European Site Conservation Objectives: Supplementary Advice on Conserving and Restoring Site Features South West London Waterbodies Special Protection Area (SPA) Site code: UK9012171 Kempton Park Reservoir, one of the component parts of the SPA in winter 2008. © Natural England. Date of Publication: 29 January 2018 Page 1 of 20 About this document This document provides Natural England’s supplementary advice for the European Site Conservation Objectives relating to South West London Waterbodies SPA. This advice should therefore be read together with the SPA Conservation Objectives available here. This supplementary advice replaces and updates a previous draft version dated 6 January 2017. You should use the Conservation Objectives, this Supplementary Advice and any case-specific advice given by Natural England, when developing, proposing or assessing an activity, plan or project that may affect this site. This Supplementary Advice to the Conservation Objectives presents attributes which are ecological characteristics of the designated species and habitats within a site. The listed attributes are considered to be those that best describe the site’s ecological integrity and which, if safeguarded, will enable achievement of the Conservation Objectives. Each attribute has a target which is either quantified or qualitative depending on the available evidence. The target identifies as far as possible the desired state to be achieved for the attribute. The tables provided below bring together the findings of the best available scientific evidence relating to the site’s qualifying features, which may be updated or supplemented in further publications from Natural England and other sources. The local evidence used in preparing this supplementary advice has been cited. The references to the national evidence used are available on request. Where evidence and references have not been indicated, Natural England has applied ecological knowledge and expert judgement. You may decide to use other additional sources of information. In many cases, the attribute targets shown in the tables indicate whether the current objective is to ‘maintain’ or ‘restore’ the attribute. This is based on the best available information, including that gathered during monitoring of the feature’s current condition. As new information on feature condition becomes available, this will be added so that the advice remains up to date. The targets given for each attribute do not represent thresholds to assess the significance of any given impact in Habitats Regulations Assessments. You will need to assess this on a case-by-case basis using the most current information available. Some, but not all, of these attributes can also be used for regular monitoring of the actual condition of the designated features. The attributes selected for monitoring the features, and the standards used to assess their condition, are listed in separate monitoring documents, which will be available from Natural England. These tables do not give advice about SSSI features or other legally protected species which may also be present within the European Site. If you have any comments or queries about this Supplementary Advice document please contact your local Natural England adviser or email [email protected] Page 2 of 20 About this site European Site information Name of European Site South West London Waterbodies Special Protection Area (SPA) Location Berkshire, Surrey, Greater London Site Maps The designated boundary of this site can be viewed here on the MAGIC website Designation Date 22 September 2000 Qualifying Features See section below Designation Area 825.1 ha Designation Changes n/a Feature Condition Status Details of the feature condition assessments made at this site can be found using Natural England’s Designated Sites System Names of component Sites of Kempton Park Reservoirs SSSI, Knight and Bessborough Special Scientific Interest Reservoirs SSSI, Thorpe Park No 1 Gravel Pit SSSI, Wraysbury (SSSIs) No 1 Gravel Pit SSSI, Wraysbury Reservoir SSSI, and parts of Staines Moor SSSI, and parts of Wraysbury and Hythe End Gravel Pits SSSI Relationship with other The boundary of this SPA coincides with South West London European or International Site Waterbodies Ramsar site https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1038 designations Other information Natura 2000 Standard Data Form for South West London Waterbodies SPA Site background and geography The South West London Waterbodies SPA comprises a series of embanked water supply reservoirs and former gravel pits which support a range of man-made and semi-natural still, open-water habitats. The complex is situated to the west of London on the broad floodplain of the River Thames. The waterbodies vary in character from highly artificial, concrete-lined reservoirs used for public water supply to long-established lakes derived from former sand and gravel pits surrounded by mature habitats including scrub, grassland and woodland. All of the waterbodies are fed by water derived from the River Thames, either