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Description
Seemingly unbirded, the Maurenertal's Würm region is a short distance from multiple towns, most notably Holzgerlingen, Altdorf, and Hildrizhausen. You can walk to this hotspot within around 30 - 40 minutes from these town's centers, generally, and of course drive or cycle much faster.
Apart from relatively easy access, the Maurenertal is a nice place to get a day's birding in. While the Würm is little more than a slightly impressive stream here, it still allows for the growth of reeds. In these reeds you can find Lăcar de mlaștină, Lăcar de stuf, and Presură de stuf. Stârc cenușiu use the Würm itself to fish, and you may spot Rață mare in the sky heading to the nearby Maureren See. Also keep your eyes to the sky to catch overhead Gaie roșie, Șorecar comun, Vânturel roșu, Porumbel gulerat, Porumbel de scorbură, and more. In the fields near the reeds you may find Gâscă de vară, and in the trees near the reeds, Presură galbenă hide. Presură galbenă are can also be found on powerlines, listen for their diagnostic call.
While birding the reeds, remember to watch the fields as well. Here you can find Cioară neagră, Stăncuță, large flocks of Graur, and possibly a Gaie roșie that has come in for a landing. This area of the valley is quite the pigeon hotspot. Don't brush off all pigeons flying overhead or foraging in fields as Porumbel gulerat; many rarer Porumbel de scorbură use this area as well, and often associate with the Porumbel gulerat. You may also hear the incessant calling of the Cuc, good luck finding it!
If you continue past the main birding area of the valley, you will find the Maureren See. This pond is home to Rață mare, Gâscă egipteană, Gâscă de vară, Stârc cenușiu, Lișiță, and Corcodel mic, at least. Not all may be present at once. On the walk to the pond you may find forest birds like Ochiuboului, Ciocănitoare pestriță mare, Pițigoi mare, Mierlă, Cinteză, Măcăleandru, and more.
The walk there from the Wasserturm Altdorf route has various forest and park birds like Vrabie de câmp, Porumbel gulerat, Silvie de zăvoi, and more. These aren't included in this hotspot, but are worth mentioning. Additionally, the Panoramaweg, accessible by taking a turn from the Maurener Straße on your walk towards Würm Maurenertal, is home to many Presură galbenă. This may be one of the best places to photograph these birds in the area, though you'll have to be patient. People walk, run, and cycle through here as well, which may disturb the Presură galbenă as you're trying to photograph them. Keep coming back and you'll eventually get your shots! Other birds like Vânturel roșu, Gaie roșie, Vrabie de câmp, and Porumbel gulerat can also be observed here. Panoramaweg has its own new hotspot on eBird, please report any sightings you make there to help grow the data (linked below).
Details
Access
As stated above, you can - with relative ease, as long as you're good with longer walks - get to the Würm region of Maurenertal from Holzgerlingen, Altdorf, and Hildrizhausen on foot. From Ehningen, Gärtringen, and Rohrau, it's probably a better idea to skip the walk and just drive.
Probably the closest parking is the Parkplatz Am Wasserturm, a very small parking lot from which you can quite easily walk to the area. Press P on the map for directions to the parking.
You can definitely bike to the hotspot, though you'll then have to find a place to keep your bike. Unfortunately, there were no designated bike storage areas within the general vicinity of the hotspot. In the end you'll have to walk to bird, so the best way to explore is probably to either park and walk to the location, or walk from one of the nearby towns.
Allow a good amount of time for transit and birding. The place is relatively small and can be explored with minimal walking once you arrive (especially if you skip out on the Maureren See, though it's quite close anyways), but the longer you stay the more interesting birds may show up.
Terrain and Habitat
Scattered trees and bushes , Forest , Plain , Grassland , Pond , Reedbeds , River , Agriculture , Park , ValleyConditions
Flat , Hilly , Open landscape , No shadowCircular trail
NoIs a telescope useful?
NoGood birding season
All year roundBest time to visit
SpringRoute
Paved roadDifficulty walking trail
Average walkAccessible by
Foot , BicycleBirdwatching hide / platform
NoExtra info
Remember that there are other people here too, as the main route is a popular cycling, walking, and jogging path.
The grass is sometimes overgrown around the reeds, but eventually gets cut. When it is overgrown, access to the area directly around the reeds may be prevented. Fencing may also occasionally be placed around the area, and cattle are sometimes present.
Don't trample any crops please, and try not to disturb the wildlife too much.
There are also foxes and hares here. There are many insects too, and although they don't always respect your boundaries, I didn't come across any biting ones. Don't kill them, then, just swat at them and move on!
The Maureren See is also known for having Stone Crayfish, now threatened in many areas due to the introduction of invasive crayfish species.