Skænken Sø in Skjern Enge

Water surfaces without a fixed edge

Skænken Sø is not a lake with a neat shoreline, lawn and dry shoes as a starting point. It lies low in Skjern Enge, where water, reeds, open areas and grazed meadows change the experience from one visit to the next. Some days it is the lake you notice; on other days it is the entire wet landscape around it.

Birds over the meadows

For birdwatchers, the site is especially interesting because it lies in the western part of the river valley, where large birds use the open wetlands. White-tailed eagles forage along the stretch from Skænken Sø towards Ringkøbing Fjord, marsh harriers hunt low over the reed beds during the season, and great egrets can be seen at Skænken Sø, among other places. Binoculars are well suited to the site, but silence and patience make almost as much difference.

Nature that is still developing

The lake is part of the restored river-valley nature created after the Skjern Å was remeandered. The former agricultural area has gradually become wetter, and nature management keeps parts of the meadows open for birds and flora. Water crowfoot also grows here, a rare aquatic plant that can bloom with white flowers on the water in good summers. The fact that the path occasionally becomes wet is therefore not a flaw in the landscape, but part of the explanation.