directly via groundwater flowing through alluvial sands and gravels or via pumped supply. The SPA is part of a much larger complex of water bodies with a range of different characteristics, and ducks utilising the waterbodies in the SPA also use some of these alternative sites. The lakes and reservoirs have varying levels of public use. Some are closed to the public, but most have long- established recreational use. The uses include sailing, canoeing, water-skiing, fishing, birdwatching, diver training and open water swimming. The complex is situated in the Thames Valley National Character Area (NCA). Most of the complex is situated in a semi-urban setting on the outer fringes of London but in some cases the landscapes surrounding the waterbodies are predominantly semi-natural. Some have an air of relative tranquillity despite the close proximity of major transport links but noise and air pollution are significant issues in the Page 3 of 20 area. The complex is part of a wider ‘network’ of waterbodies spread over a wide area and birds utilising the lakes and reservoirs in the SPA may be dependent upon this wider resource at certain times. About the qualifying features of the SPA The following section gives you additional information about this SPA’s qualifying features. These are the individual species of wild birds listed on Annex I of the European Wild Birds Directive, and/or the individual regularly-occurring migratory species, and/or the assemblages (groups of different species occurring together) of wild birds for which the SPA was classified for. Qualifying individual species listed in Annex I of the Wild Birds Directive (Article 4.1) During the non-breeding season the SPA regularly supports: Internationally important numbers of Gadwall Anas strepera When classified, the SPA supported 710 individuals (5 year peak mean 1993/94-1997/98 based on WeBS data supplied by BTO) which represents 2.4% of the North West European population. Once a rather scarce winter visitor, Gadwall are now distributed widely across the UK, using both inland and coastal wetlands. The birds present in the UK during the winter are derived from UK breeding birds, along with birds that have bred in Fennoscandia, central and eastern Europe and western Russia. Gadwall favour shallow water bodies which are naturally eutrophic (nutrient-rich) with low levels of human disturbance, and tend to utilise lakes with an ‘open’ landscape character i.e. low levels of dense fringing vegetation of scrub or reed-beds. The Gadwall is a ‘dabbling’ duck feeding primarily on aquatic vegetation, including macrophytes and filamentous algae. Invertebrates may also be eaten as a minor part of the diet. They frequently demonstrate a degree of ‘kleptoparasitic’ behaviour in that they will feed on aquatic and semi-aquatic plants (‘macrophytes’) brought to the surface by other duck species and more usually coot. Water quality and chemistry are therefore important aspects in habitat suitability as factors such as high levels of turbidity or siltation may render sites or parts of sites unsuitable if macrophyte beds are affected. The different types of water body provide a range of habitat features which are of value for Gadwall at different times. For example, areas of good quality feeding habitat are of particularly high value immediately after migration in order to quickly replenish energy reserves whilst the larger reservoirs provide valuable open water habitat for social behaviour. The general population trend exhibited by Gadwall is one of significant increase since the 1960s. In the local context numbers of Gadwall recorded in the SPA have shown a general increase in numbers but with apparent population declines recorded at some component sites. There is evidence that this is the result of a re-distribution of birds in the region rather than a real reduction in population, i.e. they are utilising other water bodies in the Thames valley and wider region (Banks, Austin & Rehfisch 2004). Gadwall (and Shoveler) are known to have relatively low fidelity to particular sites and will readily move to other water bodies depending on circumstances. There also appear to be changes in Gadwall migration and distribution patterns on a larger scale with larger numbers aggregating in areas such as Breckland, the Midlands and the north of England. At the time of writing the UK total wintering population is estimated to be 25,000 individuals (BTO estimate), with a continuing but slowing trend of increasing numbers (20% increase between 2002/3 and 2012/13). Data indicate that the overall European population trend remains one of increasing numbers. The population is reported to have increased by about 2.5% over the period 1966 to 2010 and the species is currently listed in the category Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Internationally important numbers of Shoveler Anas clypeata When classified, the SPA supported 853 individuals (5 year peak mean 1993/94-1997/98 based on WeBS data supplied by BTO) which represented 2.1% of the NW and central European population.