Salten Langsø - undisturbed landscape

Salten Langsø holds a safe distance to disturbers.

Salten Langsø is a lake in Mid Jutland, about 12 m deep and 6 km long and very narrow, it lies in a tunnel valley in the lake district of Mid Jutland west of the lake Mossø. Salten Langsø has winding shores, and it mirrors the shape of the melted deadice-lump from Ice Age, which created the lake. The lake bassin has steep sides and is divided into four parts. In the western part is an island and the lake is here divided into two inlets.

 




the map is too dark, but you can of course see it better on Google Earth.

Salten Langsø with the valleys, the Salten river valley and the lake itself, is a side branch of the Gudenå river, and it is among the most undisturbed nature areas in Denmark.

Salten Langsø is like Mossø a part of Natura 2000-area in the Mid Jutland lake district , and it has some of Denmark's most beautiful and varied nature. The lakes and the valleys  are some of the most imprssive and illustrative Ice Age landscapes. ( the Gudenå river crosses north- south )

Salten Langsø is in several places only a few hundred meter broad. On the northside of the lake are high, forested hillsides (Høvil and Højkol skov) and Ildal skov. The southside, Addit Næs and Salten Næs in a relative flat area with forest, heath, farmland and several small lakes. The terrain rises again to the southwest , Addit skov, which is difficult to access. The highest point is Møgelbjerg (137 m).

Blueberry bushes

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The forests are privately owned, but driven with great emphasis on nature - and therefore the planting is very varied, and several areas have the characteristics of a natural forest. 

 

Along the path were hundreds and hundreds of digger wasps nest in the earth. I saw no wasps

, but it was interesting to see those little nests, looking like little volcanos ! I 'll recommend you to search for the digger wasps on the net for there are so many species!
 


The area around the lake is ,considering Danish conditions, sparsely populated. The lake is a part of Salten Å-river's water system, which is a side branch of the Gudenå- river. The lake is a natural eutrof lake with an average depth of 4,5 m, and a max depth of 12 m. Half of the lake area is under 4 m deep. The shore vegetation is mainly a narrow fringe of alder (Aldus glutinosa) (Danish: rød-el.) In a few places grow reed. 

In the DOF-list were in january 2012 registered well 17500 observations of 188 bird species, only few waders, but all other possible forest birds.The area north and south of Salten Langsø is mostly covered in forest, but it contains also a combination of lakes and forests which makes it one of Denmark's best terrains for birds of prey. Both the whitetailed eagle and the osprey are often seen. The white-tailed eagle has been breeding since 2008.

It is not a great fungus year this year, but at least there was one Karl Johan and a one of the little pretty red ones.



 








photo Salten Langsø September 2015: grethe bachmann

Lille Vildmose in Himmerland, Northeast Jutland.

It was magnificent summer weather in late May and start June - and one of our first summer trips went to the Lille Vildmose in  Himmerland (Northeast Jutland). Lille Vildmose is a raised bog, it is an endangered habitat, not just in Denmark but also in Europe. A project LIFE+ focuses on securing the raised bog and to create conditions for the decomposed part of the raised bog to re-emerge in the long run. This area is the largest left raised bog of the lowlands in northern Europe, and it includes more than half the total raised bog in Denmark. Lille Vildmose is appointed as a Natura2000 area (7824 ha) and a Natura2000 plan has been prepared with a focus in keeping and extending the raised bog area.

From the reed beds sounds the voice of the bittern.

Eurasian Bittern 


When this is said the large moor in Himmerland is a wonderful place to visit, also because of the boardwalks across a big part of the area. It would be impossible to cross the moor without these boardwalks and bridges. The animal and plant life is very rich and you'll never know how much or what you'll see on such a tour. Birds of prey, like the golden eagle, the whitetailed eagle, the marsh harrier or the Eurasian hobby. We did not see the large birds of prey this time, but we heard the rare golden oriole. We did not see this beautiful yellow bird, but we later came to a place where we heard another rare bird. The strange voice of the Eurasian bittern sounded from the reed beds -  and a few moments later an Eurasian bittern flew above our heads and disappeared in the reeds. A rare sight. There are approximately about 22 Eurasian bitterns in Lille Vildmose right now. We heard its strange voice calling out like an angry  bull every five minutes.

