STOUR ESTUARY Internationally Important: Pintail, Grey Plover, Knot

STOUR ESTUARY Internationally important: Pintail, Grey Plover, Knot, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Redshank Nationally important: Great Crested Grebe, Dark-bellied Brent Goose, Shelduck, Goldeneye, Golden Plover, Turnstone Site description Shelducks were located over the whole estuary The Stour is a long and straight estuary, which (Figure 66), but tended to favour the western forms the eastern end of the border between end; numbers were down on the previous Suffolk and Essex. The estuary's mouth winter. Small numbers of Great Northern converges with that of the Orwell as the two Diver, Red-necked Grebe, White-fronted rivers enter the North Sea. The outer estuary is Geese, Barnacle Geese and a single Bar- sandy and substrates become progressively headed Goose were also recorded. muddier further upstream. There are five Wigeon were widely distributed throughout shallow bays; Seafield, Holbrook and the estuary with concentrations at Stutton Mill, Erwarton along the north shore and Copperas and in Jacques and Erwarton Bays but none and Jacques on the south side. Over much of around Bathside Bay. Teal numbers were up its length, the estuary is bordered by sharply by a third on 2002/03 with most in Copperas rising land or cliffs, leaving little room for Bay in the east and on the flats off Mistley in saltmarsh development, which occurs mainly the west. Mallards were found over the whole as a fringe with a substantial proportion of estuary, but mainly south of the river channel Spartina. The rising land and cliffs are covered in Copperas Bay. Most Pintails were found off by ancient coastal woodland with agricultural Mistley and in Copperas Bay, although the land behind. Since much of this land is private, peak was less than half that of the previous there is very little disturbance to most of the winter. Goldeneye reached 233 in December, estuary. Nature conservation in the area most of which were in the river channel off includes the Stour Estuary SSSI and the Mistley. Red-breasted Mergansers, like estuary is part of the Stour and Orwell Goldeneye, favoured the river channel, but Estuaries Ramsar site and SPA. Major parts of were not concentrated in any specific area. The both Copperas and Erwarton Bays are owned count of 45 Goosander in February in Jacques or leased by RSPB and substantial adjacent Bay was a record for the site. Occasional woodlands are owned by Woodland Trust and Mandarin, Gadwall, Shoveler, Eider, Common Essex Wildlife Trust. Some sailing and Scoter, Smew, Water Rail and Moorhen were shooting occurs. A governmental decision is also noted. soon expected regarding proposed port Oystercatchers were found throughout development at Bathside Bay. much of the estuary with the greatest concentrations present in Jacques and Bird distribution Holbrook Bays and off Stutton Mill, whilst Great Crested Grebes were well distributed Ringed Plover preferred Bathside Bay. Over along the main channel, and numbers of this 7,000 Golden Plovers were present in species and Little Grebe were high for recent December with all the bays except Holbrook years. Additionally, nine Slavonian Grebes and Bathside being used by large numbers. formed a site record. Cormorant and Grey Grey Plovers were distributed over the whole Heron were widely distributed, whilst the estuary, the highest densities observed in increase in Little Egret numbers was reflected Holbrook Bay. Lapwing and Knot both with a peak of 38 in November. Mute Swans favoured the inner half of the estuary. The low were concentrated mainly off Manningtree and tide count of nearly 14,000 Dunlin in Mistley, and at Harwich near the mouth of the December exceeded the international estuary. Canada Geese preferred the west of importance threshold, and was well in excess Copperas Bay. Dark-bellied Brent Geese were of the peak Core Count for the winter, widely distributed throughout the estuary, with suggesting movements of feeding birds into concentrations off Mistley and at Stutton Mill, the site. The only area not used by large and on the eastern side of Holbrook Bay. numbers of Dunlin was the eastern side of 192 Copperas Bay. Black-tailed Godwit numbers nationally important numbers on the Core peaked in November; the densest Counts, numbers were somewhat lower at low concentrations as usual were towards the tide, most birds occurring in Holbrook, western end of the estuary (Figure 66). Bar- Copperas and Erwarton bays. Other species of tailed Godwit favoured the central part of the wader recorded included Avocet, Sanderling, estuary, in Holbrook and Copperas Bays with Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Snipe, small numbers elsewhere. Both Redshank and Spotted Redshank and Greenshank. Curlew were widespread over the whole The Stour Estuary is counted by Suffolk estuary and were present in all of the bays, Wildlife Trust under contract to Harwich though both were less dense towards the east Haven Authority. These data are generously of the estuary. Turnstones were present in made available to The Wetland Bird Survey. Figure 66. WeBS Low Tide Count distributions of Shelduck and Black-tailed Godwit at Stour Estuary, winter 2003/04. (BB=Bathside Bay, CB=Copperas Bay, EB=Erwarton Bay, HB=Holbrook Bay, JB=Jacques Bay, SB=Seafield Bay, SM=Stutton Mill). 193 .

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