Diepholz Moor Depression

For better orientation, I have included an overview map on the left (for more details, please click on the map on the left). The directions, of course, depend on which of the 15 bogs you would like to visit. Since I do not know all of the bogs, I will limit my report to a few bogs that I know. Generally, almost all of the bogs are easily accessible by car. On the other hand, the accessibility of most bogs by public transportation is very limited and it is best to explore the area with a bicycle. If you would like to visit the Diepholz Moor Lowlands by car from the north or south, the best connection will be via the A1 highway.
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The Neustädter bog, which covers an area of 2200 hectares, belongs to the municipality of Wagenfeld and can be reached from the south via the village of Ströhen. Please see (directions) for more information.
There are two parking lots on the way to the moor, with the southern parking option passing by a BUND station and the northern parking lot located near the observation tower. Although visitors are not allowed to enter the moor itself, there are many paths that lead into the moor, and a nature trail has been established that allows visitors to venture into the heart of the moor. Throughout the year, the Neustädter bog offers plenty of photo opportunities. In July, for example, visitors can discover the sundew, a carnivorous plant. The cross-leaved heath and the cotton grass, which begins to bloom in March, are also worthwhile photo subjects. In the fall, a large number of cranes can be observed as they fly to their roost in the restored wetlands. Although there are many smaller birds to observe in the moor, such as shrikes or skylarks but thw photographic opportunities are limited. The flight distances are very large and visitors are not allowed to up a hide. In addition to the plant life, however, the moor landscape presents itself in a different light in every season.
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The Rehdener Geestmoor is located between Diepholz and Wagenfeld, and the best way to reach it is along the B239 highway (see directions). Running straight through the moor is the moor dike, which is also accessible by car. The approximately 1800 hectare moor is under nature protection and was restored in the 1990s. In the south of the moor dike, there is a three-story observation tower with a parking lot. From there, you have a beautiful overview of the entire moor. This tower is also a gathering point for many ornithologists when the crane migration begins in the fall. From the tower, you can observe the arrival of thousands of cranes at their largest sleeping place in the entire Diepholz Moor. However, I do not recommend photographing from the tower, as on the one hand, the distances to the cranes are very far, and on the other hand, the many visitors on the tower make photography difficult. If you set up your lens on a tripod, it quickly becomes clear why this is the case, as the wooden floor transmits every movement of the visitors to the tripod. I prefer to find a place away from the many visitors. However, I cannot recommend an optimal location, as this also depends on the direction from which the cranes are flying, which changes practically daily.
The best month with the largest number of cranes in the Rehdener Geestmoor is November. Unfortunately, November is also usually the month with the gloomiest light, but that can also have a special appeal in crane photography. During the day, the cranes can be found on the harvested fields around the moor. Success can be achieved by driving down the side streets in the area of Düversbrucher Straße. However, even when photographing from a car, the cranes' flight distances are still quite large. If you want to get closer to the cranes, you should find a spot at the edge of the moor and obtain permission from the responsible farmer to set up a camouflage tent.
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The moor is extremely nutrient-poor, so only a few plants have a chance to thrive on this soil. A typical moor plant is the sundew (drosera). This carnivorous plant does not obtain its nutrients from the barren soil but feeds on the insects that have carelessly landed on the plant. The sundew is only a few centimeters high and not easy to spot and also not easy to photograph. Often there is no other option but to place the camera directly on the ground to take pictures of the plant at eye level. The depth of field is usually extremely low, as you are almost always working on a scale of 1:1. As the plant is an endangered species, extreme caution must be taken when photographing it, so as not to damage the environment or the plant itself.

It is much easier to photograph cotton grass than the sundew. Cotton grass is quite common in moors, and the best time to see it in full bloom in the Diepholz Moor area is mid to late June when the "cotton balls" are on full bloom. In my opinion, backlit shots have a special charm with this plant. However, if you want to take a sharp photo without motion blur, you should choose a relatively calm day. Other plants that are also common in the moor due to their ability to thrive in nutrient-poor soil include heather, cross-leaved heath, purple moor grass, peat moss, cranberry, and of course, birch.
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From spring to autumn, the moors are populated by countless small and larger insects. While mosquitoes can be very annoying in midsummer, especially dragonflies, some butterflies, or even spiders come to the fore as subjects. To avoid the stinging pests, which are primarily encountered between June and August, the early morning hours are a good time to explore. In the early morning, insects are often in a state of cold rigor, especially after a cold night, which has the advantage that one can approach the insects calmly, and beautiful light plays can result when the insects are covered in morning dew. However, a tour in the evening hours is also worthwhile because it is easier to approach the insects as many have already found a place to sleep and are not as active. In the evening hours, I recommend having mosquito spray on hand during the summer months.
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