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What does the Lammassaari hide offer?
The hide is open for anyone who wants to observe nature, offering a close up view of life on the shoreline.
Nature experiences for different visitors and groups
The hide provides a great setting for birdwatching and other nature observation. You can rest on the hide’s benches and learn about the bird species in the area with the help of an information board. The hide is also a great place for taking photographs. Up to 40 people can stay at the covered hide at the same time, and it is suitable for a variety of groups. The Lammassaari hide is accessible.
Observe the wading birds in the shoreline slurries
From the hide, you get an unobstructed view of the shoreline slurries in the pasture, which attract migrating waders. When the water is low, the waders come close to the hide. Small ruffs, wood sandpipers, spotted redshanks, common greenshanks, ringed plovers and little ringed plovers sometimes run along the shoreline, looking for food.
Common terns, Caspian terms and sea gulls sit on the shore regularly. Teals and widgeons feed in the shallow waters. In April, large flocks of goosander fish in the coastal waters, chasing the spawning smelts that are numerous in the area. Swarms of smew can be seen in the area in April, and again in October–November.
Observe the bird colony and surrounding nature
The cormorants and grey herons on the island of Loppi nest only 300 metres away from the bird hide. Grey herons arrive at their nests in early March, followed by cormorants a little later. The white-tailed eagle is often seen sitting on the trees of Loppi. The white-tailed eagle stays in the area from the melting of the ice until May. In the autumn, the eagles fish until the sea freezes.
In winter, the otter leaves its marks on the ice. It leaps into the creeks of Viikki where the water remains unfrozen even in the cold of winter. The iris and cuckooflower adorn the plank trail in May. The purple loosestrife and the yellow loosestrife bloom in August.
Arrival at the Lammassaari hide
You can reach the Lammassaari hide from the Vanhankaupunginkoski rapids or along the Matinkaari bridge. Bus stops are at Viikintie 1 and Hämeentie 159. A parking space for cars is at the junction of the Jokisuuntie and Katariina Saksilaisen katu roads (Katariina Saksilaisen katu 11 and Jokisuuntie 13). There is an accessible dry toilet next to the parking lot.
The plank trail to Lammassaari starts at the southern part of Pornaistenniemi, and the route is marked. The distance between Pornaistenniemi and the Lammassaari hide is about one kilometre, and the route is accessible. You can find the hide by going a little further from the Lammassaari birdwatching platform and tower.