Svartskylle, Naturreservat

Svartskylle naturreservat är en undangömd pärla på gränsen till Fyledalen. Här patrullerar glada och kungsörn över betesmarker fyllda av vattenspeglar. Ljumma vårkvällar hörs lövgrodorna spela i buskar kring dammarna. Klockgrodans mer anspråkslösa spel kan man höra även dagtid.

In English

Welcome to Svartskylle Nature Reserve

Svartskylle Nature Reserve is a hidden gem on the edge of the valley Fyledalen. Kites and Golden Eagles patrol the skies over the pastures filled with small mirror-like ponds. On warm spring evenings, European tree frogs can be heard croaking in the bushes around the ponds. The European Fire-Bellied Toad's more modest call can even be heard in the daytime.

Svartskylle Nature Reserve lies in Sweden's best area for amphibians. The pastures are full of ponds which amphibians flock to in spring and early summer in order to find a mate and reproduce. There are both common species and those that are more exclusive such as European Fire-Bellied Toad, northern crested newt and European tree frog.

The European Fire-Bellied Toad was re-introduced in the 1990s and their call – which sounds like a church bell far in the distance – can now be heard. Take along a picnic basket and listen to the chorus of birds and amphibians on a warm spring day. When dusk falls, the tree frogs get going. Their intensive, harsh call fills the air when several males set about challenging one another, and this choir can be heard from several kilometres away.

In the western part of the reserve there is a shallow-domed cupola of sphagnum mosses, what is called a raised bog. This is where you can find common sundew, an insect-eating plant, and in autumn you can look for cranberries. Lime-rich water seeps from around the edges of the bog, providing the conditions for a rich carr. Bird's-eye primrose and orchids flower among the tussocks in early summer.

There is a lake, Hassle Sjö, at the entrance to the reserve. This is where you will find a bird tower that you can use both for watching birds out on the lake and for listening to the amphibian chorus. Red-necked Grebe live in the lake and its relative the Little Grebe can also sometimes be seen. These small, chubby birds spend almost all of their time in the water and can be seen swimming in and out of the vegetation along the edge of the lake.

Regulations

The regulations which apply in the reserves are set out on the notices displayed at the entrances and in swedish on this web page.