Store Mosse National Park

Overview

Store Mosse, formerly a nature reserve but now given national park status and designated a Ramsar Site, is a large area of peat bog in southern Sweden in the centre of Smaland. The landscape of marshes and lakes with scattered clumps of pine and dwarf shrubs is more typical of further north in Sweden and this is reflected in the mix of northern and more southerly Scandinavian birds present here. In addition there is a good selection of woodland birds to be seen and there is pasture land with scattered trees at Sodra Svano. More than 220 bird species have been recorded here.

Birds

Red-throated Diver and Black-throated Diver breed along with Red-necked Grebe, Whooper Swan and various ducks and rails. This is also one of the easiest sites to see breeding Common Crane in Sweden. Waders such as Whimbrel, Dunlin, Jack Snipe, Ruff and Wood Sandpiper nest here and geese occur on passage. The wooded areas also have exciting but elusive birds such as Hazel Grouse and Black Grouse and Western Capercaillie, Tengmalm's Owl and Eurasian Pygmy Owl and Black Woodpecker and Three-toed Woodpecker. Osprey and Marsh Harrier breed in the area and regularly hunts at the lake and Golden Eagle and White-tailed Eagle visit in winter.

Checklist

Birds you can see here include:

Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Whooper Swan, Taiga Bean Goose, Greylag Goose, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck, Common Goldeneye, Smew, Goosander, White-tailed Eagle, Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle, Osprey, Merlin, Northern Hobby, Hazel Grouse, Black Grouse, Western Capercaillie, Water Rail, Spotted Crake, Common Crane, Northern Lapwing, Golden Plover, Dunlin, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Common Snipe, Whimbrel, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Little Gull, Eurasian Pygmy Owl, Short-eared Owl, Tengmalm's Owl, Wryneck, Black Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Eurasian Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Common Redstart, Spotted Flycatcher, Pied Flycatcher, Crested Tit, Spotted Nutcracker, Reed Bunting

Access and Facilities

One of the best areas is the oligotrophic Lake Kavsjon which has observation towers, the park has well-marked trails and hides and access is unrestricted. There is an observation tower with disabled access. Varnamo, south of Jonkoping, is the nearest large town and the road between Varnamo and Hillerstorp passes through the park. Lake Kavsjon lies to the east of this road.

Content and images originally posted by Steve