20. Ottenby area
GPS: 56.19765, 16.39946
Ottenby area
The Ottenby area with Ottenby Nature Reserve is Sweden’s foremost bird habitat, in terms of the number of observed species. The area is also the most likely to produce the best distribution of birding on Öland, whatever time of year.
What makes the area so great is the variety of the landscape of scrubs, groves, well grazed meadows, stone reefs and sandbanks, lagoons and wetlands.
The southern head of Öland is the first land to meet the migrating birds that comes from the south over the Baltic Sea in the spring, and the last land they leave before they migrate south in the fall. In addition here in the lighthouse village is of one of Sweden’s largest bird stations, and the lighthouse “Långe Jan” (Tall Jan), a restaurant and a visitor center with a bird museum.
Öland’s southern point is by far outstanding, not least during the migration times, but also walks in and along Ottenby lund (gove) about a kilometer to the north, or at Ottenby demesne and in the shrub lands south of it, tend to be very rewarding.
In two places in the Ottenby grove are observation towers, and in the whole grove is a network of well-marked trails that leads through the parts that are banned areas to enter and also to a platform and a stone hiding out on the meadow, Sweden’s largest contiguous pasture. From these sites, many waders and ducks out of Norrvik can be seen.
Despite the fact that a large parts of the Ottenby Nature Reserve is a bird sanctuary, the well-marked trails, many of them disability friendly, and the numerous parking areas and rest areas, is the whole area easily accessible.
Just in a leisurely pace roll down the lighthouse road in the car or on a bicycle is an experience, with lots of birds just beside the road. Please look at the Sanctuary map to see where and when it is allowed to walk in the different parts of the reserve.
Directions/Location:
Drive south on route 136 on Öland. Just east of Ottenby demesne (kungsgård), turn right towards Öland’s southern cape (södra udde) and drive 4 km. Parking and information is located next to the lighthouse and the visitor centre. There is a restaurant, guided tours, a bird watching tower, the Långe Jan lighthouse and pathways suitable for disabled people.
GPS coordinates to the parking lot WGS 84 decimal (lat, long): 56.19765 , 16.39946
© Lantmäteriverket, Ur Geografiska Sverigedata, översiktskartan Dnr. 106-2004/188”
Slideshow pictures: European Bee-eater © OF, Bluethroat © OF, Geese and birders © TS, White-tailed Eagle © OF, Barn Swallow © OF, Long-tailed Tit © OF
OF: Ottenby Fågelstation, TS: Tommie Skoog
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