Bridgwater Bay is on the estuary of the River Severn, near Bridgwater in Somerset, United Kingdom at the mouth of the River Parrett. Several of the man-made drainage ditches from the Somerset Levels also drain into the bay. Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing numerous ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits and services. ... The Severn Bridges crossing near the mouth of the River Severn The River Severn (Welsh: Afon Hafren) is the longest British river, at 354 kilometres (219 miles) long; it rises at an altitude of 610 metres on Plynlimon near Llanidloes, in the Cambrian Mountains, Mid Wales, and it passes through... Map sources for Bridgwater at grid reference ST3037 The statue of Admiral Robert Blake at Cornhill, Bridgwater, with St Marys Church in the background (1998). ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... The River Parrett has its source in the springs in the hills around Cheddington in Dorset in England and flows west through the Somerset Levels to its mouth in the Bristol Channel at Bridgwater Bay, an important Nature Reserve. ... The Somerset Levels (or Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly called) is a sparsely populated wetland area of central Somerset between the Quantock and Mendip hills, consisting of marine clay levels along the coast, and the inland (often peat based) moors. The total area...

At low tide extensive areas of mudflats (the Steart and the Berrow Flats) are exposed, providing important feeding and over-wintering grounds for waders (shorebirds). Consequently Bridgwater Bay is a National Nature Reserve, and is managed by English Nature. Mudflats are relatively flat, muddy regions found in intertidal areas. ... Families Charadridae Jacanidae Rostratulidae Ibidorhynchidae Recurvirostridae Haematopodidae Scolopacidae Dromadidae Burhinidae Glareolidae Thinocoridae Waders, called Shorebirds in North America (where wader is used to refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons), are members of the order Charadriiformes, excluding the more marine web-footed seabird groups. ... National Nature Reserves in England are managed by English Nature and are key places for wildlife and natural features in England. ... English Nature is the United Kingdom Government Agency that promotes the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England. ...

Rarer species spotted in the area include Avocets, Wilson's Phalarope, the White-rumped Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Montagu's Harrier (in spring), Ortolan Bunting and Richard's Pipit (in autumn). Binomial name Recurvirostra avosetta Linnaeus, 1758 The Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) is a large wader in the avocet and stilt family, Recurvirostridae. ... Binomial name Phalaropus tricolor (Vieillot, 1819) The Wilsons Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, is a small wader. ... Binomial name Calidris fuscicollis (Vieillot, 1819) The White-rumped Sandpiper, Calidris fuscicollis is a small shorebird. ... Binomial name Actitis macularia (Linnaeus, 1766) The Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia is a small shorebird. ... Binomial name Circus pygargus Linnaeus, 1758 The Montagus Harrier (Circus pygargus) is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. ... Binomial name Emberiza hortulana Linnaeus, 1758 The Ortolan, or Ortolan Bunting, Emberiza hortulana, is a bird formerly celebrated for the delicate flavour of its flesh, and a member of the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. ... Binomial name Anthus richardi Vieillot, 1818 The Richards Pipit (Anthus richardi) is a medium-sized passerine bird which breeds in open grasslands in Siberia. ...

The mud flats are, however, potentially dangerous, and it is not uncommon for the emergency services to mount rescue operations. Following the death of Lelaina Hall off Berrow in 2002, a local fundraising campaign succeeded in purchasing a Swedish built BBV6 rescue hovercraft. The hovercraft is operated by BARB in Burnham on Sea 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A U.S. Navy hovercraft attached to the Amphibious assault ship Kearsarge (LHD-3) A hovercraft is a vehicle that is supported on a cushion of air. ... Map sources for Burnham-on-Sea at grid reference ST3049 Burnham-on-Sea is a town in Somerset, England, at the mouth of the River Parrett and Bridgwater Bay. ...

External links

• Burnham Rescue Hovercraft Web site
• Hovercraft campaign