Åby ängar, Naturreservat

Primarily a destination for birdwatchers. There is a bird tower in the area, but it can be difficult to get out to at high tide. The grazed meadows are today valuable resting places for geese, ducks, wading birds and birds of prey. In the winter, several white-tailed eagles spend time in the area, and snipe and yellow eagles nest in the meadows. The Åby ängar nature reserve also includes a small part of Araslövsjön and Helgeå.

Old lake land

Åby ängar is part of the managed shore meadows around Araslövsjön and Hammarsjön. When Helge å broke a new outlet into the sea in 1775, the water level in the lake was lowered and the area has since been used for haymaking and grazing. Today, the open lake surface is only a small area within Åby ängar, but at high tide the lake regains its former extent.

Restored shore meadows

The area has undergone extensive measures for the restoration of the shore meadows since the 1990s. The grazed meadows are now valuable resting places for geese, ducks, wading birds and birds of prey. In the winter, several white-tailed eagles spend time in the area. Snipe and yellow wagtails nest in the meadows, and in particularly wet years you can also find nesting shoveler, teal and wigeon. Within Åby ängar there are also three wooded moraine hills: Sillebrandsö, Horns kulle and Tärnön.

Species-rich waters

The nature reserve also includes a small part of Araslövsjön and Helge å. The lake has a large number of underwater plants, including five different species of nate. It is also home to the rare and often overlooked southern bluebell. The rarity of the area is the goldenrod, a rare species that grows along lake and river shores in Skåne. Salmon and trout migrate up through Araslövsjön to spawn and the lake is considered one of the richest in terms of fish species in Sweden. The area to the south along the River Helge å, with its swings, reeds and reed beds, is a potential breeding ground for the moth.

Accessibility

Åby ängar is primarily a destination for birdwatchers. There is a birdwatching tower in the area, but it can be difficult to get out to at high tide. Remember to take your rubbish home.

In English

Welcome to Åby ängar Nature Reserve

Åby ängar Nature Reserve is part of the open riparian meadows used for grazing and hay-making around both Lake Araslövssjön and Lake Hammarsjön. The wet meadows are important resting places for geese, ducks and waders. In winter, you often see white-tailed eagles patrolling the shores or hunting from a tall tree.

When, in 1775, the river Helge å broke through and took a new course to reach the sea, the water level in Lake Araslövssjön sank. Since then, the drained land has been used for hay-making and grazing. When the water level in the river Helge å is high, the lake reclaims its old shores. Birdlife is richest in spring and autumn, but a number of wet meadow species, such as curlew, snipe and yellow wagtail, breed here. In wet years, you can also find breeding shoveller, teal and garganay. Out on the meadows are three moraine hills - Sillebrandsö, Horns kulle and Tärnön.

A small part of Lake Araslövssjön is included in the reserve. The rare fen ragwort grows along the shores of the lake. The plant is only found in Kristianstad's Vattenrike and a few other places in Skåne. The area of quagmire, reeds and willow thicket in the southern part of the reserve is a good reproduction site for wels catfish.

Regulations

Within Åby ängar Nature Reserve it is forbidden to:

• damage fixed natural assets or surface formations,
• pick, dig up or in any other way damage plants, mosses, lichens or wood-living fungi,
• deliberately disturb wildlife, e.g. by close-up photography,
• bring unleashed dogs or other loose pets,
• put up boards, signs, posters, or similar, or make inscriptions.

Furthermore, without permission from the County Administrative Board it is forbidden to:

• collect invertebrates, e.g. insects and molluscs, or hide geocaches or other foreign objects.