Observation Tower at Steinhorster Becken

Wiki says:
Due to the course of the Ems and parallel watercourses there were always floods in the cities Rietberg and Rheda-Wiedenbrück in the district Gütersloh. It was therefore decided in 1972 to build a water retention basin in Steinhorster Bruch in the north of the district of Paderborn and east of Westerwiehe. The dykes were used to rebuild an area through which the Ems flows; If there is a risk of flooding, a weir should be closed so that the water can collect in the pool. The dyke and Staubauwerke are managed by the water association Obere Lippe. In a trial, it was found that wading and waterfowl settled in this basin. Together with some ornithologists of the region, a concept has been developed to provide habitat to these birds and not just to fill the basin at high tide. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia provided the financial means to first acquire the required land. In addition, money had to be made available for the design of the biotope.
The nature reserve serves as resting place, food and moulting place as well as wintering place for migrating bird species. It is also a breeding and refuge for birds that are typical of wetlands. In winter, swimming and diving, Arctic geese, gray and white egrets, cormorants and goosander back here. In spring, the cranes take a break when returning from the south, fish eagles, black storks and peregrine falcons, the basin also serves as a resting place at the time of bird migration. The breeding birds include the species Black-headed Gull, Lapwing, Curlew and Great Crested Grebe. In 2010, a pair of white storks successfully brooded on a stork mast for the first time.

There are two observation towers along the circular route, the less frequented one is the tower located at the back. This tower is also directly, in a few steps from the parking lot, reachable!

Not only for binoculars - also great for nature photographers!