Abram Flash

Abram Flash is a 7.3 ha site consisting of a mosaic of habitats including mossland (lowland raised bog), wet grassland, reedbed, fen and open water, and forms part of the Wigan Flashes. The site is of particular interest for breeding waterfowl including mute swan, mallard, tufted duck, pochard, garganey, shoveler, gadwall and ruddy duck. Yellow wagtails and waders such as lapwing, snipe and redshank breed in the wet grassland, itself a nationally declining habitat, whilst characteristic birds of swamp and fen such as reed bunting, reed warbler and sedge warbler are also present. The site is also locally important for wintering waterfowl which use the whole Wigan Flashes complex, and can provide valuable feeding and roosting habitat for migrant waders such as greenshank, ruff and dunlin. Water voles are also known to occur on site.