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Description
The village of Hurden on the left side of Lake Zurich and the town of Rapperswil on the right side are connected by a railway-and-road causeway and by a wooden footbridge. The latter runs in a semicircle. In the space between the footbridge and the causeway, a gravel island was created. This is intended to replace the habitat destroyed by the construction of the footbridge. A remarkable 250 species have been recorded in the area.
On the Hurden side of the footbridge, there is a point from which you can view the northern part of Lake Zurich in the wind shelter (1). Following the bridge further, you can see the gravel island (2) on one side, and on the other side the southern half of the lake and the bay of Rapperswil (3). At the end of the footbridge, you can see the harbour basin of Rapperswil (4). Unfortunately, the railing of the bridge is a bit too high for most spotting scopes.
The gravel island is an important habitat during both migration and breeding seasons - although only a minuscule replacement for the human-destroyed natural structures. In the early 2000s, when the island was built, Common Tern bred here, but these were soon displaced by Black-headed Gull and - much to the surprise of ornithologists - by Mediterranean Gull, which is a rare breeding bird in Switzerland. In recent years, however, these species were again displaced by the Yellow-legged Gull, which now dominates the island during the breeding season.
Another special breeding bird in the area is the Common Eider, which can be observed year-round. Other nearby-breeding birds include Greylag Goose, Common Goldeneye (which can be seen in large numbers in winter), Little Grebe, Great Reed Warbler, and Water Rail. Hoped-for breeding of the Common Sandpiper did not occur, although the species is regularly observed. The Eurasian Curlew , staying at Nuoler Ried, can also be observed year-round in flight in the area; the last breeding in Switzerland occurred on the opposite side of the lake (Frauenwinkel) in 2006.
As for migrants, the water here is too deep for waders. Dunlin, Common Snipe, Ruff, Common Redshank, and Common Greenshank are observed, but only rarely. Migrants seen regularly include Penduline Tit, Western Marsh Harrier, and Black Tern, as well as occasionally rarer terns (especially Whiskered Tern and White-winged Tern are fairly common in spring and autumn). The Little Gull stays even longer and can be observed reliably here.
Regarding gulls, winter is the most interesting time. From November onward, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, the rare European Herring Gull, and occasionally the extremely rare-in-Switzerland Great Black-backed Gull join the already-mentioned species. With luck, an attractive wader can then also be seen regularly on the island: the Ruddy Turnstone is the latest-arriving member of this group. Among the many diving ducks, the Greater Scaup may be found with some luck. The three diver species Black-throated Diver, Red-throated Diver, and especially Great Northern Diver - can sometimes be spotted on the lake through a scope. Other noteworthy winter “regulars” are Red-breasted Merganser, Red-necked Grebe, and Ferruginous Duck.
Finally, rarities found here include Pygmy Cormorant, Red Phalarope, Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Gull-billed Tern, Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern,and Greater Flamingo.
Details
Access
The island is in an urban, well-connected area. It can be reached from Rapperswil station in 2 minutes by foot or from Hurden station in 5 minutes. Parking usually is scarce, public transport is recommended. A visit can easily be combined with a visit to Frauenwinkel. Lachner Aahorn and Nuoler Ried are close by, too (see the corresponding entries on this site).
Terrain and Habitat
Reedbeds , Lake , City/villageConditions
FlatCircular trail
NoIs a telescope useful?
YesGood birding season
All year roundBest time to visit
WinterRoute
Wide pathDifficulty walking trail
EasyAccessible by
Foot , WheelchairBirdwatching hide / platform
NoExtra info
Avoid windy conditions if possible. Heat haze above the water can be a serious challenge for scopes even on cold winter days.
A camera has also been installed on the island (see the links section).