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Aasee Münster

North Rhine-Westphalia  >  Germany

An artificial lake (40 hectare) and restored riverine wetland area (10 hectare) near the city center of Münster.

Added* by Jonas Brüggeshemke
Most recent update 12 February 2020

Description

The lake itself has a rather artificial and steep shoreline and is heavily used by water sports enthusiasts, making it attractive for birders mostly during winter months when northern waterfowl species can be frequently seen. Common Pochard and Tufted Duck are common, Goosander and Common Goldeneye quite rare nowadays. Black-headed Gull occurs in large numbers during winter, and occasionally rarities can be found among the more common duck and gull species (Records include Squacco Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Ring-necked Duck, Glaucous Gull and Bonaparte's Gull). Great Crested Grebe is a common breeder and the lake offers great observation possibilites of the species' courtship behaviour.

The restored wetland along the river Aa southwest of the lake offers an interesting mixture of reedbeds and Salix shrub, providing breeding habitat for Reed Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Reed Bunting and Bluethroat (rare). Other breeding species include Little Grebe, Gadwall, Common Cuckoo, Common Nightingale, Common Kingfisher, Eurasian Oystercatcher and Little Owl (nearby). White Stork uses the area to forage and during migration time a variety of waders and ducks can be seen.

Details

Access

There is a car park at the southern tip of the lake (see the P on the map). Access via public transportation is easy since there are several bus stops at the eastern shore. The area is best explored by foot, cycling is prohibited on the circular route along the shore. The circular route you see on the map is about 7 km.

Terrain and Habitat

Wetland , Lake

Conditions

Flat

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

All year round

Best time to visit

Winter

Route

Wide path

Difficulty walking trail

Easy

Accessible by

Foot , Wheelchair

Birdwatching hide / platform

No

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