Redpoll during birdrich winters.

Norsholms coastal meadows: Reed free coastal meadows which are rich in waders during late spring and autumn. Although only if the water level is right (only during high water). Few arctic waders are found but Δασότρυγγας, Ποταμοσφυριχτής, Μαυρότρυγγας, Μαχητής, Κοκκινοσκέλης, (Κοινό) Μπεκατσίνι, (Ευρασιατική) Μπεκάτσα, Λασπότρυγγας and Πρασινοσκέλης. Κοκκινοσκέλης, (Ευρωπαϊκή) Καλημάνα, and (Κοινό) Μπεκατσίνι breed. Αργυροτσικνιάς, (Ευρωπαϊκή) Αλκυόνη, and Θαλασσοπρίστης are common.

Åby strandängar: Reed coated coastal meadows which are flooded during spring floods. They are then usually filled with early waders and ducks. (Ευρασιατικός) Ήταυρος can be heard singing. All common dabbling ducks are usually found except (Ευρωπαϊκή) Σαρσέλα. (Ευρωπαϊκό) Σφυριχτάρι, Πρασινοκέφαλη Πάπια, and Καπακλής. On these coastal meadows Αργυροτσικνιάς is often found.

Braskens grav: is an oxbow lake of the river Motala ström which often floods making it perfect for waders and ducks. (Ευρωπαϊκό) Κιρκίρι is numerous, Μαυρότρυγγας, and other common tringa-waders are often found along with Κουφομπεκάτσινο. Αργυροτσικνιάς is often found here. Αρκοπετείναρο, and (Κοινή) Φαλαρίδα breed.

Åby gård: complex of 3 ponds, the large, the small and fiskaretorpet. It is these ponds and the field around them which Norsholm is most known for. It has a bird observation tower. During spring it holds large amounts of ducks and swans with (Βουβός) Κύκνος, Αγριόκυκνος, Πρασινοκέφαλη Πάπια, (Ευρωπαϊκό) Σφυριχτάρι, Καπακλής, (Ευρωπαϊκό) Κιρκίρι, (Ευρασιατική) Χουλιαρόπαπια, Μαυροκέφαλη Πάπια, Νανοπρίστης, and Χηνοπρίστης being common and (Ευρωπαϊκή) Σαρσέλα and Ψαλίδα (του Βορά), being rarer. Other common wetland birds are (Κοινή) Φαλαρίδα, (Ευρωπαϊκός) Γερανός, Σταχτοτσικνιάς. (Ευρωπαϊκός) Κορμοράνος often roost here. Rarer birds roosting are (Κοκκινόλαιμο) Νανοβουτηχτάρι, Αρκοπετείναρο, (Ευρασιατικός) Ήταυρος (nearby reed areas), and Αργυροτσικνιάς. There are small islands in the pond which hold a small tern and gull colony. Theese islands also hold small amounts of waders often; (Ευρασιατική) Τουρλίδα, Κοκκινοσκέλης, (Ευρωπαϊκή) Καλημάνα, Μαχητής and Λασπότρυγγας. During early spring the area is great for roosting geese and swans with hundreds of Ασπρομέτωπη Χήνα, Σταχτόχηνα, Χωραφόχηνα, Canada Goose, and Barnacle Goose during good years. often along with smaller amounts of Νανόκυκνος (rare), Tundra Bean Goose, Pink-footed Goose, and Δαχτυλιδόχηνα (rare).

Around these ponds Νανόμπουφος, (Κοκκινόλαιμο) Νανοβουτηχτάρι, Αρκοπετείναρο, Αγριόκυκνος, Σκουφοβουτηχτάρι, Canada Goose, Σταχτόχηνα, (Ευρωπαϊκό) Κιρκίρι, (Ευρωπαϊκός) Γερανός, (Ευρωπαϊκή) Καλημάνα, (Κοινό) Μπεκατσίνι, (Κοινή) Φαλαρίδα, Καστανοκέφαλος Γλάρος, Γιγαντόγλαρος, (Βουβός) Κύκνος, Ποταμογλάρονο, (Κοινός) Φασιανός, Μαυροκέφαλη Πάπια, Πρασινοκέφαλη Πάπια, (Ευρωπαϊκή) Βουκεφάλα, and southern Κιτρινοσουσουράδα breed along with more common birds.

During autumn large amounts of ducks can rest (but less than during spring). The small islands grow during dry summers and can some years hold arctic waders like Λασποσκαλίδρα, Δρεπανοσκαλίδρα, and Σταχτιά Νανοσκαλίδρα. Γαλαζολαίμης, and Lapland Bunting can sometimes be found on the surrounding fields.

The areas are located north, west and southwest of the town of Norsholm. There are many parking spaces available. Press a P on the map for directions to a parking.