Birds all year round

A number of small islands have also been established in the lakes by Sneum Sluse. Thousands
of black-headed gulls breed here, and their calls fill the air throughout the summer months. The gulls also provide protection for many other species of bird. All the watching eyes are a good early warning system for spotting birds of prey such as marsh harriers and peregrine falcons, which often drop by … When under attack, all the gulls take to the air at once, stressing the birds of prey and forcing them to withdraw. The eared grebe, which can be seen on the lake every spring, is completely dependent on the presence of the gulls. So the gulls have an important role to play in the birdlife of the lake.

The birds at Sneum Sluse
In the spring and autumn months, you can see a great many wading birds, which use the old clay pit as a resting place at high tide. As the tide rises, herons, lapwings, sandpipers, curlews and black-tailed godwits come flying in waves over the dike and onto the lake.

Apparently some species actually migrate along the route of Sneum Å river and “end up” by the lock and the clay pit. Occasionally, a white-tailed eagle will follow this route and in winter months, the kingfisher is a not uncommon visitor to the dike ditches alongside the path. Accompanied by a high screeching sound, it comes shooting over the rushes like a bolt of blue lightning. Such sightings illustrate how the river valleys of West Jutland play a vital role as biological corridors that allow species to move from one area to another. In the migration seasons and in the winter, you can also see thousands of ducks. The wigeons in particular add a dash of colour to the early spring days in February and March. Their loud, somewhat sad, call is often one of the only bird calls to be heard on cold February days. Wigeons can lie on the surface of the water and “fish” for plants on the bottom of the lake, but they often come up onto the land to graze like geese. Only when the lake is iced over in winter is the
clay pit completely empty of birds.