The coast along southwestern Scania is nowadays almost always ice-free.
This means that it has become an attractive place for several bird species from Russia in winter.
- You can see a clear drop in the number of birds outside Denmark and the Netherlands in the winter and an increase here, says Fredrik Haas.
Since 1967, researchers in Lund have counted the number of birds in January each year in, among other places, Klagshamn outside Malmö.
Blowing sand has increased sharply
Puffer duck is an example of a bird that has increased greatly during the winters.
- From previously there were about ten, it is now up to 15,000 in this area, so it is substantial, says Fredrik Haas.
The reason is the warmer winters which allow the seabirds to feed on seaweed in the shallow waters near the coast.
But the Scanian fields also attract the geese that graze on land.
- The fields are like large feeders for the geese, so they are happy, but it is not so popular with the farmers, says Fredrik Haas.
No problem for seabirds
However, he sees no problem with the number of seabirds increasing in winter.
- It shows that we have a fantastic area here that can hold so many waterfowl.
Can you call Skåne a winter paradise for seabirds?
- Yes, you absolutely can, at least on the west coast of Skåne.
And it's great for those of us who like birds!