Dyfi Estuary Mudflats
Encyclopedia
The Dyfi Estuary Mudflats are mudflat
s on the estuary
of the River Dyfi
in Ceredigion
, Wales
, and are part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve
.
, Gwynedd
and Powys
. The area is designated a Special Protection Area
(SPA), as a protected site classified under Article 4 of the EC Directive on the conservation of wild birds. The area comprises the estuary and adjoining salt marsh
and includes sandbanks, mudflats, peat
bog
s, river channels, meanders and creeks, with an extensive sand dune complex across the mouth of the estuary at Ynyslas
.
A large part of the western shore is owned and managed by the RSPB. The site is an established wintering area for Greenland White-fronted Geese, this area being the most southerly regularly used the UK.
The estuary is also a feeding ground for large numbers of Dunlin
, Oystercatcher
, Sanderling
, Manx Shearwater
and Tern
s.
Mudflat
Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats, are coastal wetlands that form when mud is deposited by tides or rivers. They are found in sheltered areas such as bays, bayous, lagoons, and estuaries. Mudflats may be viewed geologically as exposed layers of bay mud, resulting from deposition of...
s on the estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of the River Dyfi
River Dyfi
The River Dyfi is a river in Mid Wales. The Dyfi estuary forms the border between the counties of Gwynedd and Ceredigion.- Source :...
in Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and are part of the Dyfi National Nature Reserve
Dyfi National Nature Reserve
The Dyfi National Nature Reserve, managed by The Countryside Council for Wales, is located north of Aberystwyth in the county of Ceredigion, Waleson the Dyfi estuary.The area was designated as a Nature Reserve in 1969 and consists of three separate areas:...
.
Ecology
The Dyfi Estuary is located on the conjunction of the counties of CeredigionCeredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
and Powys
Powys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
. The area is designated a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
(SPA), as a protected site classified under Article 4 of the EC Directive on the conservation of wild birds. The area comprises the estuary and adjoining salt marsh
Salt marsh
A salt marsh is an environment in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and salt water or brackish water, it is dominated by dense stands of halophytic plants such as herbs, grasses, or low shrubs. These plants are terrestrial in origin and are essential to the stability of the salt marsh...
and includes sandbanks, mudflats, peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s, river channels, meanders and creeks, with an extensive sand dune complex across the mouth of the estuary at Ynyslas
Ynyslas Sand Dunes
Ynyslas Sand Dunes are sand dunes bordering Cardigan Bay and the Dyfi Estuary between Ynyslas and Aberdyfi in Ceredigion, Wales.-Wildlife:The Viviparous lizard, stoats, polecats, rabbits and voles can be found in the dunes. Skylark and Meadow Pipit can be seen and heard over the dunes together with...
.
A large part of the western shore is owned and managed by the RSPB. The site is an established wintering area for Greenland White-fronted Geese, this area being the most southerly regularly used the UK.
The estuary is also a feeding ground for large numbers of Dunlin
Dunlin
The Dunlin, Calidris alpina, is a small wader, sometimes separated with the other "stints" in Erolia. It is a circumpolar breeder in Arctic or subarctic regions. Birds that breed in northern Europe and Asia are long-distance migrants, wintering south to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East...
, Oystercatcher
Oystercatcher
The oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. They are found on coasts worldwide apart from the polar regions and some tropical regions of Africa and South East Asia...
, Sanderling
Sanderling
The Sanderling is a small wader. It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia...
, Manx Shearwater
Manx Shearwater
The Manx Shearwater is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx Shearwaters were called Manks Puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is an Anglo-Norman word for the cured carcasses of nestling shearwaters...
and Tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s.