The animals and flora at Eriksberg
Game at Eriksberg
Within Eriksberg's 925 hectares, over 1,500 wild animals roam freely. Here, bison, red deer, fallow deer, red deer and mouflon sheep live side by side in a landscape shaped to give them space to live on nature's own terms. The animals set the pace, and every visit offers something new.
Bison
Bison bonasus, about 45 animals at Eriksberg
The bison is Europe's heaviest land mammal and Eriksberg's most impressive resident. A full-grown bull can weigh up to 900 kg and live to be just over 20 years old. Despite its size, the bison moves surprisingly quietly through the forest.
The species was extinct in the wild after World War I. In all of Europe, only 56 animals remained in captivity. Thanks to international conservation efforts, the bison now lives freely again in countries such as Poland, Ukraine and Romania. Eriksberg is an active part of that work.
A herd of around 45 animals lives on Eriksberg, and it is not uncommon to see them grazing on the open fields or moving along the edges of the forest. A sight that is hard to forget.
Crowned deer
Cervus elaphus, about 400 animals at Eriksberg
The red deer is the largest deer in Eriksberg and the species you are most likely to encounter out in the fields. A full-grown red deer can weigh up to 200 kg and wears a stately crown during the rut. Their powerful roar is one of the most characteristic sounds of autumn in Eriksberg and can be heard from afar.
In summer the fur is reddish brown, in winter it turns grey. The calves are born in May and are brown with light spots for the first few weeks. The deer shed their antlers every year in February–March, to immediately start growing new ones.
The red deer has been present in Sweden for almost 10,000 years. At Eriksberg, the herd moves freely across the 925 hectares and is most active at dawn and dusk.
Fallen deer
Dama dama, about 750 animals at Eriksberg
The fallow deer is the most numerous animal on Eriksberg and the species you almost always see when you move around the grounds. In summer, the fur is brown with lighter spots and a white belly, but the color varies greatly from animal to animal, from almost white to almost black. The winter coat is more grayish brown.
The adult deer bears large, shovel-shaped antlers that are shed every April. The rut occurs in October and November, when the deer gather their hinds around them and fill the forest with a grunting and snoring that is hard to mistake.
The fallow deer originates from the Mediterranean countries and was introduced to Sweden in the 16th century for royal hunting. At Eriksberg, the herd moves freely and is easy to get close to, especially in the open lands along the Mahraviken.
David's deer
Elaphurus davidianus, about 80 animals at Eriksberg
The red deer is one of the world's rarest deer species and has long been extinct in the wild, although a few animals have been reintroduced to China in recent years. In the fall of 2014, 19 animals arrived at Eriksberg from a pen in southern England, and after quarantine they were released among the other animals in the summer of 2016.
The species is similar in size to the red deer but has a shorter neck, a long, narrow head and many-branched antlers that are shed in November and December. The rut occurs from June to August, which distinguishes it from Eriksberg's other deer, and the calves are born in late April to mid-May.
Eriksberg today has the largest population of red deer in Scandinavia, and the animals give birth to calves every year. This is concrete proof that the conservation work is working and that the location is well suited to the species.
Mouflon sheep
Ovis orientalis, about 200 animals at Eriksberg
The mouflon is Europe's only wild sheep and originally comes from Corsica and Sardinia. It can be difficult to spot among the fallow deer, but the rams are recognizable by their large curved horns that can be up to 100 cm long. The fur is reddish-brown with a lighter saddle-shaped pattern across the back, short and smooth like that of a deer rather than the woolly coat of a regular sheep.
An adult ram weighs up to 50 kg and lives for 10 to 15 years. The heat occurs in the autumn and the ewe usually has one lamb per year.
The mouflon sheep found at Eriksberg originate from animals that were brought here from Austria in the 1930s and are today considered one of the purest mouflon populations in Sweden.
Birdlife at Eriksberg
Eriksberg has a rich birdlife and is an important environment for several bird species. The combination of deciduous forest, open land, lakes and the Baltic Sea coast creates conditions for both nesting and resting birds. There are species here that are strongly associated with the coast, deciduous forest, reed areas and open land, and for the attentive visitor there is always something to discover.
White-tailed eagle
Haliaeetus albicilla
The white-tailed eagle is Northern Europe's largest bird of prey and one of Eriksberg's most iconic residents. With a wingspan of up to 250 cm, it is an impressive sight as it sails over the bays or circles high above the open lands.
It was far from obvious that the white-tailed eagle would be here today. At the beginning of the 20th century, the species was severely affected and on the verge of extinction in Sweden. It was Eriksberg's founder Bengt Berg who, through persistent work, pushed through the protection of the white-tailed eagle in 1924, and who gave it a sanctuary on Eriksberg by feeding the birds and protecting their nesting sites.
