SPA description
(information as published 2001)
Loch of Strathbeg
The Loch of Strathbeg is located in north-eastern Scotland, in
Aberdeenshire, inland from Rattray Head. It is a shallow, naturally
eutrophic loch with adjoining reedbeds, freshwater marshes, and
Alder Alnus glutinosa and willow Salix spp. carr.
The calcareous dunes and dune slacks within the site are relatively
undisturbed and contain a rich flora. The loch constitutes the
largest dune slack pool in the UK (200 ha) and the largest
waterbody in the north-east Scottish lowlands. It is separated from
the sea by a 0.5-1 km wide dune system. The SPA provides wintering
habitat for a number of important wetland bird species,
particularly wildfowl (swans, geese and ducks), and is also an
important staging area for migratory wildfowl from Scandinavia and
Iceland/Greenland. In summer, coastal parts of the site are an
important breeding area for Sandwich Tern Sterna
sandvicensis, which feed outside the SPA in adjacent marine
areas.
Qualifying species
For individual species accounts visit the Species
Accounts section
This site qualifies under Article 4.1 of the
Directive (79/409/EEC) by supporting populations of European
importance of the following species listed on Annex I of the
Directive:
During the breeding season;
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis, 530 pairs
representing up to 3.8% of the breeding population in Great Britain
(5 year mean, 1993-1997)
Over winter;
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis, 226 individuals
representing up to 1.9% of the wintering population in Great
Britain (5 year peak mean 1991/2 - 1995/6)
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus, 183 individuals
representing up to 3.3% of the wintering population in Great
Britain (5 year peak mean 1991/2 - 1995/6)
This site also qualifies under Article 4.2 of
the Directive (79/409/EEC) by supporting populations of European
importance of the following migratory species:
Over winter;
Greylag Goose Anser anser, 3,325 individuals
representing up to 3.3% of the wintering Iceland/UK/Ireland
population (winter peak means)
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus, 39,924
individuals representing up to 17.7% of the wintering Eastern
Greenland/Iceland/UK population (5 year peak mean 1991/2 -
1995/6)
Assemblage qualification: A wetland of international
importance.
The area qualifies under Article 4.2 of the
Directive (79/409/EEC) by regularly supporting at least 20,000
waterfowl
Over winter, the area regularly supports 49,452 individual
waterfowl (5 year peak mean 1991/2 - 1995/6) including: Teal
Anas crecca, Greylag Goose Anser anser,
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus, Barnacle Goose
Branta leucopsis, Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
.
Note:
Many designated sites are on private land: the listing of
a site in these pages does not imply any right of public
access.
Note that sites selected for waterbird species on the basis of
their occurrence in the breeding, passage or winter periods also
provide legal protection for these species when they occur at other
times of the year.