birding...

Schleswig-Holstein is the only German federal state that lies between two seas. Between these runs the Kiel Canal, the busiest man-made waterway in the world. The Land Schleswig-Holstein is bordered in the north by Denmark and the Baltic; in the east by Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the Baltic; in the south by Hamburg and Lower Saxony and in the west by the North Sea.

The marshlands represent the youngest landscape, being formed of marine sediments laid down in the Ice Age. Among these are the marshlands on the mainland and the Wadden Sea as well as the islands. They are characterised by heavy, fertile soils. The islands are Fehmarn: 185.35 sq. km Sylt 97.02 sq. km, Föhr 82.81 sq. km, Nordstrand 48.64 sq. km,Pellworm 36.24 sq. km, Amrum 20.45 sq. km and Helgoland 4.20 sq. km

The Geest, a band of light, sandy soil, interspersed with patches of moorland that forms a "central spine" between the marshlands and the hills is composed of landscapes of different ages and diverse origins, characterised by poor soils. In the west is the High Geest formed of Saalian moraines; in the east is the flat Low Geest deriving from sandy fluvioglacial deposits of the Weichselian period. The Low Geest has extensive areas of bog.

The hill country along the Baltic coast in the east was formed by the glaciers that covered Schleswig-Holstein during the last European Ice Age (the Weichselian glaciation). The ice left behind a diverse young moraine landscape. The hills, impressive in their form and relative elevation, meet the Baltic at a coast of bays and fjords.

A characteristic feature of the Schleswig-Holstein landscape are the Knicks, hedge and earth bank combinations intended to mark the boundaries between fields. These provide a retreat for insects and birds and offer protection against wind and erosion. For this reason the Knicks are identified as a protected biotope (a habitat with its associated species) under Schleswig-Holstein's nature conservation legislation.

There are a number of Islands

Fehmarn: 185.35 sq. km; Sylt: 97.02 sq. km; Föhr: 82.81 sq. km; Nordstrand: 48.64 sq. km; Pellworm: 36.24 sq. km; Amrum: 20.45 sq. km; Helgoland:4.20 sq. km

Schleswig-Holstein has some 300 lakes, covering 28,000 hectares, approximately 1.7% of the total surface area of the Land. They are home to very many animal and plant species. Endangered species such as the sea eagle have now re-established themselves here.

Schleswig-Holstein has 21,700 km of rivers and streams – something like half the circumference of the earth! They provide habitats for the otter and the kingfisher and are a paradise for canoeists. The longest rivers are the Eider 180 km, the Trave 112 km and the Stör 83 km.