Photographing The Wildlife At Salzige See

About 150 years ago, the 875 hectares Salzige See (Salty Sea) in Saxony-Anhalt was the largest lake in central Germany and even though its size has decreased, we can still find a selection of rare birds around it.

In the late 1800s, about 17000 miners were employed to extract copper in the area. Unfortunately, this enormous project had a consequence: the lake was drained in 1893. However, mining stopped in 1969 and the lake could regenerate. Less than 20 years later, in 1985, emerged the smaller waters that nowadays still dominate Salzige See's landscape.

The Salzige See is located in a 16km long-depressed area in the valley of Mansfeld. There are various theories about its origin; one being that it's a former river course. What we know for sure is that that underground large salt rock layers of the lake give the waters their saltiness.

Since the B80 highway crosses the valley, the water level is checked continuously. Some say that the lake should be left alone but as that means diverting the highway, the project is still on hold. However, this is good news for the birds for which an increase in water level would be harmful. Who would have thought that a road could save birds?

How To Get There

It’s possible to walk to the Salzige See from Röblingen am See train station or you can drive to the car park which is close to the Aselebener Pumpensee shallow waters. 

Salzige See Bird Hotspot

Professional birders would need a whole year to visit the Salzige See but photographers, hikers and nature lovers can enjoy the scenery within a few days.

Among the birds for which the Salzige See is a resting place for include:

• Bean goose and Greater white-fronted goose
• Lesser white-fronted goose and Common merganser
• Osprey And White-tailed eagle (more rarely)
• Various gull species such as the European herring gull or the Common gull
• Various waders
• Red-throated and Black-throated loons

Among the birds for which the Salzige See (especially its reeds) is a breeding area for include:

• Greylag goose
• Garganey
• Grey heron
• Western Marsh Harrier
• Sedge warbler
• Spotted crake
• Great egret
• Bluethroat

On the slopes of the valley stand bee-eaters, nightingales, common linets, red-backed shrikes and so on can be found. Don't forget to pack your binoculars, too so you can spot the birds you want to capture images of. Check out Eschenbach's collection, which includes the pair ePz recently reviewed - the Eschenbach Arena D+ 10x50 B Binoculars.

Other Useful Articles 

For more tips on using binoculars and photographing birds / ducks, check these articles out: 

• Tips For Photographing The Gadwall Duck
• How To Find The Curlew Bird
• The Benefits Of Extra-Low Dispersion Glass
• Choosing Binoculars For Bird Photography