The island of Bornholm

1) Almindingen

2) Christiansø

Almindingen

Bastemosen

Location:
Almindingen, together with Rø Plantage to the north, comprises all the forested area situated in the centre of the rocky island of Bornholm. 

Protection: 
Almindingen is protected by both the EU Birds Directive and the EU Habitat Directive. The bogland of Ølene has been appointed a nature reserve, with access prohibited all year round. Ekkodalen, and the two bogs of Vallensgård and Kærgård, are all under conservation orders. The IBA comprises both Almindingen and Rø Plantage.

Important Birds:
Bittern, Honey Buzzard, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Corncrake, Crane, Tengmalm’s Owl, Nightjar, Black Woodpecker and Red-backed Shrike.

Habitat:
Almindingen, one of Denmark’s largest forest areas, is situated in a hilly, rocky landscape with pine plantations and deciduous woods. Dotted about among the plantations are bogs, old peat ponds, wet meadows and lakes, and a few remaining patches of the old original mixed and oak woods. In the east part of Almindingen are stretches of open heath.

"Almindingen" actually means "The Common", and this is what the area was in the past, when ordinary people used it for grazing their cattle, and the aristocracy used it for hunting. Previously to this, however, it was covered with forest, which gradually disappeared as wood was used for fuel and building ships and houses. At length, the large herds of deer and the cattle gradually turned the area into bare heath land.

Around the turn of the 18th century it was decided to restore the forest once again. Fences and stone dykes were put up to keep the cattle out, and trees were planted, so that 50 years later forest once again covered Almindingen, with only patches of heath still remaining. The forest is now exploited commercially, but some sections are left as 'untouched' woodland and grazing pastures. Management plans, which include making use of older styles of management, have been introduced to improve the various habitats for flora and fauna.

Although commercial forestry is carried out in Almindingen, the area is popular for recreation, due to its various cultural relicts and natural beauty spots.

Birds & other Wildlife:
The woods of Bornholm have for many years been famous in Danish birding circles, as they have been the only locality in Denmark housing breeding Tengmalm's Owl (although other localities on mainland Denmark have just been discovered). They were also one of the first regions to be populated by breeding Black Woodpecker. These two species are still present, and breeding Nightjar and Honey Buzzard can also be found, beside a wealth of the more common woodland birds. The bogs and reedbeds offer shelter for Marsh Harrier and Crane, and Red-backed Shrike can be spotted in the clearings. Altogether, 210 bird species have been recorded in this locality.

Bornholm has a large population of Roe Deer which were reintroduced to the island in 1885, after having been exterminated 200 years previously. There are no foxes on the island (they died out during a rabies epidemic). Apart from the odd escaped mink there are no martens either on the island, nor any moles or voles. 

 
The Almindingen caretaker wardens on winter tour 19.02.05 

Visiting & Access:
Most of Almindingen can be reached easily. Several public roads traverse the locality, and many car parks and lay-byes offer excellent starting points for tours round forest roads and paths.

Some primitive camp sites are available with overnight shelter. 

Observation towers are found in the following locations: Udkæret, Bastemose (which has handicapped access), Svinemose and Ølene (which itself cannot be accessed). Here, there are three observation towers, of which the newest on Rømersvej is handicap-friendly.

The Forestry and Nature Agency has published information folders about Almindingen and Rø Plantation, which can be downloaded from www.skovognatur.dk/Udgivelser/Vandretursfoldere/atilaa/Almindingen or www.skovognatur.dk/Udgivelser/Vandretursfoldere/atilaa/Roe respectively, or found at tourist information sites. Bornholm’s Regional Commune has published information folders about Ølene, Varperne and Paradisbakkerne. At present, these are available only in Danish, but the maps can come in handy. 

Christiansø

Location:
Christiansø is the largest of a group of islands called Ertholmene which are situated approximately 18 km north-east of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It is especially famous as an outstanding migration spot.

Habitat:
The islands are of granite rock, and the two largest – Christiansø and Frederiksø – are inhabited. Christiansø is 710m long and 430 wide and the island is encircled by 300-year old fortifications from the time it was of military importance. The main concentration of buildings is around the harbour. In the middle of the island is a group of tall trees and thicket, but otherwise vegetation is sparse, although there is a little heath and some small ponds and reedbeds. The third island of Græsholm, with very little vegetation, is a bird reserve, with no public access, and there are a few rocky outcrops dotted around offshore. The water around the coast is actually brackish, with a salt content of only 0.8%.

Birds and other Wildlife:
Being a small island far out to sea, Christiansø is a typical spot for attracting migrating birds. Spring migration culminates in April and May, and from late July to around November the autumn migration is in full swing. April sees the arrival of Goldcrest, Dunnock, Robin and thrushes, and later on, in May, thousands of warblers stop over here. Visitors regularly include Nightingale, Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Wood Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Willow Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Spotted Flycatcher, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Bluethroat and Ortolan Bunting.

Rarities that are seen almost every year include Subalpine Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Radde’s Warbler and Dusky Warbler, Little Bunting and Rustic Bunting. During autumn migration, it is not unusual to spot Pallas’s and Yellow-browed Warbler. Autumn also brings Common Crane (as many as 6,000-7,000 in good years) and Branta geese (sometimes as many as 100,000).

The best conditions for spotting migrating birds are actually when the weather is foggy, as then passerines “fall” on Christiansø and wait there until visibility has improved again.

Apart from the migrating birds, spring and summer offer the experience of breeding colonies of Eider, gulls and auks. Most of the Eider breed on Græsholmen, but around 2000 nest on the inhabited islands - sometimes even amongst the houses, so it is important to watch ones step! When the ducklings have hatched, the families collect around the coast and sometimes swim across to Bornholm to find enough to eat. The only Danish breeding colonies of Guillemot (2500 pairs) and Razorbill (740 pairs) are situated on Græsholm, where there is also a large colony of Herring Gull (up to 10,000 pairs). Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull and Great Black-backed Gull breed in lesser numbers, as do Red-breasted Merganser. In the trees on Christiansø, the Scarlet Rosefinch can be heard.

In winter, the island is a good post from which to observe flocks of seaducks, including Eider and Long-tailed Duck, and with some luck perhaps a chance Steller’s Eider or King Eider. Purple Sandpiper can be spotted around the coast.

The small reservoirs dotted around the island, which are used for collecting rainwater, are home to four species of amphibians, of which Common Toad and Smooth Newt are the most common.

Visiting and Access:
A ferry for Christiansø leaves from Gudhjem on the island of Bornholm once a day all year round, and in the summer months (beginning of May until end of September) there are several extra trips a day leaving from Gudhjem and Allinge. By catching the first ferry to the island and leaving on the last, there is a space of several hours to spend bird-watching. However, it is a great experience to stay on the island overnight and enjoy the peace when the last of the day-tourists have left. This entails a little organization, however, as there is only one hotel and one small camp site on the island, so it is necessary to book well in advance.

There is a small field station in the middle of the island, open from spring to autumn, and where the migration is monitored and some ringing is carried out in autumn. It is also used as a base for carrying out various scientific projects, generally centered on Eider (which appear to be declining, their numbers on Ertholmene having been nearly halved the last ten years) and Razorbill (which, on the contrary, are thriving: their numbers having increased from 200 breeding pairs in 1983 to 965 pairs in 2006).

If a trip to Christiansø is out of the question for some reason, then there are two sites on Bornholm that are also well worth a visit in the migration season: Hammeren at the very northernmost point of Bornholm (for spring migration), and Dueodde at the very southernmost point (for autumn migration).