                                                                  
Legend
No other bird in Denmark is surrounded by so much mystery. Both the hidden ways of its living, the owl-like flight and the strange voice have contributed to this. People were scared of this strange bird with a voice as strong as any mammal - and when it was strutting around in the night hours people thought they met a ghost. The voice of the bittern created legends about the Merman's cows, roaring and  longing for coming ashore. In the old days lived a landlord, named Mads Spejser, at Aggersborggård at Limfjorden opposite the town Løgstør. He was a brutal master and a nasty neighbour and very much disliked. His spirit is said to hazard like a dark bird across the landscape at night, flying with silent wing beats, uttering hoarse cries like the  bittern. 

New Observation Tower

A new observation tower has been raised in 2014,  called Brandtaarnet (the fire tower). Until the 1980s was here a fire watch tower, where a guard supervised the moor to observe if  there was fire or smoke. The new tower is a part of an ongoing and very comprehensive EU-LIFE nature-restoration project  Brandtårnet is the sixth observation tower in Lille Vildmose. It is 6-7 meter tall, and half as tall as the tower at the Vildmose Center at Vildmosevej. But it is tall enough since the moor is as flat as a panncake -  and there is a fine view across the earlier peat-extraction area, which during WWII gave work to 1200 men. Today it is a bird-rich restoration area, and from the new yellow tower it is possible to follow the rapid change of the nature area in these years.

The moor was earlier overgrown with birch which has now been removed. Only a few birches are allowed to stay in the landscape.

cloudberry, no flowers yet.

cranberry flowers

Plants

The plant life is special in a moor, there are tufts of spaghnum moss, cranberry, rosemary heather, bell heather, cloudberry, sundew, cotton grass, white-beak-sedge etc.

bell heather

cotton grass

Kærguldsmed / Leucorrhinia pectoralis

A Dragonfly...........


In Europe, dragonflies have often been seen as sinister. Some English names, such as "devil's darning needle"  and "ear cutter", link them with evil or  injury.  A Romanian folk tale says that the dragonfly was once a horse possessed by the devil. Swedish  folklore holds that the devil uses dragonflies to weigh people's souls. The Norwegian name for dragonflies is Øyenstikker ("eye-poker"), and in Portugal they are sometimes called tira-olhos ("eye-snatcher"). They are often associated with snakes, as in the Welsh name gwas-y-neidr, "adder's servant". The Southern United States term "snake doctor" refers to a folk belief that dragonflies follow snakes around and stitch them back together if they are injured.
For some Native American tribes they represent swiftness and activity, and for the Navajo they symbolize pure water. Dragonflies are a common motif in  Zuni pottery; stylized as a double-barred cross, they appear in Hopi rock art and on Pueblo necklaces. They have also been used in traditional medicine in Japan and China. In some parts of the world they are a food source, eaten either as adults or larvae; in Indonesia, for example, they are caught on poles made sticky with birdlime, then fried in oil as a delicacy.

And two Butterflies

Moserandøje /Large heath.

Bølleblåfugl / Cranberry Blue

in Portland Mose

some restoration work in the moor.

a view from Portland Mose out to the coast (to Mulbjerge)

A poppy field near the Vildmose.

the limestone quarry near Lille Vildmose.

It was a lovely summer's day in Lille Vildmose.

photo: grethe bachmann, June 2014.

A Visit to a quiet Peninsula............

There is a pretty hilly landscape on a little, broad peninsula east of the town Skive. It has no name expect the old district-name; Fjends herred - and now Ørum parish. The first place for our visit one of the last days in the windy and cold April was the old manor Staarup Hovedgård, which is now a center of antique furniture and artifacts from the 1700s-1900s. I had visited the main building before, this time it was the gatehouse-wing with antique Chinese furniture. I didn't buy anything, they were rather expensive. No wonder! They have been laquered and laquered "a thousand times". I saw a little red (low)  cupboard. I loved it. I would like this in my home.
In the summer period there is much more life here with a well-visited cafeteria and restaurant and many concert arrangements etc.

