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Description
The small river Selz has been renaturalised at this reserve. 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 Blåstrupe, Sumpsanger and Sivhauk. Trostesanger has become more regular and Skjeggmeis appears to have recently colonised. Pungmeis has bred but nowadays has generally reduced to being a scarce migrant. There is a Gråhegre colony and scarcer relatives such as Natthegre, Silkehegre, Dvergrørdrum, Purpurhegre and Rørdrum 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 Skogsnipe, Grønnstilk, Rødstilk Gluttsnipe, Myrsnipe, Brushane and Sotsnipe but local scarcities such as Svarthalespove, Småspove, Tundrasnipe, Temmincksnipe and even Polarsvømmesnipe have all been recorded.
Trane , Stork and Svartstork are regular visitors. The woodlands hold good numbers of Sørnattergal and Pirol. Mellomspett has recently colonised the area. Kirkeugle and Hornugle breed, as does Lerkefalk, Glente and Svartglente.
Wildfowl numbers build up modestly in Spring and Autumn with Krikkand 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 Grågås, the most regular being Tundragås. Vannpiplerke 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 the southern edge is possible, but other stretches are higher grass or muddy depending on conditions.