06. Petgärde träsk (Swamp)
Petgärde träsk (Swamp)
The classic birding premises Petgärde swamp will represent one of the few remnants of Öland “agmyrar” (saw-sedge boggys) that survived the great reclamation and ditching period in the late 1800s and until the 1940s. The area was originally a shallow lake that was drained rather late. Still, during the spring, there are small open water mirrors and a rich bird life, however, only a remnant of what it once was.
Today dabbling ducks, snipes and geese is nesting here, and during summer Eurasian hobby, White-tailed Eagle and Montagu’s Harrier hunts in the area. Petgärde is today known as the best place on Öland for the nesting Eurasian Penduline Tit, and with a bit of luck, they can be seen or heard along the path towards the observation tower at the nature reserve’s southern part.
A large parking lot is located right on the eastern main road, two kilometers north of the road to Kårehamn. Just north of Petgärde swamp lies the even more overgrown “agmyren” Djurstad träsk (swamp), belonging to the same watersystem, and a classic breeding ground for the Montagu’s Harrier.
Directions/Location:
Petgärde and Djurstad marshes are located on the eastern side of Öland, approximately 17 km NE of Borgholm and about 5 km south of Föra. The nature reserve has a car park and several bird observation towers.
GPS coordinates to the parking lot WGS 84 decimal (lat, long): 56.96851 , 16.84872
© Lantmäteriverket, Ur Geografiska Sverigedata, översiktskartan Dnr. 106-2004/188”
Slideshow pictures: Montagu’s Harrier © LL, Great Snipe © LL, Common Snipe © LL, White-tailed Eagle © LL, Eurasian Hobby © LL
LL: Lars Lundmark
Source: Ölands Fåglar © Ölands Ornitologiska Förening ÖOF (authors this chapter: Pav Johnsson)
Translation: Visitoland.com
The book: Ölands Fåglar, 496 pages (only in Swedish), can be ordered at Naturbokhandeln
ISBN: 9789188124555
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