The peninsula is surrounded by the waters of Skive fjord and Hjarbæk fjord, both are parts and corners of Limfjorden. The landscape is hilly and pretty and marked by being a socalled herregårdslandskab, a manor-landscape, which only makes it better. You are driving through small villages and passing fine churches and you are close to a fine view from the old winding country roads everywhere. 

 

Here is also an old kloster, Ørslevkloster, where I had to do a stop for I wanted to get a photo of a chessboard ashlar on the church wall. I was told they had found one. I didn't find it, but there was no access to the south side of the church, and I later discovered that the chessboard was there of course.
Since the last time we was here there is now public access to the kloster garden with an old lime avenue leading down to a fine little water stream.

bikes outside the refugium

The garden is now being renovated and here will be a perfect place for people to visit.

The kloster itself is now a  refugium for students and artists, authors etc. who wish peace and quiet.
In my blog Church and Manor is an article about Ørslevkloster. 

yellow farm

Strandet

Two Good Friends 

Again a drive through a pretty landscape. I love it. It is such a rest for the eye and a joy for the mind. The next place was also a manor, called Strandet. Two horses walked next to each other in the field downside the manor, a big heavy horse and a very little cute one; they followed each other step by step.  I don't think a horse likes to be alone in a field. They are social like everyone else.
The whitewashed manor Strandet lies upon a hill close to Jordbro Å-river, a fine fishing river with sea trout, trout and rainbow trout. Strandet is from the 1400s, but was rebuilt after a fire. Opposite upon a hill in the meadow lies the Romanesque church Nr. Ørum. Close nearby was a harbour in the Middle Ages.

Am I boring you? Then stop reading and start something else, for the next place to visit is also a manor. Tårupgård, situated close to Hjarbæk fjord. Access to the fjord via a nature path. History about this manor is also in my blog Church and Manor. Both Staarupgård and Tårupgård were during the Middle Ages owned by the family Kaas, a family who owned a big part of North Jutland. The church lies close to the manor with steps from the yard up to the entrance - everyone had to go to service, it was  really a duty at that time. No excuses I suppose. The little son probably tried  "I have a stomach ache, daddy!". -  "WHAT? Off you go".  -  And off he went and up all the steps on his small legs to listen to the thunder sermon of the priest.

But we'll leave Tårupgård and continue along the beautiful scenery to the fishing village in the corner of Hjarbæk fjord.

    

Hjarbæk port was once the sea port of the town Viborg, when the church was rich and powerful the bishops of Viborg guarded zealously the fishing and sailing in Hjarbæk fjord. The Viborg bishop's ship lay at Hjarbæk harbour,  but also the rich aristocracy used the port at Hjarbæk in the Middle Ages.
There was furthermore a constant sailing with salt-barges to and from the island of Læsø. (you can still buy the Læsø salt in shops). The salt extraction was a very good business and the clerics in Viborg controlled both the production and the transport. 648 barrels salt were sailed to Hjarbæk each year in the late 1400s.

Today Hjarbæk is a cosy little fishing village with a lively tourist life in summer. Each year is held a VM in sailing with boats, called "slægts", the boats similar to the fishing boats from the old days.
 
Hjarbæk Fjord is an International Nature Protection Area, under Natura2000 Project, and it is both a Bird's Protection Area and EU-Habitat Area. 

 

And in the afternoon we were leaving Hjarbæk fjord and the little peninsula after a good day.

Some pretty clouds for you

A beautiful horse was running up and downhill in a very frisky manner with  some very elegant moves. And just try to look at this fine head and neck.  It's a noble horse.


photo April 2013: grethe bachmann

Læsø Sydesalt

 








 Here's a picture of the salt from Læsø(for sale in shops and supermarkets.