Šakiai District Municipality
Suvalkija
ornithological reserve with a birdwatching tower
Novaraistis, Lekėčiai Eldership, Šakiai District, on the boundary with Kaunas District and Kazlų Rūda Municipality
54.94290, 23.41640
1-2 hours at the tower
autumn, especially September to mid-October, for cranes
Novaraistis State Ornithological Reserve, Novaraistis
Novaraistis Ornithological Reserve: the largest in the country
Novaraistis Ornithological Reserve is the largest ornithological reserve in Lithuania, about 827 ha in south-western Lithuania near Lekėčiai, at the edge of the Kazlų Rūda forests. Its territory extends across the junction of Kaunas District, Šakiai District, and Kazlų Rūda Municipality, so it is difficult to assign to only one municipality; the visitor road and tower are on the Šakiai District side near Novaraistis.
The reserve protects a bird breeding and migration-resting site and belongs to Europe's Natura 2000 network. It is a large open bog with waters, a quiet corner of nature whose central value is birds.
Bog, peat field, and waters
Novaraistis is a raised bog that formed as a lake became overgrown. Peat extraction began here in the early 1960s and continued until 1979. After extraction ended, the outflowing Nova stream was dammed, the water level was raised, and open water bodies appeared; these now attract migrating birds.
Today the area is a bog with several open waters, reedbeds, and small islands. The reserve was established in 1988 through the efforts of naturalists Antanas Aleknonis and Selemonas Paltanavičius. It is one of Lithuania's younger ornithological reserves, but the largest in the country.
Cranes and other birds
The reserve's best-known spectacle is the autumn gathering of cranes. In September and until mid-October, about 2,000 cranes gather here at one time. Researchers estimate that this is about 3 percent of the entire Western Palearctic crane population and one of the largest crane concentrations of this type in Lithuania. Evening flights into roosting places are especially impressive.
Greylag geese, cranes, great bitterns, and spotted crakes breed in the reserve, while whooper swans, black-necked grebes, black grouse, and geese stop during migration. Black storks and white-tailed eagles fly in from surrounding forests to feed. In total, about 33 rare bird species protected in Europe have been recorded.
Visiting
A birdwatching tower with an information board and parking area stands on the eastern edge of the bog. This is an open, free nature site without tickets or fixed opening hours. Arrive from the Kaunas-Šakiai road, turning near Lekėčiai toward the reserve; the final stretch is a gravel road, so arrive early and bring binoculars.
For a visit at the tower, 1-2 hours is enough, though in crane season it is worth staying until dusk. Autumn is best for cranes; spring is good for breeding water birds. A visit can be combined with Zypliai Manor and the Zanavykai Museum in the Šakiai region.
