Kristianstad area

This article is incomplete. This article is missing one or more sections. You can help the BirdForum Opus by expanding it.

Overview

This city, in the east of Skåne in the south of Sweden, is in the valley of the Helgean River and nearby are some of Sweden's best wetland areas, known as the Vattenrike.

To the south of the city is Lake Hammarsjön, part of which is a nature reserve and much of the area is a Ramsar Site. There are observation towers, hides and boardwalks to assist viewing the birds of this large shallow lake.

Many of the hay meadows and grazing marshes are managed to benefit the breeding birds and there are woodlands, sand dunes and scrub in the general area, adding to the diversity of habitats. This range of habitats makes the Kristianstad area one of the best parts of southern Sweden for birders.

Birds

Notable Species

There are extensive reedbeds and the surrounding meadows are good for breeding birds, in particular the Haslovs Angar to the east, which has breeding Black-tailed Godwit and Ruff. Other breeders in the area include Great Bittern, various ducks, Black Tern and Corn Crake is regularly seen in summer. White Stork has been reintroduced to the area.

Raptors are well represented with Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Northern Hobby and Osprey and Montagu's Harrier breeds in very small numbers.

Wetland warblers include small numbers of Savi's Warbler and River Warbler as well as Grasshopper Warbler, Reed Warbler and Marsh Warbler.

The sandy shores south of Ahus have heaths with Tawny Pipit and Wood Lark, and pinewoods where Black Woodpecker and Crested Tit nest.

Common Crane occurs in thousands on spring passage and Bean Goose and Whooper Swan are regular on passage and in winter.

White-tailed Eagle gather at the peninsula to the north of Ahus in winter when 30-40 are sometimes present. Red-footed Falcon and Caspian Tern are often recorded on migration.

Lake Araslovssjön has a similar range of birds and an observation tower on the southern shore near the car park. The area is open at weekends but access may be restricted during the week as this is a military area.

Check-list

Birds you can see here include:

Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Black-necked Grebe, Great Cormorant, Great Bittern, Grey Heron, White Stork, (reintroduced), Mute Swan, Bewick's Swan, Whooper Swan, Taiga Bean Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Barnacle Goose, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye, Smew, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, European Honey Buzzard, Red Kite, White-tailed Eagle, Western Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Rough-legged Buzzard, Golden Eagle, Osprey, Common Kestrel, Red-footed Falcon, Merlin, Northern Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Grey Partridge, Common Quail, Common Pheasant, Water Rail, Spotted Crake, Corn Crake, Common Moorhen, Eurasian Coot, Common Crane, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Pied Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Ringed Plover, Eurasian Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Northern Lapwing, Red Knot, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Great Snipe, Eurasian Woodcock, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Little Tern, Black Tern, Stock Dove, Common Woodpigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, Common Cuckoo, Tawny Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, European Nightjar, Common Swift, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Black Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Lark, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Martin, Barn Swallow, Northern House Martin, Tawny Pipit, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Red-throated Pipit, Grey-headed Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Bohemian Waxwing, Common Wren, Dunnock, Thrush Nightingale, Eurasian Robin, Bluethroat, Common Redstart, Whinchat, Northern Wheatear, Eurasian Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Common Grasshopper Warbler, Eurasian River Warbler, Savi's Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Barred Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroat, Garden Warbler, Blackcap, Wood Warbler, (PM), Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, European Pied Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Crested Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, Common Treecreeper, Penduline Tit, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Great Grey Shrike, Common Jay, Common Magpie, Spotted Nutcracker, Eurasian Jackdaw, Rook, Hooded Crow, Northern Raven, Common Starling, House Sparrow, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Chaffinch, Brambling, European Serin, European Greenfinch, European Goldfinch, Eurasian Siskin, Eurasian Linnet, Twite, Northern Redpoll, Common Crossbill, Common Rosefinch, Common Bullfinch, Hawfinch, Lapland Bunting, Snow Bunting, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting

Other Wildlife

To do

Site Information

History and Use

To do

Areas of Interest

To do

Access and Facilities

Kristianstad is easily reached by the Route 15 road from Malmö. There are several campsites and many cottages to let in the surrounding area and boat and bicycles can be hired.

Contact Details

To do

External Links

Visit Kristianstad

Content and images originally posted by Steve