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