Getterön Nature Reserve

Getteron Nature Reserve

North of Varberg on the Kattegat coast of south-east Sweden is the Getteron Nature Reserve, consisting mainly of Farehammarsviken Bay, an almost enclosed inlet formed by embankments linking a former island to the mainland. Today the area is important for passage and wintering geese, ducks and waders and it is now designated a Ramsar Site. Shallow and brackish, the bay is surrounded by low-lying grazing meadows providing ideal breeding habitat for many species. The reserve underwent an extensive habitat-restoration programme in the 1990s and the improved visitor facilities make Getteron one of the best places to see birds in Sweden. In addition to being a National Reserve, this area is also a Ramsar Site.

Breeding ducks include Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Garganey, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler and Common Eider and waders such as Pied Avocet, Little Ringed Plover and Northern Lapwing, Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit and Common Redshank also nest. Great Snipe can be seen at a lekking site here and Broad-billed Sandpiper occur regularly on passage. Also breeding within the reserve are Black-headed Gull, Common and Little Terns and the reedbeds have Water Rail, Reed Warbler, Bearded Tit and Penduline Tit. Rarer warblers such as River and Blyth's Reed can sometimes be found in this area.

Thrush Nightingale, Black Redstart and Wryneck all breed nearby and woodlands just inland have owls including Eurasian Eagle, Eurasian Pygmy and Tengmalm's, as well as Black Woodpecker. Farmland in this area is home to Corn Crake and Common Quail with European Nightjar and Wood Lark along woodland edges.

Divers, including regular Yellow-billed, ducks and geese, especially Canada and Brent, winter in large numbers as well as many duck species. Small numbers of White-tailed Eagle and Peregrine Falcon occur in winter and on passage along with harriers and Osprey. In autumn this is one of the best seawatching localities in Sweden with petrels and shearwaters, divers, grebes and seaducks, gulls, skuas and auks in good numbers, in particular after westerly winds.

The area also has a good reputation for producing rarities in autumn and in total more than 320 species have been recorded. Vagrants from North America have included Bonaparte's and Ring-billed Gulls, Forster's Tern, Lesser Scaup, American Golden Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs and Long-billed Dowitcher. Eastern rarities such as Sociable and White-tailed Plovers, Collared and Black-winged Pratincoles, Red-necked Stint and Pacific Swift have been recorded. In fact, almost anything can turn up here from with Ross's Gull, Brunnich's Guillemot and Snowy Owl wandering down from the north and Mediterranean Shearwater and even a frigatebird from the south.

Access to some areas is restricted during the breeding season but most of the reserve is easily viewable. Varberg forms a good base where accommodation can be found in the form of hotels, hostels and campsites. The reserve lies to the north of the town west of the E6, following signs to Grena. There is a modern and well-equipped visitor centre, open daily from spring to autumn and at weekends in winter with shop and cafeteria. The reserve has excellent hides and observation points.

Birds

Birds you can see here include:

Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Yellow-billed Diver, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Northern Fulmar, European Storm Petrel, Leach's Storm Petrel, Sooty Shearwater, Manx Shearwater, Northern Gannet, Great Bittern, Grey Heron, Bewick's Swan, Whooper Swan, Tundra Bean Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, White-fronted Goose, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Common Eider, King Eider, Smew, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Western Honey-Buzzard, White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, (PM), Osprey, Common Kestrel, Northern Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Common Quail, Water Rail, Corncrake, Spotted Crake, Common Crane, Pied Avocet, Little Ringed Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Northern Lapwing, Red Knot, Sanderling, Little Stint, Temminck's Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Purple Sandpiper, Dunlin, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Ruff, Common Snipe, Great Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Pomarine Skua, Arctic Skua, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Little Tern, Black Tern, Common Guillemot, Razorbill, Little Auk, Eurasian Eagle Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Short-eared Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, European Nightjar, Common Kingfisher, Wryneck, Black Woodpecker, Wood Lark, Blue-headed Wagtail, Thrush Nightingale, Bluethroat, Black Redstart, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Bearded Tit, River Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Reed Warbler, Penduline Tit, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting

Content and images originally posted by Steve