) to insert bird names in your own language. The birdnames will automatically be translated for other users!
Upload images
Allowed image types are jpeg,png,gif
Max file size is 20MB
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 Gușă vânătă, Grelușel de stuf and Erete de stuf. Lăcar mare has become more regular. Pițigoi de stuf appears on passage and in some years has stayed to breed. Boicuș has bred but nowadays is generally a scarce migrant. There is a Stârc cenușiu colony and scarcer relatives such as Stârc de noapte, Egretă mică, Stârc pitic, Stârc roșu and Buhai de baltă 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 Fluierar de zăvoi, Fluierar de mlaștină, Fluierar de munte and Fluierar cu picioare verzi. Fluierar cu picioare roșii, Fugaci de țărm, Prundăraș gulerat mic, Prundăraș gulerat mare, Bătăuș and Fluierar negru are no longer regular but also possible. Local scarcities such as Sitar de mal, Ciocîntors, Culic mic, Fugaci roșcat, Fugaci pitic and even Notatiță cu cioc lat have all been recorded here and along the river. Ploier auriu and Prundăraș de munte have been recorded migrating overhead on occasion.
Cocor, Barză neagră and Barză albă are regular visitors, and the latter has started to breed. The woodlands hold good numbers of Privighetoare roșcată and Grangur. Ciocănitoare de stejar has recently colonised the area. In adjacent meadows and scrub Sfrâncioc roșiatic, Mărăcinar negru, Codobatură galbenă and Presură sură can be found on passage and breeding. Cucuvea and Ciuf de pădure breed, as does Șoimul rândunelelor, Gaie roșie and Gaie neagră.
Wildfowl numbers, mostly dabbing ducks, build up modestly in Spring and Autumn with Rață mică, Rață mare, and Rață pestriță 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 Gâscă de vară, the most regular being Gârliță mare, followed by Tundra Bean Goose. A Lebădă de iarnă was a recent and unusual overwinterer. Fâsă de munte 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.