Mid to upper reach of the Ythan Estuary

The Ythan Estuary (57 20 30 N, 01 57 30 W) is the tidal component of the Ythan River, emptying into the North Sea approximately 19 kilometers north of Aberdeen, Scotland. The estuary’s tidal action extends a full seven kilometers inland and has characteristic widths of 250 to 780 meters. Besides the tidal channel there are several types of interfaces to the upland dunes including mudflats, sand beaches and shingle flats. Certain limited reaches of salt marsh occur, but they are primarily limited to the zone near the Waterside Bridge (crossing of route A975) and the mouth of the Tarty Burn, a small tributary river. Based upon the habitat characteristics of the moorland bordering the east of the Ythan River near the mouth, this estuary is considered^[1] the most significant coastal moorland in the northern United Kingdom. This article is about tides in the ocean. ... The Ythan is a river in the east of Scotland flowing into the North Sea near Newburgh, north of Aberdeen. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... For other uses, see Aberdeen (disambiguation). ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen of the UK Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing numerous ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits. ... This article is about tides in the ocean. ... Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... Mudflats in Brewster, Massachusetts extending hundreds of yards offshore at the low tide. ... 90 mile beach Australia A beach or strand is a geological formation consisting of loose rock particles such as sand, shingle, cobble, or even shell along the shoreline of a body of water. ... Freshwater marsh in Florida In geography, a marsh is a type of wetland, featuring grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, cat tails, and other herbaceous plants (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow water. ... Heaths are anthropogenic habitats found primarily in northern and western Europe, where they have been created by thousands of years of human clearance of natural forest vegetation by grazing and burning on mainly infertile acidic soils. ... Moor may refer to: A high altitude form of heathland habitat widespread in northern Britain; see heath (habitat). ...

The Ythan Estuary is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and appears as site no. 939 on the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance^[2]. There are about 50 breeding pairs of Shelducks^[3] in the estuary, and there is also a mixed tern breeding colony on the east shore about one kilometer from the mouth comprising arctic, sandwich, little and common terns. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. ... // Site listing by country These data have been taken from the Ramsar Sites Database. ... Species Tadorna ferruginea Tadorna cana Tadorna tadornoides Tadorna variegata Tadorna cristata Tadorna tadorna Tadorna radjah The Shelducks, genus Tadorna, are a group of large birds in the Tadorninae subfamily of the Anatidae, the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as the geese and swans. ... Breeding has several meanings related to procreation: In animal husbandry and in horticulture the selection of stock for propagation and the act of insemination by natural or artificial means is called breeding. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Sterna albifrons Pallas, 1764 The Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Topography and geometry

Ythan Estuary with tern colonies and dunes in background.

North of the estuary mouth extend the Sands of Forvie, the most extensive sand dune formation in Europe, which has been shown to have been a Stone Age settlement. Some of the dunes north of the estuary rise to a height of about 80 meters and the lower ones to the south of the estuary rise to about 50 meters in height. Proceeding from the mouth the estuary inland, there are initially beach sands at the margin, thence shingle beach and mudflats. Quickly, by the time of reaching the first roadway bridge crossing about 1.3 kilometers up the estuary, there are mussel beds and marshy areas. Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighboring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Stone Age fishing hook. ...

At its widest point the Ythan Estuary is approximately 780 meters wide. The verges of the upper reaches range from extensive mudflats to marsh and fen. Further upstream is a small island known as Geck Island, inaccessible to waders even at low tide, and which is a haven for cormorants. The broader landscape drained by the Ythan near the coast is a generally mild sloping farmland known as the Buchan plain, that is virtually devoid of trees. In the glacial era, the Ythan River at this point would have been a torrent of melt waters streaming down from the Scottish Highlands. Bales of hay on a farm near Ames, Iowa A farm is the basic unit in agriculture. ... A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ...

Archaeology

Prehistoric man is known to have had settlements in several coastal estuaries along the northeast Scottish coast including the nearby Don River Estuary, River Don Estuary and the Ythan Estuary. Studies have dated the lithics recovered at least as early as 7000 BC, with most of the artefacts from the Ythan mouth area deriving from the Sands of Forvie^[4]. Most of the large collection of lithics was retrieved in the period 1994-2001 from a deflation surface within this active dune system. The excavations revealed the survival of superimposed land surfaces, whose layers revealed hearth structures and other characteristic mesolithic artefacts. While no Viking artefacts have been recovered here, the reader should note that not many kilometers north along the coast is the only place name associated with Viking landings, Saint Olaf at Cruden Bay. Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... Rugged coastline of the West Coast of New Zealand The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the ocean. ... There are at several rivers named Don: Don River, Russia Don River, Toronto River Don, England River Don, Aberdeenshire This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... In the sequence of North American cultural stages first proposed by Gordon Willey and Phillip Phillips in 1958, the Lithic Stage was the earliest period of human occupation in the Americas, covering the earliest, Pleistocene period. ... An artifact (also artefact) is a term coined by Sir Julian Huxley meaning any object or process resulting from human activity. ... The Mesolithic (Greek mesos=middle and lithos=stone or the Middle Stone Age) was a period in the development of human technology between the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods of the Stone Age. ... For other uses, see Viking (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Viking (disambiguation). ... Cruden Bay is the name of a village in Scotland, on the north coast of the Bay of Cruden in Aberdeenshire. ...

