Oset Nature Reserve

On the edge of Örebro, where the river Svartån flows into Lake Hjälmaren, lies the Oset Nature Reserve. A wetland and bird paradise that stands in glowing colour every autumn.

I ended up here almost by accident, looking for a quiet spot outside the city, and was rewarded with one of the finest autumn landscapes I have seen in Sweden. The reeds stood tall and golden, the Svartån carried its brownish water toward the lake, and over everything lay that particular, slightly damp stillness wetlands so often have.

This place is obviously a home worth protecting for its birds. You can tell from the way it is laid out, the boardwalks and quiet coves built more for watching than for passing through. I spent a long time just waiting, camera ready, as the light slowly shifted across the reeds.

On afternoons like this, Örebro itself fades into the background. Here, where river and lake meet, all that matters is the interplay of water, light and colour that autumn hands out so generously in this reserve.