Leica Sport Optics

Natural experience in the tidelands The North Sea mud
flats have a particular significance as a resting place for migratory
birds. Here the birds store their reserves of fat, moult, and recover
from the stress of flying the thousands of kilometers on the first stage
of their journey. An attraction – also for birdwatchers.
The swarm circles once more to lose in
height, then the nun geese glide past us
in sinking flight against the cold east
wind. The light of the fall sun illuminates
the white stomachs of the large birds,
contrasting with black necks adjacent
to white faces. The swarm is a good 200
birds strong. With excited barking cries
the geese land on the meadow, where
on the ground they appear surprisingly
small. They join the other nun geese,
which we have been watching for some
time with our Televid spotting scopes.
We’re standing on the observation tower
on the road between St. Peter-Ording
and the Eider Dam on the west coast of
Schleswig-Holstein. Before us stretch
the Kating mud flats and behind us lie
the North Sea mud flats. Mud flats on
both sides of the dam ? The apparent
contradiction is quickly cleared up when
one learns that the Kating mud flats –
formed by the tides in earlier times –
since about 30 years ago are mud flats
in name only and now consist of grassland,
swamps, fields, ditches, and even
woods. 1,200 hectares (2,965 acres)
were removed from the influence of
the tides when the Eider Dam was built
as a protection against storm floods.
Thus the ecologically valuable mud flats
were destroyed. However, on the other
side of the dam equally valuable habitats
were created – actually, many more than
were planned. This was due to the fact
that the ambitious goals for tourism of
the land planners were never carried out
for a number of reasons. So instead of
having camping grounds, vacation villages,
and trail riding, kibitzers, blacktailed
godwits, gray geese, and many
other swamp birds settled here. Soon
after the troop of geese land, the commotion
dies down. Families come to-
gether again and grass begins to be
assiduously “mowed down”. Geese are
almost entirely grass eaters, who in their
winter quarters have nothing more to
do than eat grass and digest. The nun
geese already have a very long stretch
behind them. Now in October up to
20,000 of the beautiful Nordic geese
congregate here in the Kating mud flats
and surrounding areas. However, with
only a few exceptions, they don’t breed
here, but rather in arctic Siberia.
A long look around from a 13-meterhigh
(42-foot-high) tower shows us many
more birds. Wigeons graze like the geese
on the meadows. Gulls are everywhere
in the air. From the mud flats we hear
the shrill whistling of the oystercatcher,
and at the edge of the pool in front of us
dunlins walk with mincing steps. In the
meadows we discover curlews and a
small troop of kibitzers, in addition to a
number of ducks on the Kating tideway,
meadow pipits, wagtails … The plethora
of birds shows impressively the significance
of this area for birds migrating
on the eastern Atlantic migration path,
which connects the breeding grounds in
Greenland and Siberia with winter quarters
all the way down to South Africa.
The North Sea mud flats have a special
significance as a place to rest and fill up.
Here the birds store their reserves of
fat, moult, and recover from the stress
of flying the thousands of kilometers
on the first stage of the journey. Not for
all birds is the journey over when they
reach the North Sea mud flats as it is for
the nun geese. Many fly much further to
the south. The proximity of the Kating
mud flats to the coast, to the Eider river,
and the North Sea marshes makes it
attractive to migratory birds. At high tide,
the birds search for food in the embankments
of the Kating mud flats or wait for
the next ebb tide. In addition to the open
flats, further bird habitats also exist in
the Kating mud flats. This is the reason
why the Kating mud flats have become
one of the “hot spots” of the bird watching
scene. This area becomes a subject
of conversation again and again due to
the observation of exceptional rarities.
Sometimes the birdwatchers stand like
regular snakes to catch a glimpse of
terek sandpipers, zitting cisticolas,
white-winged sea swallows, dwarf
flamingos, or white-tailed kibitzers.
This little paradise for bird watchers,
“birders,” ornithologists, and of course
friends of nature in general, is looked
after by the Katinger Watt NABU Nature
Center, with headquarters in the Lina
Haenle house on the old Eider Dam.
Here Sibylle Stromberg, manager of this
facility of the Nature Protection Alliance
of Germany (NABU), and biologist Holger
Bruns organize guided tours, seminars,
excursions, exhibitions, and not least,
oversee the care and management of
3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of protected
areas. The Katinger Watt NABU Nature
Center has been in existence since 1991
and by now attracts every year approximately
13,000 visitors, who linger here
for a surprisingly long time. Some even
stay for days. Next to the house, the
nature information area stretches out
for 200 hectares (494 acres) and includes
an observation tower and two blinds
(hides) built in the British style. From
here even beginners in bird lore can make
impressive observations and admire
gray geese, redshanks, or kibitzers in
very close proximity. In addition, excursions
led by NABU teams visit the nature
reserve areas of Green Island and Olversum
Foreshore. For all such observations
both beginners and occasional observers
are well-outfitted with Leica binoculars
or even a Televid spotting scope.
The picture of the Kating mud flats
would not be complete if we did not
mention two events that have made
waves throughout Germany. In May,
the Nature Experience Days, including
an exhibit of binoculars and spotting
scopes, receive a great deal of attention.
About 1,000 visitors rush to try out the
newest high-quality optics and other bird
watching gear and of course to watch
every throng of birds during this peak
migration time. A breath of “birdfair”
wafts over the marsh, and the positive
effect of the lectures, tours, and films,
together with the familiar, relaxed
atmosphere, for ecological education
and communication between nature
and bird lovers, cannot be too highly
estimated. The “West Coast Bird Watch”
takes place at the same time as the
“European BirdWatch” during the first
weekend of October – again during the
best migration time. The Katinger Watt
NABU Nature Center also contributes to
this multi-regional event and thereby
speaks to hundreds of bird watchers.
Thomas Griesohn-Pflieger
8 / 9
Leica and Katinger Watt
Leica Camera AG has for many years
supported the important work of the
Katinger Watt NABU Nature Center toward
nature clarification and education
and also helps with binoculars and spotting
scopes. In this way visitors can enjoy
nature with top-quality optics and discover
many small details that would perhaps
be missed with the naked eye or
with lower-quality optics. So Leica makes
a contribution to nature conservation
and likewise to the enjoyment of nature.
www.nabu-kattinger-watt.de