Birding Trails on Rügen and the Baltic Sea coast

I first became interested in Bird watching after spending a two week holiday at the Hotel Rügen which is on the island of Rügen; Germany's largest island in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania .That was the start of what was to become a life long hobby. I had always enjoyed walking holidays and taking photographs of interesting locations, but had never been interested in bird watching.

The first week of the holiday was spent strolling around the island of genteel seaside resorts, quiet little fishing villages, mile long beaches, tree lined avenues, wild-sea buckthorn hedges and sparkling lakes. I visited 100 year old lighthouses and the Jasmund National Park, Germany's smallest national park. By the end of the first week I began to notice how many different species of birds lived on this island and was keen to find out more.

I spent the second week staring through binoculars, watching and waiting patiently to see if I could actually see the 71 different species which live on the island of Rügen. I found out their favourite nesting places and tracked along many well known birding trails in Rügen and the Baltic Sea Coast. But time was running out, my 2 week holiday booked at the Hotel Rügen was nearly over. How could I go back home now, I had only just started bird watching and was determined to stay and see more. I transferred to the Baltic Sea Apartments (Ferienwohnung Rügen) where I spent another 2 weeks trying to spot different birds. Unfortunately I didn't see all the ones I would have liked to have seen but here is a list of some of them. Black Headed Gull / Green Sandpiper / Lapwing / Coot / Kestrel / Buzzard / Red Kite / Goosander / Tufted Duck / Pochard / Shoveler / Mallard / Teal / Gadwall / Wigeon / Mute Swan / Grey Heron / Cormorant / Red necked Grebe / Great Crested Grebe /Little Grebe / Black Throated Diver.

At the Baltic Sea Apartments I met a number of people who had come to the island of Rügen for a holiday to do the very same thing, bird watching. Together we swapped information about the different birds and I soon found out that the major sites that I needed to visit were the tongue between Dranske and Bug (DB) on the north-western coast of Rügen. Wieker Bodden (WB) One of the coves – the "inner waters" of Rügen. Bakenberg (BA) Close to the northern coast of Rügen. Kap Arkona (KA) the North Cape of Rügen. and many more which are too numerous to mention. Of course, I couldn’t possibly see them all in the time I had left at the Baltic Sea Apartments, but over the years I have returned many times to the Hotel Rügen and the Baltic Sea Apartments where I have made so many friends all with the same interest in mind.

What an amazing holiday I had visiting the island of Rügen for the first time and staying at the Hotel Rügen and the Baltic Sea Apartments. It was a wonderful holiday and an experience that will stay with me forever.