The nature reserve Angarnssjöängen is one of Sweden's best bird habitats; a total of 250 bird species have been observed over the years. The area consists of a large wetland with a water level that varies with the weather. The reserve is owned and managed by the Länsstyrelsen (the County Administrative Board).

 

Every spring, the water level rises dramatically due to the melting of the snow, and in late summer and autumn, the water level is quite low (nice for the wading birds). A good time to study bird life is April and May, when many bird species return from their southern wintering grounds. In the autumn, there is again a chance to see birds that migrate back south. There is a bird watching tower on the southeast side of the lake meadow (north of Örsta farm).

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By car (30 min from the Metz Cottage): Norrtäljevägen/E18 north to the Åkersberga exit, but then drive straight ahead towards "Angarn" and not towards Åkersberga. Pass Angarn's Church (late 1200s), after 300 meters there is a large parking lot, but you have to drive through the stable buildings of Örsta farm. It is about 700 meters walk down to the lake from the parking lot.

 

Use this map around the lake, and watch this short film before as an appetizer.

Säbysjön is located on the Järvafältet field and is part of the bigger nature reserve here (1987). The lake is a natural resting place for many migratory birds. Most bird species are seen in the lake in April–May and September. In the spring, both migratory and nesting birds can be found at the lake. About 170 observed bird species have been seen here including some rarer species. 

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There is a bird watching tower on the southeastern shore of the lake with a nice view of the southern parts of the lake. To help with bird watching, there are pictures of different bird species.

 

On the west side of the lake, there is a lookout hill over Säby beach meadow. On the eastern side of Lake Säbysjön is Älgkärrstippen (an excavated mass dump that was built in the late 1970s in connection with the expansion of the high buildings), which rises significantly above the rest of the landscape. From the top of this hill, there are very good opportunities to observe the birds that stretch across the Järva field.

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By car (45 min from the Metz Cottage): Use Google map and search for “Jakobsbergs Centrum”. From here, you reach Säbysjön by walking 15 minutes (map).

The marsh Isbladskärret was initially a bay called Isbladsviken (Ice Sheet Bay). The name has, however, nothing to do with ice, but is thought to be derived from a hunting lodge known as “Isbla”, which once lay here.

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The marsh is located on the eastern part of Royal Djurgården in central Stockholm. The Royal Djurgården is a part of the bigger Royal National City Park which is included in the royal right of disposition from the state. The area has been owned or disposed by the monarch since Karl Knutsson (Bonde) in the 1400s.

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The marsh was reborn in 1981 when the administration of Royal Djurgården stopped pumping the water out of the marsh every spring, a tradition that had been going on since 1904. The resurgence of Isbladskärret as a shallow lake was a real boost for the bird life.

 

Today, the wetland is both an important nesting habitat and a good place for resting waders. The birdlife is interesting between February and October, with its peak between April and May. In addition to bird species, you can see foxes, European hares, and roe deer. Occasionally, beavers swim in the canal.

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Since 2010, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel's Love Trail has led along the west side of Isbladskärret (map). The trail was laid out in 2010 by the administration and was a gift from the World Wildlife Fund to the bride and groom, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel. 

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If you spent time at the Vasa Museum, the marsh is 30 min away by bus or do a lovely hike for 45 min. From the Metz Cottage by car, it takes 45 min. Use the parking lot at the Thiel Gallery. Do mind parking restrictions at Djurgården ("Commuting").