SPA description
(information as published 2001)
Avon Valley
The Avon Valley SPA encompasses the lower reaches of the River
Avon and its floodplain on the south coast of England. The site
extends for approximately 20 km between Bickton and Christchurch.
The River Avon displays wide fluctuations in water level and parts
of the valley are regularly flooded in winter. Consequently, the
valley includes one of the largest expanses of unimproved
floodplain grassland in Britain, including extensive areas managed
as hay meadows and grazing marsh under low–intensity agricultural
systems. These extensive floodplain grasslands support wintering
Bewick's Swans Cygnus columbianus bewickii in numbers of
European importance, and Blashford Lakes Gravel Pits within the SPA
are particularly important for wintering Gadwall Anas
strepera.
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:
Over winter;
Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii, 135
individuals representing at least 1.9% 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;
Gadwall Anas strepera, 667 individuals representing
at least 2.2% of the wintering Northwestern Europe population (5
year peak mean 1991/2 - 1995/6)
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.