Fågellokalen Ryningen

Ryningen is one of the largest managed wetlands in south-eastern Sweden. The approximately 300-hectare area is located on the border between Hultsfred and Högsby municipalities where many bird species can be seen. The area is easily accessible with two bird towers, a platform, parking lots, trails and information signs.

The area once consisted of extensive wetlands where the Emån and other watercourses occasionally flooded the natural vegetation, where winter feed for the animals was harvested in summer. The lowering of Lake Ryningen in 1887 created both arable land and natural hay meadows. More recent embankment work has created more continuous arable land in the outlying areas.

The present-day wetland complex along the Emån is dominated by approx. 200 hectares of wet meadows consisting of bluestem and sedge, which are still managed by means of grazing and to some extent haymaking. The areas in the southeast are the most overgrown, where willow scrub and also reed canary grass are spreading. The years when the Emån floods the former wetlands provide a glimpse of how the entire landscape was once characterized by the Emån.

The woodlands surrounding the open land by the Emån are of deciduous and mixed forest character. Aspen-dominated forests, often mixed with oak, are common in the area, and old oaks are particularly common at Ryningsnäs in the north.

In addition to this being a unique bird site, there are also a large number of rare insects in the area.

Ryningen is classified as a Natura 2000 area and was restored in the 1990s when tree curtains and bushes were removed. Furthermore, sedge meadows were cleared and grazing animals were released, making the area more attractive to birds.

https://visithultsfred.se/fagellokalen-ryningen/