For watching birds and admiring Burtnieks

An observation tower was recently built in Vīsrags on the shores of Lake Burtnieks. Officially it is called a bird watching tower. Nature enthusiasts are convinced that the new tower will offer sights of birds typically inhabiting floodplains. If lucky, one would also hear breeding songs of corncrake and even the great snipe that nest in the Burtnieks floodplain.

For watching birds and admiring Burtnieks

An observation tower was recently built in Vīsrags on the shores of Lake Burtnieks. Officially it is called a bird watching tower. Nature enthusiasts are convinced that the new tower will offer sights of birds typically inhabiting floodplains. If lucky, one would also hear breeding songs of corncrake and even the great snipe that nest in the Burtnieks floodplain.

Nevertheless, every visitor coming here in search of scenic views would have a chance to tranquilly enjoy Lake Burtnieks, the surrounding floodplain meadows (a nature reserve), and the beautiful landscapes on the lake shores. From every aspect, the new tower built by the Vidzeme Energoceltnieks Ltd. is a great asset, acknowledged Māris Rika, Chairman of the Burtnieki Municipality Council. The scent of pine still lingers around in the wooden tower, which has a solid concrete base, convenient steps leading up, and a meticulous shingle roof on top.

Even on a foggy February afternoon the tower offers views of the lake with its ubiquitous ice fishermen, and of the distant shore with the contour of the Burtnieks church.  

The tower is actually the final destination to be reached by the Ēķiņupe trail that is still being planned for this Natura 2000 site. All around Latvia, there are sites with nature trails established for recreational purposes. However, it needs to be kept in mind that the primary goal of a nature reserve is to protect and preserve rare nature values. Ēķiņupe trail will start in the Burtnieks village, where visitors will first be introduced to the Burtnieks Manor, barocco-style garden, and castle remnants of the German Order. The Burtnieks region has a rich cultural heritage; the first inhabitants settled here already around eleven thousand years ago. Later the area around Lake Burtnieks served as the ethnic borders of the Livian Metsopole, the Estonian Sakalas, and the Latgallian Tālava. From the 13th century the region was largely inhabited by the Latgallians. As the trail leads on, visitors will be introduced to the natural processes of a meadows ecosystem; separate information will be provided on Lake Burtnieks.

The trail itself will only be about 2 km long, and as such it is ideal for family recreation and learning out in nature. Specially established information boards will teach to recognize birds inhabiting the floodplain meadows and the lake, and will introduce the natural processes taking place in the Ēķiņupe floodplain. The area offers many other interesting attractions – the Burtnieki Stud-farm, and saddlery museum in Briedeskrogs – theses destinations are worth the trip and is a good way of spending a weekend out in nature for any active Riga-based family.

Experts from the Latvian Fund for Nature’s LIFE-Nature project on Restoration of Floodplains contribute their ideas and experience for establishing the nature trail; the project also provides financing for development of two large information boards. However, the largest part of financing comes from the project of the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Environmental Facility: Biodiversity Protection in North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. Planning of practical activities takes place with assistance from experts of the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve.

All of these activities are well supported by the Burtnieki municipality government; their involvement will further increase in the future when maintaining the trail. Opening of the Ēķiņupe nature trail and the information boards is planned for April.

The restored Burtnieks floodplain meadows will be fenced to create expansive pasture for horses of the Burtnieks Stud-farm. Most of the fence has already been put up with only minor works still remaining around the observation tower. 

Quotations from the article of Ināra Ceriņa published in the Liesma newspaper on 2006-01-18 have been used for this article.