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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 Mavigerdan, Bataklık Kamışçını and Saz delicesi. Büyük kamışçın has become more regular. Bıyıklı baştankara appears on passage and in some years has stayed to breed. Çulhakuşu has bred but nowadays is generally a scarce migrant. There is a Gri balýkçýl colony and scarcer relatives such as Gece Balikçili, Küçük ak balýkçýl, Küçük balaban, Erguvani balýkçýl and Balaban 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 Yeşil düdükçün, Orman düdükçünü, Dere düdükçünü and Yeşilbacak. Kızılbacak, Karakarınlı kumkuşu, Küçük halkalı cılıbıt, Halkalı cılıbıt, Döşüşkenkuş and Kara kızılbacak are no longer regular but also possible. Local scarcities such as Çamurçulluğu, Kılıçgaga, Sürmeli kervançulluğu, Kızıl kumkuşu, Sarıbacaklı kumkuşu and even Kızıl denizdüdükçünü have all been recorded here and along the river. Altın yağmurcun and Dag cılıbıtı have been recorded migrating overhead on occasion.
Turna, Kara leylek and Leylek are regular visitors, and the latter has started to breed. The woodlands hold good numbers of Bülbül and Sarıasma. Ortanca Ağaçkakan has recently colonised the area. In adjacent meadows and scrub Kızılsırtlı örümcekkuşu, Taşkuşu, Sarý kuyruksallayan and Tarla kirazkuşu can be found on passage and breeding. Kukumav and Kulaklı orman baykuşu breed, as does Delice doğan, Kızıl Çaylak and Kara çaylak.
Wildfowl numbers, mostly dabbing ducks, build up modestly in Spring and Autumn with Çamurcun, Yeşilbaş, and Boz ördek 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 Boz kaz, the most regular being Sakarca, followed by Tundra kazi. A Ötücü kuğu was a recent and unusual overwinterer. Dağ incirkuşu 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.