White-tailed eagles are regularly seen at Eriksberg, especially near Mahraviken and Färsksjön. During the winter, several individuals can gather at the same time, a spectacle that few places in Sweden can offer.
Crane
Gravel gravel
The return of the cranes in spring is one of Eriksberg's most atmospheric natural spectacles. In large numbers they pass over the reserve during their spring migration, and their mighty trumpeting echoes over land and water. The fresh lake and the open pastures are particularly appreciated resting places, and the sight of cranes against an early morning sky is hard to forget for anyone who is at Eriksberg during these weeks.
Greylag
Considers considers
The greylag goose has a special place in Eriksberg's history. At the beginning of the 20th century, the species was heavily established in Sweden, and it was Bengt Berg who worked early on to give the greylag goose better conditions and a sanctuary at Eriksberg. Today, the greylag goose is a natural and recurring part of the birdlife in the reserve, and is regularly seen and heard along the protected bays and coastal meadows during spring and autumn.
Bat
At least 16 of Sweden's 19 bat species have been found at Eriksberg, making the reserve a very important area for these nocturnal mammals. The abundance of old deciduous trees, varying aquatic environments and a rich insect life create good conditions for a great diversity of species.
Among the more notable species are the lesser brown bat, which is one of the red-listed species recorded in the area. The nymphal bat has also been reported from Eriksberg and is one of the more notable species in the area's bat fauna. The nymphal bat is Europe's smallest bat with a normal weight of only 3.5 to 5.5 grams.
Bats are a clear sign of a healthy ecosystem. The fact that Eriksberg is home to so many species is a result of the varied environment, the old trees, the aquatic environments and the long-term nature conservation work that has characterized the place for generations.
Fishing at Eriksberg
The waters around Eriksberg offer very high quality fishing. The environment where the brackish water of the Baltic Sea meets the freshwater systems creates the conditions for a rich and varied fish population, with species that thrive in different water environments. There are bays, lakes and coasts to explore, each with its own conditions and character.
Mahraviken, the enclosed bay in the Eriksberg area, is known for its large pike and is considered one of the best pike fishing grounds in the country. The brackish water attracts several species of fish, and perch are also found here. During the spring, the common pike can appear in large schools, an impressive spectacle for those who are by the water at the right time.
In Lake Norrsjön inside the reserve, controlled fishing for rainbow trout is offered, in calm and secluded water surrounded by nature's own sounds. Fishing within the reserve is carefully regulated and catch and release is applied to pike in the Mahraviken, to secure the strong stocks in the long term. It is fishing in harmony with the place, rather than a withdrawal from it.
Flora at Eriksberg
Eriksberg's landscape contains a flora as rich and varied as the wildlife. From the mirror-like surfaces of the water lilies in Lake Färsksjön to the lichen-covered trunks of the old oaks and the moss carpets of the humid groves – here you will find vegetation shaped by centuries of nature conservation and long ecological continuity. Some of what you see is rare in Sweden. Others are easy to miss if you don't know what you're looking for.
Water lilies in the Freshwater Lake
Färsksjön is home to one of the world's most remarkable water lily populations. Red, pink, white and yellow water lilies bloom here from midsummer to September, in a peaceful spectacle that attracts both visitors and botanical enthusiasts.
The red water lily has a special history at Eriksberg. It originates from Fagertärn in Tiveden and was planted in Färsksjön in the 1940s as a reserve population, to protect the species in case something happened to the original population. Today it is one of the most distinctive botanical values of the site.
The lake contains, among other things, six-stemmed water lilies, park water lilies, sulphur water lilies, white water lilies, yellow water lilies and the classic red water lily, Nymphaea alba f. rosea. Together they form a quiet but unusual part of Eriksberg's flora – easy to miss in the shadow of bison and white-tailed eagles, but hard to forget once you've seen it.
Lichens, mosses and fungi
Eriksberg's old deciduous trees, coastal cliffs and archipelago-like environments create conditions for an unusually rich and varied flora of lichens, mosses and fungi. Inventories have revealed a large number of lichen species, several of which are of conservation interest and red-listed, making the area a very important location for lichen vegetation in Blekinge.
Among the more notable species are small noble lichen, found on an old, rough beech in the northern part of the reserve, and coastal leather lichen, which was found as a new species for Blekinge here. Other characteristic species such as pink grove lichen, dull spotted lichen and old oak lichen testify to the high biodiversity in the old deciduous forests.
The moss flora that has been inventoried is mainly epiphytic, i.e. attached to tree trunks, especially in older deciduous tree environments. The old oaks and beeches also host several red-listed fungal species attached to old wood, including the toadstool, the oak varnish toadstool, the fur toadstool and the apple toadstool. This is a dimension of Eriksberg's biodiversity that is less visible, but just as important. For those who want to experience nature at a micro level, Eriksberg offers just as much to discover along cliffs and old groves as out in the open fields.