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Bygholm Vejle seen from Kraptårnet.
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Vejlerne nature reserve is located in Northern Jutland, Denmark, at
about 57°05'N, 9°E. The nature reserve covers an area of about
60 km² - meadows, reed beds, and lakes - and is the
largest bird sanctuary in Northern Europe. Vejlerne is the result of an
unsuccessful drainage project initiated around 1870. Since 1993 the area
has been owned by the Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation.
The main attraction of Vejlerne is probably the Spoonbill (Platalea
leucorodia). Vejlerne has the northernmost breeding colony of
Spoonbills in the world. In 2002, the colony consisted of 7 pairs.
As the sanctuary is established for the benefit of the birds, there is
no access to the area. The birds can be observed from public road and
from the observation towers and hides built around the area.
Trip Report
We made a trip to Vejlerne 30th July 2002. As we only had one day to our
disposal and we also wanted to visit
Bulbjerg
and other places that day, we only visited the eastern part of Vejlerne.
We stopped at:
- Kraptårnet
- Kraptårnet - probably the most famous observation tower
in Vejlerne - is situated on the east side of Bygholm Vejle.
From the 33.4 km pole on Primary Route 11 follow the road towards
"Klim Fjordholme". After 3.8 km there's a parking ground
on your left hand. From the parking ground a trail to the tower.
Best before noon.
Most notable: Great White Egret 1, Grey Heron ~25,
Marsh Harrier ~10, Golden Plover ~200, Lapwing ~1000,
Starling ~1000.
- Vejlernes Visitor Centre
- Vejlernes Visitor Centre is situated close to the 30 km pole on
Primary Route 11 (on the Bygholm Dike). Exhibition and hide.
You can get a leaflet with map in the exhibition (or from a tourist
office in e.g. Fjerritslev).
Ducks and waders, most notable: Temminck's Stint 3, Curlew 4,
Wood Sandpiper 1. The Temminck's Stints and the Wood Sandpiper were
seen at close distance so we were able to study plumage details.
- South-western corner of Bygholm Vejle
- Parking ground at Primary Route 11 at the south-western corner of
Bygholm Vejle.
Most notable: Spoonbill ~20, Black-tailed Godwit ~40, Little Tern 1.
- The Kærup Holme Hide
- The Kærup Holme Hide is located west of Han Vejle at the old
railway dam between Frøstrup and Vust.
Greylag Geese, Water Rail heard, Lapwings, Black Tern ~5, Starlings.
- The Han Vejle Hide
- The Han Vejle Hide is also located at the old railway dam between
Frøstrup and Vust.
Coots, Common Terns, Arctic Terns, Black Terns, Bearded Tit heard.
- Bulbjerg
- Bulbjerg
is located north of Vejlerne.
Common (Black) Scoter ~10, Merlin 1, Kittiwake >200,
Sandwich Tern ~5, Guillemot 1 dead on the beach.
Unfortunately, we didn't see any Fulmars.
Systematic list
English name, Scientific name, Danish name - Notes
- Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, Skarv
- Fairly common
- Great White Egret, Casmerodius albus, Sølvhejre
- 1 Bygholm Vejle, seen from Kraptårnet. A rare species in Denmark
- Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea, Fiskehejre
- Common, ~25 seen from Kraptårnet
- Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia, Skestork
- Bygholm Vejle, ~20 seen at the south-western corner of Bygholm Vejle
- Mute Swan, Cygnus olor, Knopsvane
- Common at Bygholm Vejle
- Greylag Goose, Anser anser, Grågås
- Common
- Shelduck, Tadorna tadorna, Gravand
- Bygholm Vejle, 6 seen from the Visitor Centre
- Teal, Anas crecca, Krikand
- Bygholm Vejle, 4 seen from the Visitor Centre
- Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, Gråand
- Common
- Pochard, Aythya ferina, Taffeland
- Bygholm Vejle, 3 seen from the Visitor Centre
- Common (Black) Scoter, Melanitta nigra, Sortand
- ~10 Bulbjerg
- Marsh Harrier, Circus aeruginosus, Rørhøg
- Common, ~10 seen from Kraptårnet
- Buzzard, Buteo buteo, Musvåge
- 1 west of Bygholm Vejle
- Merlin, Falco columbarius, Dværgfalk
- 1 Bulbjerg
- Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus, Vandrikse
- 1 heard at the Kærup Holme Hide
- Coot, Fulica atra, Blishøne
- Common
- Ringed Plover, Charadrius hiaticula, Stor Præstekrave
- Bygholm Vejle, 5 seen from the Visitor Centre
- Golden Plover, Pluvialis apricaria, Hjejle
- Bygholm Vejle, ~200 seen from Kraptårnet
- Lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, Vibe
- Abundant, ~1000 seen from Kraptårnet
- Temminck's Stint, Calidris temminckii, Temmincksryle
- Bygholm Vejle, 3 seen from the Visitor Centre
- Snipe, Gallinago gallinago, Dobbeltbekkasin
- Bygholm Vejle, 2 seen from Kraptårnet
- Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, Stor Kobbersneppe
- Bygholm Vejle, ~40 seen at the south-western corner of Bygholm Vejle
- Curlew, Numenius arquata, Stor Regnspove
- Bygholm Vejle, 4 seen from the Visitor Centre
- Greenshank, Tringa nebularia, Hvidklire
- Bygholm Vejle, 1 seen from the Visitor Centre
- Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola, Tinksmed
- Bygholm Vejle, 2 seen from Kraptårnet, 1 seen from the Visitor Centre
- gulls, Larus sp., måger
- Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla, Ride
- >200 Bulbjerg
- Sandwich Tern, Sterna sandvicensis, Splitterne
- ~5 Bulbjerg
- Common Tern, Sterna hirundo, Fjordterne
- Seen from the Han Vejle Hide
- Arctic Tern, Sterna paradisaea, Havterne
- Seen from the Han Vejle Hide
- Little Tern, Sterna albifrons, Dværgterne
- Bygholm Vejle, 1 seen at the south-western corner of Bygholm Vejle
- Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, Sortterne
- ~5 seen from the Kærup Holme Hide and from the Han Vejle Hide
- Guillemot, Uria aalge, Lomvie
- 1 'bridled' dead on the beach, Bulbjerg
- (Barn) Swallow, Hirundo rustica, Landsvale
- Common
- Yellow/Blue-headed Wagtail, Motacilla flava, Gul Vipstjert
- Bygholm Vejle
- White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, Hvid Vipstjert
- Common
- Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes, Gærdesmutte
- Heard at Kraptårnet
- Bearded Tit, Panurus biarmicus, Skægmejse
- Heard at the Han Vejle Hide
- Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, Stær
- Abundant, ~1000 seen from Kraptårnet
- Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, Gulspurv
- Common
Links
Text and photo:
Stig Linander,
created: 2002-08-17, last revised: 2009-02-18
Map
