Migratory birds take a rest on Omø

The island Omø may be small in size, but its nature is big. Beautiful nature experiences await as soon as you have stepped foot on Omø. Remember your binoculars, because there are several excellent bird-watching places on the island as Omø is a resting site for many different migrating bird species.

One particularly prime spot to watch birds is by the stream Mosebækken between the village of Omø By and Omø Lighthouse, around 20 minutes’ walk from the marina. There is a path through the bog and all the way to the lighthouse, and if you follow the path, you can get through the beautiful area without disturbing the birds.

The birds you may spot will vary according to season. Nature is always there, but over the course of the year, the bird species you will encounter will change markedly.

In spring, you will in particular notice the tiny harbingers of spring. Lapwings, larks and swallows can be spotted when they start singing their recognisable songs. Lapwings and larks may overwinter, but when they start to sing, it is a sure sign of spring.

Towards the middle of July, thousands of wading birds will descend on the bog on Omø. The birds are on their way from the Arctic in the north to Africa in the south. Some of the particularly rare birds that you have a good chance of spotting on Omø are the copper-colored curlew sandpiper, the matriarchal red-necked phalarope or perhaps the tiny Temminck’s stint, which is one of our smallest wading birds.

In the fall, migratory birds flock around the bog on Omø. The internal clocks and compasses of the various species lead them along the same route at the same time year after year. And for many of these species, the route leads them to a resting stop on Omø.

Not all birds are like the starlings who noisily and spectacularly draw attention to themselves when they migrate south. With most other birds, you will need to look a little longer before you spot them. If you look up, you may catch a glimpse of the finches who arrive in flocks numbering several thousand birds at a time. The same is true for the common wood pigeons on their way south to Central Europe. The languidly hovering birds of prey also stop off on Omø, and while you are standing there looking up, you will notice that there is also a wealth of small birds.

The trip through the bog will lead you to Omø’s beautiful yellow sectored light from the 1890s. On select days, the historical society Historiens Hus will open the lighthouse to visitors.

Read more stories from Omø or explore exciting stories from other places. 
Learn more about Omø Harbor here.

Source and photo: Poul-Erik Hansen, Ornithologist

Read more about the birds on Omø or Omø Lighthouse.