Baksjön, Naturreservat

Baksjön is the county's most easily accessible bird lake.
Please note that the accessible bird tower cannot be visited at the moment. A tree has fallen over the ramp. We are working to fix this.

The lake was lowered in the mid-19th century by digging a canal and planting giant reed along the edges to prevent the canal from collapsing. The whole lake area was farmed for a period. Although water was pumped out, the land became too soft and cultivation eventually ceased. The back lake was partly filled in. It has not become much of a lake, but many birds rest here in spring and fall.

Baksjön is surrounded by coniferous forest to the west and deciduous forest to the east, while the agricultural landscape with fields and pastures opens up to the north and south. The open farmland is an essential feature of the landscape and of great importance for the area as a bird site. Cattle keep the pastures open, which results in a richer flora, which in turn results in a richer insect and bird fauna.

The reserve was established to benefit bird life and increase opportunities for the public to study nature.

Animals and plants

The bird life includes breeding lapwing, snipe, meadow pipit, whooper swan and lapwing. Osprey, lark falcon, stone falcon, short-eared owl and nightjar have been seen foraging in the reserve. The ground vegetation around Baksjön is dominated by planted giant meadow-grass and various species of sedge, rope and sedge. But you can also find somewhat rarer plants such as green sorrel, nodding sorrel and dwarf moonwort.