Since 1971, the Lepelaarplassen has been a 500-hectare nature reserve on the Markermeer and was designated a Natura 2000 area in 2009.
The core of the Lepelaarplassen consists of clay marshes with three ponds, which were created by the sand excavation during the construction of the Oostvaardersdijk. Along the dyke there is a fourth (percolating) lake where many birds can be found.
Lepelaarplassen is located on an important route for migratory birds. There is a cormorant colony in the area. The cormorants settled in 1985 with about 240 pairs and grew to 5,000 breeding pairs. Due to the lower fish supply, especially in the Markermeer, the colony has been around 1,100 pairs for several years. In the heart of the area there is a large breeding colony of great white egrets (about 150 breeding pairs).
Apart from the marshy, willow-covered part that arose spontaneously after the reclamation of Zuidelijk Flevoland, the area consists largely of open water and reed beds. There are also numerous meadows with puddles where many meadow birds, geese and other waterfowl forage, as well as a sandy mound intended for the sand martin. The construction of a low dike raised the water level in the area, increasing the proportion of swampy and wet grassland.
Source Wikipedia