The year around on Rømø

Spring

March is when the bird migration slowly begins. From March to April, and again in the autumn from late August to mid-October, you can experience Denmark's wildest natural phenomenon, "black sun”, when thousands of starlings fly together across the sky and cover the setting sun.

The scurvy grass plant, which the seafarers used to eat to avoid scurvy, can be picked and used in salads. The plant is rich in vitamin C and can be picked on Stormengene at Havneby.

The large heath burnings usually take place in March. At this time of year, the grass and the heather is dry enough to burn and the bird breeding season has not started yet.

In April the bird migration leads millions of birds over Rømø. From Rømø dyke it is often possible to see the first sandpipers arrive from West Africa and south-western Europe on their journey to their breeding grounds in Siberia and Greenland. The season is slowly getting started for windsurfers and sand yachting. The moor rose – pasque flower - is in flower. It is now time to gather porserakler for herb schnapps.

Birdsong is in full flourish in May, including the cuckoo. The red-backed shrike can be seen along the edge of the heath. Sea kemps grow on the salt meadows. It is the start of the kayaking season.

Summer

In June, the busy summer period commences on Rømø, tourists arrive on the island to enjoy the wide beaches and the beautiful countryside. Windsurfers and sand yachts can be seen on the beach. Fawn are born.

July is a busy month on Rømø, with huge numbers of people on the island. On a hot summer’s day there can be many thousands of guests on the wide beaches, but on foot or by bike you can always find a relatively undisturbed spot.

The rare alcon blue butterfly can be found in the heaths from mid-July, especially at places with bell heather. The rare bog orchid (Hammarbya paludosa) can also be seen in the moist areas of the dune heath. At the end of the month, crowberries, mountain cranberries and bog bilberries mature. Roe deer are in their mating season, and you can hear the call of the roebuck.

In August the sandpipers return from Siberia and Greenland with their grey offspring, and they fill up with food before flying on to West Africa and south-eastern Europe. They can often be seen from Rømø dyke. The heather flowers as a beautiful violet carpet. The bell heather flowers at more moist places. It is high season for berry pricking. Crowberries, mountain cranberries, and bog whortleberries are ready for picking and you can pick all that you can find as long as it is for your own consumption.

From the end of August to mid-October, and again in the spring, you can experience Denmark's wildest natural phenomenon - "black sun" - when several thousands of starlings fly together across the sky and cover the setting sun.

Autumn

In September the bird migration leads millions of birds south over Rømø. Although the berry-picking season is drawing to a close, this is just the right time for cranberries, especially in more moist areas. Mountain cranberry should also still be around. The dew highlights all the cobwebs and heralds the onset of Autumn. In the plantations it is the season for mushrooming and good eating mushrooms can be harvested, such as chanterelles, porcino (Bolétus edúlis) and boletus.

In October, bird migration is at its height. Large flocks of ducks and wading birds rest or pass over Rømø. There are not many tourists on Rømø in late autumn, and winter tranquillity settles over the island. This time offers good opportunities to experience the peace and quiet of the countryside and to enjoy the autumn colours. It is a good idea to hunt for mushrooms in the plantations.

In November there are still migratory birds in the Wadden Sea and overwintering birds arrive. Storms often rage on Rømø during the autumn months. Because of its position on the westerly extreme of Denmark, the full force of the storms often hits the island. The wide beaches can become flooded in long periods of strong westerly winds, but if the beaches are dry there are good opportunities to get wind in the sails of a sand yacht or a kitebuggy.

Winter

Winters on Rømø are often milder than on the mainland. The sea retains heat so that temperatures are often slightly higher on Rømø than in other places in Denmark - there is only a small chance of a white Christmas on Rømø. Moss, lichens, mushrooms and many more Christmas decorations can be gathered in the plantations, such as fir-tree branches and fir cones.

If you are looking for shelter from the wind in a plantation, you can enjoy the winter landscape by following one of the four marked hiking trails.

The winter months are best to experience the Rømø countryside at its harshest and most spectacular - especially when a storm is raging. The winter landscape on the moorland is exceptional, with a mosaic of yellows and browns created by the dry grasses (waxy hair grass and purple moor grass) and the heath bushes (heather and crowberry).

In cold winters, ice packs can be seen on the beaches along Rømø dyke. As Rømø is relatively thinly populated, there is not a lot of artificial light to obstruct the clear, starry winter night sky, and there are good possibilities to observe the stars from Rømø’s three hills in the winter months.