Identification of Wintering Waterfowl High Tide Roosts & Recreational Disturbance Impacts on Taw Torridge Estuary

The Taw Torridge Estuary is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in northern Devon which is noted for its overwintering bird interest and intertidal mud and saltmarsh habitat.

The study will focus on the overwintering bird interest and collation of roost site data in these areas.

The main aims of this project are to:

- provide evidence of the location and nature of wintering waterfowl high tide roosts, the bird assemblages associated with these roosts and the relative size and importance of the roost sites to key species in the Taw Torridge Estuary.

- Identify the causes of bird disturbance and the effects of any disturbance on the birds using the estuary. This would involve looking at the disturbing activity and the subsequent reaction of the birds, including an assessment of the significance/intensity of that disturbance.

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