Smultronställe Varggropens Fågeltorn vid Vendelsjön

A winding country road takes you past fields, meadows and farms to the parking lot at the southern end of Vendelsjön. From the parking lot, a 400 m long path leads through a pasture with grazing cows. At the end of the path is the bird tower.

The tower is surrounded by open pasture. Here you can enjoy your packed lunch and the beautiful surroundings, or climb up the tower with your binoculars and look out over the bird-rich Vendelsjön. Across the lake you can see Vendels church with the bell tower in the background.

Lake Vendelsjön is shallow and surrounded by reeds and marsh meadows. Further north there is plenty of deciduous forest. The lake is home to many birds. In total, almost 250 different species have been recorded! A characteristic bird from spring to fall is the brown marsh harrier, which is often seen flying low over the reeds near the bird tower.

The first spring birds also arrive here in early March, sometimes even earlier. Whooper swans and lapwings are then seen out at the ice edge. When all the ice is gone, the fields are teeming with ducks and thousands of geese are resting and heading north. In the crowds of white-fronted geese you can find both pink-footed geese and white-fronted geese. During a visit in early summer, you can hear nightingales and warblers, and over the reeds you're likely to see lesser black-backed gulls, black terns and brown harriers. On a balmy summer night, you can hear a number of different night-singing species from both towers, such as swifts, grasshopper warblers and perhaps a small-spotted swamphen. Until the snow covers the fields and the ice begins to settle, it is worth visiting the lake.

Varggropen's bird tower is one of Uppsala County's nature hotspots. A nature spot is an area with high natural and outdoor values that is accessible to visitors.

More information about accessibility and services at Varggropens bird tower, i+