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Description
The Kanderdelta is an artificial delta created in the 18th century. Before its construction, the Kander River bypassed Lake Thun entirely. The river deposits substantial amounts of gravel into the delta and the lake, necessitating regular gravel extraction. At the same time, these gravel banks have become one of the few remaining breeding sites for the мал пескар in Switzerland.
The delta features a dynamic mix of floodplain forests, still and flowing waters, gravel banks, and steep riverbanks, forming a unique and valuable natural habitat - a rarity in Switzerland. This exceptional ecosystem lies close to the city of Thun, resulting in conflicts between recreational use and conservation efforts. While the lakeshore is accessible year-round, there are even dedicated barbequing areas at the outer edge of the delta. A ranger frequently patrols the area, offering useful information to visitors.
Although the мал пескар is the region's flagship species, over 200 bird species have been recorded here. The steep banks provide nesting sites for рибарче and воден ќос. In the floodplain forests, breeding birds like мал клукајдрвец, кукавица, and possibly сокол ластовичар, which can be observed from April to September, find their habitats. саријазма and славејче are relatively common, possibly you might see a ноќна чапја or мала бела чапја. жолта чапја has also been observed.
Waders and waterbirds use the delta as a stopover during spring and autumn migrations. The зеленонога тринга is among the most frequent visitors. Other common sightings during migration seasons include шумска тринга, шарена тринга, среден пескар, and мал свиркач. Less common species like камењарче and белоопашест свиркач make appearances. During these times, the reeds are utilized by сипка торбарка and блатна еја.
In spring, the delta additionally hosts црвенонога тринга and бојник, as well as шарен српоклун свиркач and медитерански галеб. Inland, лисесто циганче finds refuge in the floodplain forest. Later in spring and into summer, the шумски свиркач appears here, and over the lake, migrating црна рибарка can be spotted. Exceptional sightings include its relatives, the белокрила рибарка, белобрада рибарка, мала чигра, дебелоклуна рибарка, and тенкоклуна чигра.
In late summer, the rare бел свиркач is occasionally reported, while from September through May, гусковидна патка can be seen resting on the lake. Autumn brings irregular sightings of сиво блатарче, followed later by the more frequent обичен свиркач. From winter to spring, патка лажичарка and патка свиркач rest on the lake, but rarer birds are also possible, as one sighting of долгоопашеста патка proves.
The Kanderdelta is also a hotspot for rare waders. Eight confirmed sightings of остригар have been recorded in April and June. Other notable species include Red Knot, сабјарка, морски пескар, and Чурулин. Additional rarities such as полска трепетилка, голем морски нуркач, жолто гушанче, златно блатарче, мала чучулига, Red-necked Phalarope, ушест нуркач, Пештерска (Црвенкаста) ластовица, арктички поморник, Great Skua, Sabine's Gull, and мала бекасина have also been observed.
Details
Access
The Kanderdelta is easily accessible by bus from Thun (stop: Einigen, Kanderbrück). A parking lot is also available a few hundred meters away (Press P on the map). The area can only be explored on foot via a narrow path. This trail is not marked on maps and leads along the strictly protected Kander (1), where the мал пескар nests on the gravel banks, through floodplain forests, and past a still water body created by gravel extraction (Unteres Kandergrien), which is often visited by herons (2), to the delta (3).
Depending on the water level, the 30 to 40-meter-wide shoreline strip of the delta can be walked on. However, it’s obviously preferable not to disturb or approach any wading birds that might be present. On the other side of the Kandergrien, there is a meadow for lounging (4) with a good view of the lake, and a kiosk operates there during the warmer months.