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Hahnheimer Bruch

Rhineland-Pfalz  >  Germany

Small lowland nature reserve along a Rhine tributary, the river Selz, with associated ponds and marshes. Situated among the open Rhenish-Hessian hill country.

Added* by Phil_B
Most recent update 19 јуни 2025

Description

The small river Selz has been renaturalised at this reserve and European Beavers have recolonised as well. Along with an area of flooded marshes, reedbeds, ponds, grassland and scattered riverine woodland, some regionally scarce breeders are present and over the years a wide variety of passage and winter birds have been recorded. Over 200 species are now on the reserve list. A concerted effort in Spring on a good day can produce 70 species at the reserve and along the river.

The main attraction for most will be spring and summer reedbed visitors, such as Синогушка, штурче трскарче and блатна еја. обичен трскар has become more regular. мустаклеста сипка appears on passage and in some years has stayed to breed. сипка торбарка has bred but nowadays is generally a scarce migrant. There is a сива чапја colony and scarcer relatives such as ноќна чапја, мала бела чапја, Мал воден бик, црвена чапја and голем воден бик have all been recorded in recent years, some regularly.

Passage waders can be found on the pools or flooded grasslands, but this is heavily dependent on weather and water level conditions. More regular are шарена тринга, шумска тринга, речна тринга and зеленонога тринга. црвенонога тринга, обичен свиркач, мал пескар, среден пескар, бојник and црна тринга are no longer regular but also possible. Local scarcities such as црноопашна блатарка, сабјарка, шарен српоклун свиркач, белокрстен свиркач, белоопашест свиркач and even Red Phalarope have all been recorded here and along the river. златно блатарче and жолтоного блатарче have been recorded migrating overhead on occasion.

сив жерав, црн штрк and штрк are regular visitors, and the latter has started to breed. The woodlands hold good numbers of славејче and саријазма. среден клукајдрвец has recently colonised the area. In adjacent meadows and scrub обично страче, планинско ливадарче, Жолта тресиопашка and голема стрнарка can be found on passage and breeding. кукумјавка and ушест був breed, as does сокол ластовичар, црвена луња and црна луња.

Wildfowl numbers, mostly dabbing ducks, build up modestly in Spring and Autumn with патка берија, Дива патка, and сива патка being the most easily encountered. Visibility can be a challenge with reeds obscuring the pools, so try using a scope from higher ground. In most winters, singles or low numbers of wild geese are recorded among the resident groups of дива гуска, the most regular being белочелна гуска, followed by Tundra Bean Goose. A жолтоклун лебед was a recent and unusual overwinterer. карпеста трепетилка is regular on passage and sometimes winter.

Details

Access

Limited free parking is available at a couple of small paved areas next to the L432 between Hahnheim and Sörgenloch. This road is also on a bus-route (652) with the nearest bus-stop at Wahlheimer Hof to the east of the reserve, or alternatively at Sörgenloch to the west. A path, paved only on most of the southern side, circumvents the pools, grassland, and reedbeds. Cycling this part of the southern edge is possible, but other stretches are often high grass (beware of ticks) and can be muddy depending on conditions. An official paved cycling route veers west of the reserve when at the south-western corner but returns to the Selz shortly afterwards. Beaver activity and excessive rain sometimes causes extensive localised flooding.

Terrain and Habitat

Wetland , Mud flats , Agriculture , Scattered trees and bushes , Grassland , River , Reedbeds , Pond

Conditions

Hilly , Flat , Open landscape , Wet , High water possible

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

Spring , Autumn , Summer

Best time to visit

Summer , Spring migration , Spring , Autumn , Autumn migration

Route

Paved road , Wide path

Difficulty walking trail

Average walk

Accessible by

Foot

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

Links

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