COUNTRYSIDE COUNCIL FOR WALES
SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST: CITATION
ANGLESEY LLYN ALAW
National Grid Reference: SH390865
Site Area: 360 ha
Llyn Alaw is the largest mesotrophic open water in West Gwynedd. It has considerable ornithological interest especially for overwintering wildfowl and the number of teal, shoveler and whooper swans at times are around 1% of the British population. Other wifdfowl species which occur, include mallard, wigeon, goldeneye, pochard and tufted duck and more recently ruddy duck and sometimes pink-footed geese. Common terns and black-headed gulls nest on islands in the reservoir while tufted duck, great crested grebe and coot also nest. In autumn large flocks of waders, in particular curlew, lapwing and golden plover, visit the exposed mud areas.
The uncommon slender spike-rush Eleocharis acicularis occurs in the reservoir margins.