Ecology

Dunes on south bank of Ythan Estuary

There are several distinct habitats within the Ythan Estuary complex including marsh, littoral, estuarine, lacustrine and dunes areas. Thus there is a diversity of flora and fauna present in this nature preserve. The estuary itself is tidal seven kilometers from the North Sea. In the estuary and its verges, the presence of tern colonies is notable, since there are several distinct species that utilize the north banks of the Ythan Estuary, and comprise a meaningful percentage of the breeding pairs of terns in the United Kingdom. In the summer. terns can be observed feeding in their characteristic diving patterns approximately 600 to 900 meters inland from the estuary^[5]. Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... Look up habitat in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Freshwater marsh in Florida In geography, a marsh is a type of wetland, featuring grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, cat tails, and other herbaceous plants (possibly with low-growing woody plants) in a context of shallow water. ... A littoral is the region near the shoreline of a body of fresh or salt water. ... Estuaries and coastal waters are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing numerous ecological, economic, cultural, and aesthetic benefits and services. ... Lacustrine is derived from the Latin word lacus, which means lake. ... A nature reserve is an area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... Breeding has several meanings related to procreation: In animal husbandry and in horticulture the selection of stock for propagation and the act of insemination by natural or artificial means is called breeding. ...

At the river mouth numerous species of birds are found, including Scaup, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Velvet Scoter. In lesser numbers Guillemot and Razorbill are occasionally seen at this outlet to the North Sea. Extensive mussel beds are found about three kilometers from the estuary mouth, and these provide food for Eider, Oystercatchers and Turnstones^[6]. On the Forvie Moor element of the Ythan Estuary complex, both Mute swans and Whooper swans are found to occur. Meikle Loch is an element of the Ythan Estuary complex and sustains some aquatic vegetation, and from November to March is home to considerable numbers of wading birds, ducks and geese.. A scaup can be one of two species of diving duck. ... † For other related ducks, see also: Merginae Mergus is a genus of ducks in the seaduck subfamily Merginae. ... Binomial name Melanitta fusca (Linnaeus, 1758) The Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) is a large sea duck, which breeds over the far north of Europe, Asia and North America, where it is known as the White-winged Scoter. ... The Guillemots comprise two genera of auks, Uria and Cepphus. ... Binomial name Alca torda Linnaeus, 1758 The Razorbill, Alca torda, is a large alcid, 38-43 cm in length, with a 60-69 cm wingspan. ... Subclasses Heterodonta Palaeoheterodonta A mussel is a bivalve mollusk that can be found in lakes, rivers, creeks, intertidal areas, and throughout the ocean. ... Species Eiders are large seaducks in the genus Somateria. ... Species Magellanic Oystercatcher Blackish Oystercatcher American Black Oystercatcher American Oystercatcher Canarian Black Oystercatcher African Black Oystercatcher Eurasian Oystercatcher Australian Pies Oystercatcher Chatham Islands Oystercatcher Variable Oystercatcher Sooty Oystercatcher The Oystercatchers are a group of waders; they form the family Haematopodidae, which has a single genus, Haematopus. ... Genera Arenaria Turnstones are two birds species, the Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres), and the Black Turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala). ... Binomial name Cygnus olor (Gmelin, 1789) The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is a common Eurasian member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. ... Binomial name Cygnus cygnus (Linnaeus, 1758) Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) is a large Northern Hemisphere swan. ... Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants, and is, by far, the most abundant biotic element of the biosphere. ... // Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Merginae For other uses, see Duck (disambiguation). ... Genera Anser Branta Chen Cereopsis Cnemiornis (extinct) † see also: Swan, Duck Anatidae Goose (plural geese) is the general English name for a considerable number of birds, belonging to the family Anatidae. ...

Conservation status

Based upon Articles 4.1 and 4.2 of the European Union Directive 79/409/EEC this site qualifies as a Special Protection Area (SPA) by supporting biota populations of European importance. The component landforms which are considered elements of the SPA or SSSI are the estuary itself, the dunes to the east known as the Sands of Corvie, Meikle Loch and the adjacent Kippet Hills. The Ythan Estuary SPA code is UK9002221, which designation was conveyed on March 30, 1998.

Per Article 4.1, Annex I, the Ythan Estuary complex supports the following significant bird populations during the breeding season:

• Common Tern Sterna hirundo, 265 pairs representing up to 2.2 percent % of the breeding population in Great Britain.

• Little Tern, Sterna albifrons, 41 pairs representing up to 1.7 percent of the total breeding population in Great Britain

• Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis, 600 pairs representing up to 4.3 percent of the breeding population in Great Britain

Ythan Estuary also is qualified per Article 4.2 of the EU Directive (79/409/EEC) by sustaining the following winter migratory species populations of European significance: Migration occurs when living things move from one biome to another. ... In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biodiversity. ... This article is about the continent. ...

• Pink-footed Goose, Anser brachyrhynchus, 7213 individuals representing up to 7.7% of the mean wintering Eastern Greenland/Iceland/United Kingdom population

Binomial name Anser brachyrhynchus Baillon, 1834 The Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) is a goose breeding in Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard. ...

References

Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen of the UK Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom. ... Zerg Brood brood comb: the area in a beehive where the queen lays eggs and new bees are raised This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Historic Scotland is the Scottish agency looking after historic monuments. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

See also

• Fowlsheugh
• Wetland

A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ...

External links

• Fisheries Research Service Ythan Estuary Description