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Small lowland nature reserve along a Rhine tributary, the river Selz, with associated ponds and marshes. Situated among the open Rhenish-Hessian hill country.
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 Варакушка, Соловьиный сверчок and Болотный лунь. Дроздовидная камышевка has become more regular and Усатая синица appears to have recently colonised. Обыкновенный ремез has bred but nowadays has generally reduced to being a scarce migrant. There is a Серая цапля colony and scarcer relatives such as Кваква, Малая белая цапля, Волчок, Рыжая цапля and Большая выпь 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 Черныш, Фифи, Травник Большой улит, Чернозобик, Турухтан and Щёголь but local scarcities such as Большой веретенник, Средний кроншнеп, Краснозобик, Белохвостый песочник and even Плосконосый плавунчик have all been recorded.
Серый журавль , Белый аист and Чёрный аист are regular visitors. The woodlands hold good numbers of Южный соловей and Иволга. Средний пёстрый дятел has recently colonised the area. Домовый сыч and Ушастая сова breed, as does Чеглок, Красный коршун and Чёрный коршун.
Wildfowl numbers build up modestly in Spring and Autumn with Чирок-свистунок 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 Серый гусь, the most regular being Белолобый гусь. Горный конёк is regular on passage and sometimes winter.
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.
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