The Tiste Bauernmoor is an area of boggy moorland on the Lüneburg Heath

Lüneburg Heath

The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...

 in north Germany that was designated as a nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

 on 2 May 2002. It has an area of 570 hectares (1,408.5 acre) and belongs, together with the Ekelmoor, Avensermoor and Everstofer Moor, to the large Ekelmoor moorland region that has a total area of 1220 hectares (3,014.7 acre).

Location

The Tiste Bauernmoor lies near the village of Tiste

Tiste

Tiste is a municipality in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany.Tiste belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established in 1180. In 1648 the Prince-Archbishopric was transformed into the Duchy of Bremen, which was first ruled in personal union by the Swedish Crown -...

 from where it gets its name. Tiste is part of the collective municipality known as Samtgemeinde Sittensen

Sittensen (Samtgemeinde)

Sittensen is a Samtgemeinde in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Its seat is in the village Sittensen.The Samtgemeinde Sittensen consists of the following municipalities:# Groß Meckelsen# Hamersen...

 in the district of Rotenburg

Rotenburg (district)

Rotenburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Stade, Harburg, Heidekreis, Verden, Osterholz and Cuxhaven.-History:...

 in Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...

. The moor is part of the Wümme Valley natural region.

Renaturisation

Much of the moor was used for industrial peat-cutting. The northern part of the moor was converted to pasture, but is no longer farmed.
In order to renaturalise it about a third of the nature reserve was re-flooded. The areas that were overgrown with Weymouth Pines were cleared. These areas now form breeding grounds and staging areas for many species of bird, some of them rare. The nature reserve's terrain falls almost entirely within the European Union bird reserve of Sittensen Moor (Moore bei Sittensen). The district of Rotenburg (Wümme) acts as the local nature reserve authority.

Flora and fauna

The Crane

Crane (bird)

Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...

 has resettled in the area and now breeds here. In late autumn several thousand cranes rest on the moor before flying on to their winter quarters. This makes the Tiste Bauernmoor one of the most important sites for cranes on the Northwest German Plain

North German plain

The North German Plain or Northern Lowland is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain...

. Other rare birds such as the Sea Eagle

Sea Eagle

Sea eagle mainly refers to Sea eagle, birds of prey of the genus Haliaeetus.It may also refer to:-Aerospace:* Sea Eagle , British, anti-ship missile* Sea Eagle * Supermarine Sea Eagle, 1920s British passenger flying boat-Sports:...

 and the Osprey

Osprey

The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...

 have been seen here. The following birds of prey have also been observed on the moor: Hobby

Eurasian Hobby

The Eurasian Hobby , or just simply Hobby, is a small slim falcon. It belongs to a rather close-knit group of similar falcons often considered a subgenus Hypotriorchis.-Description:...

, Peregrine

Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...

, Merlin

Merlin (bird)

The Merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the Merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter.-European and North American...

, Marsh Harrier

Western Marsh Harrier

The Western Marsh-harrier is a mid-sized harrier, a bird of prey from temperate and subtropical western Eurasia and adjacent Africa. It is also known as the Eurasian Marsh-harrier....

, Hen Harrier

Hen Harrier

The Hen Harrier or Northern Harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh Hawk is a historical name for the American form.It migrates...

, Montagu's Harrier

Montagu's Harrier

The Montagu's Harrier is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.-Plumage:...

, Red Kite

Red Kite

The Red Kite is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species is currently endemic to the Western Palearctic region in Europe and northwest Africa, though formerly also occurred just...

, Black Kite

Black Kite

The Black Kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. Unlike others of the group, they are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring and gliding in thermals in search of food. Their...

, Honey Buzzard

Honey Buzzard

The European Honey Buzzard , is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers....

 and Rough-legged Buzzard

Rough-legged Buzzard

The Rough-legged Buzzard , called the Rough-legged Hawk in North America, is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Eurasia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter.The species exhibits a wide variety of plumage patterns...

.

In addition there is evidence that the following have bred here, or at least have been seen during the breeding season:
Short-eared Owl

Short-eared Owl

The Short-eared Owl is a species of typical owl . In Scotland this species of owl is often referred to as a cataface, grass owl or short-horned hootlet. Owls belonging to genus Asio are known as the eared owls, as they have tufts of feathers resembling mammalian ears. These "ear" tufts may or may...

, Great Grey Shrike

Great Grey Shrike

The Great Grey Shrike or Northern Grey Shrike is a large songbird species in the shrike family . It forms a superspecies with its parapatric southern relatives, the Southern Grey Shrike , the Chinese Grey Shrike and the Loggerhead Shrike...

, Teal

Common Teal

The Eurasian Teal or Common Teal is a common and widespread duck which breeds in temperate Eurasia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian Teal is often called simply the Teal due to being the only one of these small dabbling ducks in much of its range...

, Garganey

Garganey

The Garganey is a small dabbling duck. It breeds in much of Europe and western Asia, but is strictly migratory, with the entire population moving to southern Africa, India Santragachi and Australasia in winter, where large flocks can occur. This species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758...

, Shoveler

Northern Shoveler

The Northern Shoveler , Northern Shoveller in British English, sometimes known simply as the Shoveler, is a common and widespread duck. It breeds in northern areas of Europe and Asia and across most of North America, and is a rare vagrant to Australia...

, Black Stork

Black Stork

The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork. It is seen in...

, Snipe

Common Snipe

The Common Snipe is a small, stocky wader native to the Old World. The breeding habitat is marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout northern Europe and northern Asia...

, Peewit

Northern Lapwing

The Northern Lapwing , also known as the Peewit, Green Plover or just Lapwing, is a bird in the plover family. It is common through temperate Eurasia....

, Nightjar

European Nightjar

The European Nightjar, or just Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, is the only representative of the nightjar family of birds in most of Europe and temperate Asia.- Habitat and distribution :...

, Grasshopper Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler

The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India....

, Stonechat

European Stonechat

The European Stonechat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the Common Stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.It is 11.5–13 cm long and...

, Whinchat

Whinchat

The Whinchat Saxicola rubetra is a small migratory passerine bird breeding in Europe and western Asia and wintering in Africa.Its scientific name means "small rock-dweller", in reference to its habitat...

 and Red-backed Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

The Red-backed Shrike is a carnivorous passerine bird and member of the shrike family Laniidae.English common names include 'Wariangle' and 'worrier'.-Description:...

. The list of residents runs to more than 40 species.


Due to the low level of nutrients, the acidic pH value of the water and the perpetually waterlogged terrain, a highly specialised plant environment has developed in the Tiste Bauernmoor. Dwarf-shrub heathland is found here together with Cottongrass and Peat moss or Sphagnum. Sundew

Sundew

Drosera, commonly known as the sundews, comprise one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous glands covering their leaf surface. The insects are used to supplement...

s, a form of carnivorous plant, also thrive here.

Tourism

The moor can be visited using a former peat railway

Burgsittensen Moor Railway

The Burgsittensen Moor Railway is a narrow gauge, light railway or Feldbahn, which is based on an old peat line near Tiste on the Lüneburg Heath in North Germany....

. The journey, with detailed explanations about the cutting of peat, lasts an hour. There is also a footpath into the area. A six-metre high observation tower on the moor offers the opportunity to observe the bird life.