skating at the big wheels

De Groote Wielen[2] (Frisian and officially: Grutte Wielen) is a Natura 2000 area in the Dutch province of Friesland, designated on 14 March 2011[1], and located in the municipalities of Leeuwarden and Tietjerksteradeel, northeast of the city of Leeuwarden. The area is subject to the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.

It covers 609 hectares and consists of a number of sub-areas, mostly managed by It Fryske Gea. In addition to grasslands and marshes, the area contains the interconnected lakes Groote Wielen (Grutte Wielen), Houtwielen (Houtwiel), Sierdswiel and the basin of the former small river De Rijd (De Ryd).

History
The ponds in the area were created in the Middle Ages by floods of the former Middelzee and by drainage of the eastern raised bog area. Later, peat bogs and wetlands were formed by peat cutting. The site was reclaimed on the west and east sides as agricultural grassland (polders) and is managed as a meadow bird area. The polders and marshes also act as water storage for the Frisian bosom.

Subareas
Rijperkerksterpolder (Ryptsjerksterpolder)
Binnemiedepolder
Weeshuispolder (Weeshûspolder)
Koekoekspetten
Wielsicht
Buismans Duck Decoy (Buismans Einekoai)
Kobbe Duck Decoy (Kobbe Einekoai)
On Toutenburg
Special flora and fauna
Flora
Big rattle, Marsh saltgrass, Common water rush, Small glasswort, Bog moss, Common marshwort, Water creepweed, Water thistle, Wood rush, Crabgrass, Water violier, Large bladderwort, Small-headed glossy weed.
Fauna
Root vole, Common bat, Bittern, Marsh harrier, Yellow wagtail, Bearded reedling, Bittern, Bluethroat, Water rail, Reed warbler, Lesser warbler, Black-tailed godwit, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Common moustache, Common redshank, Common redshank, Common redshank, Common redshank, Common redshank, Common redshank, Common redshank, Common