Ever-changing coastline is thriving with autumnal life
THE Sefton coast can seem an unforgiving place on a dreary late autumn day, when the light is fading, the skies are like lead and the clouds and sea melt together on the distant horizon.
Even now features that may seem devoid of activity can actually be providing a lifeline to a whole range of species.
The accretion of land and subsequent growth of vegetation north and south of Weld Road in Southport is part of a process that has been going on for centuries, arguably for thousands of years, as the coastline erodes and accretes, here pushing out towards the Irish Sea.
It was a process our Victorian forebears well understood as it meant that what was once under the sea began to develop such that Southport Marine Lake could be constructed.
A short time before this the high tide reached as far inland as what is now the west end of Nevill Street, but the land pushed out. It is perhaps a thoroughly modern conceit to believe we could or should - prevent such processes. We sometimes forget that this change continues no matter what trials and tribulations we face or what our aspirations may be. The Sefton coast will continue to erode and accrete, creating new land as surely as older dune faces may collapse and disappear into the high tide waves of storm episodes episodes which expert opinion suggests will only become more regular.
Globally rising sea levels suggest this westward expansion of marsh and embryo dunes may well be something residents are profoundly grateful for in generations to come.
Visitors to the Weld Road area may have been surprised to hear Natterjack Toads singing over the summer months, sometimes in the middle of the day, but they have long used this area despite the fact it differs from more traditional Sefton coast sand dune sites.
Skylarks and Meadow Pipits too find shelter to raise families in the grasses and sedges which all fall within the coastline’s Site of Special Scientific Interest protections. At this time of year it may initially seem quieter but look closer and listen out away from the drone of Coast Road traffic.
Wintering Skylarks chirrup over the sedges and Pied Wagtails chase after midges amongst the high tide debris directly beneath the seawall.
If you are lucky you may come across a flock of Twite skittish little finches with curry-coloured faces that winter here, often travelling from as far away as the Outer Hebrides.
To get a good view of these nervous little birds keep an eye on the fencelines of the West Lancs Yacht Club on Southport Marine Lake they often rest there having bathed in puddles to rid themselves of the salt that accrues on their feathers as they feed on the marsh and beach.
Watch from a respectful distance or they will fly as a tight bounding flock over the seawall and back onto the shore.
And on particularly high tides when the sea sweeps in to cover the vegetation the sharp-eyed may get a glimpse of the secretive Jack Snipe - a superb winter visitor from the high north that is rarely seen on the ground thanks to it’s amazing cryptic camouflage and skulking behaviour.
All this and more lurks in what to some is an expanse of grass but is really yet another exciting habitat bursting with life on a coast that provides an astonishing wildlife spectacle, carbon sink and invaluable flood defence.
John works for Green Sefton, the Sefton Council service that brings together the coast & countryside, parks & green spaces, flooding & coastal erosion, risk management and grounds maintenance teams for a joined-up approach to the vital management, development and oversight of Sefton’s beautiful coastline, parks and green spaces. This column looks at the flora, fauna and history of the coastline, and the work carried out to protect it.