Nordfriesisches Wattenmeer

Nordfreisisches Wattenmeer Germany

Like the Ostfriesisches Wattenmeer this large area of coast forms part of the German sector of the Wadden Sea, one of Europe's most important natural habitats which is shared with the Netherlands and Denmark. The Nordfriesisches Wattenmeer now also has national park status and covers a similar range of habitats including coastal islands, vast mudflats and sandbanks, saltmarsh, wet coastal meadows and freshwater marshes. The entire area is of huge importance to the waterfowl and waders of Europe during the breeding season, on passage and in winter. In addition to national park status this area is a Biosphere Reserve, Ramsar Site and Important Bird Area.

Breeding species include Oystercatcher, Pied Avocet and Kentish Plover, terns including Gull-billed, Sandwich and Little and Black-headed, Common and Herring Gulls. A wide range of waterfowl and waders can be seen here on passage and in winter with some species occurring in tens or even hundreds of thousands. More than 100,000 Barnacle and Brent Greese are recorded on passage along with similar numbers of Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail and Common Eider. Among the most numerous waders are Red Knot, Dunlin and Bar-tailed Godwit but several other species occur in tens of thousands including Golden Plover, Eurasian Curlew and Common Redshank. The second German record of Audouin's Gull involved a second-winter bird off Sylt in November 2003.

This vast area extends from the island of Sylt in the north to Westerhever in the south and includes many islands. One of the best of these is Norderoog which is a Bird Sanctuary. It is a small, privately-owned island of sand-dunes and saltmarsh with a list of breeding birds including Sandwich, Common and Arctic Terns, Common, Herring and Black-headed Gulls. Common Shelduck, Common Redshank and Ringed Plover also breed and sometimes, Kentish Plover and Common Eider. Visits to Norderoog can only be made accompanied by the warden from the neighbouring island of Hooge where there is an information centre. Much of the national park can be viewed from the coast road to the north of Husum.

Birds

Birds you can see here include:

Great Cormorant, Grey Heron, Barnacle Goose, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Common Shelduck, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Common Eider, Common Scoter, Oystercatcher, Pied Avocet, Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Northern Lapwing, Red Knot, Sanderling, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Turnstone, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Gull-billed Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Little Tern, Short-eared Owl

Content and images originally posted by Steve