South Efford Marsh

South Efford Marsh is a nature reserve of the Devon Wildlife Trust. It is situated by the River Avon, about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) south-west of the village of Aveton Gifford, in Devon, England.

South Efford Marsh
Viewed from across the Avon
Location in Devon
Locationnear Aveton Gifford
grid reference SX 688 468
Coordinates50.3070°N 3.8446°W / 50.3070; -3.8446
Area17 hectares (42 acres)
Operated byDevon Wildlife Trust
WebsiteSouth Efford Marsh

Description

The site, area 17 hectares (42 acres), is leased by the Devon Wildlife Trust. It was bought by the Environment Agency in 2009; it had been a grazing marsh by the river estuary since the 1780s, when a retaining wall was built. A tidal gate was installed in 2011, which allows sea water to flow in at high tide. There is now pasture and a developing saltmarsh. Cattle are sometimes put in the marshy fields in order to keep down coarser plants.[1][2][3]

There is a footpath around the northern half of the site; visitors are discouraged from exploring the more open southern half, where there may be nesting and feeding birds.[1]

Birdwatching

There is a bird hide, with all-round views, at the end of the perimeter path.[2]

There are different habitats in the site. In the northern half are sedge warbler, reed bunting and kingfisher; on the banks next to the river, birds to be seen include linnet, whitethroat and chiffchaff; in the salt and brackish water in the south, black-tailed godwit, green sandpiper and oystercatcher are among the birds that may be seen.[1]

References
  1. "South Efford Marsh" Aveton Gifford Community Website. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  2. "South Efford Marsh" Devon Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  3. "South Efford marsh returns as wildlife haven" BBC News, 11 July 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.