The winds of change on beaches
AUTUMN gales for some signal the end of summer, but for others they represent a time of great dynamism, change and excitement.
When the wind picks up it gets the sand on the coast running, especially on dry days, so that huge sheets of it can dance and hiss across our beaches as if the whole landscape is alive.
In a way it is – some areas will erode, others accrete, but the process that helps to create new embryo dunes as the blown sand gathers around any obstruction on the upper beach is the very essence of the changing coastal eco-system that Sefton is so famous for.
Once the dunes get large enough, the enigmatic and rare Sandhill Rustic moth may move in where Sand Couch Grass takes hold (this species spends most of its life under the sand, so don’t feel bad if you haven’t seen one).
Northern Dune Tiger Beetles follow, hunting the sunny sheltered slopes of solar-charged sand, and once the dunes begin to build further Sefton’s famous Natterjack Toads and Sand Lizards may appear.
This process has been going on for thousands of years, defining this stretch of the country.
Thanks to strong winds new dunes can rise forming robust defences against high tides – something we should all be profoundly grateful for in an era of rising sea levels around the globe.
Gales churn up the shallow waters of Liverpool Bay too and the tideline becomes a gallery of the creatures that live beneath the waves – Sea Potatoes,
Whelks, Razor Shells, Mermaids Purses and Dog Whelk egg clusters are strewn along the shore.
We looked at the jellyfish that appear in last week’s column, but Cuttlefish bones, Triggerfish and even Sea Beans (exotic salt-resistant and naturally buoyant seed pods washed along in the Gulf Stream from South and Central America) can be found.
This can mean a bounty for gulls and waders that crowd onto the shore in their thousands to feast on the debris washed up after strong winds.
On the one hand the gales are good news for these birds as they provide a much-needed food source, at a time when many are migrating and are desperate to maintain energy levels and build up fat reserves.
Many visitors are surprised to learn that some of the gull species that haunt the Sefton coast are as much a migrant as the Swallow or hyperactive Sanderling.
The downside is that the same weather conditions can exhaust them and leave them tired and wind-battered.
It is vital that folk do not disturb them while they rest – just walking through a group of roosting, exhausted birds can leave them too tired to feed and if disturbance is protracted enough they start to die.
The effort required to avoid resting birds on the coast whether you are walking your dog, horse riding, jogging, strolling or paddling is so minimal it enrages me when I see folk who can’t be bothered to steer clear of these birds.
The Sefton coast is a series of nature reserves first and foremost - please respect it and the wildlife that relies on it.
And next time the wind blows, take time to ponder on the way it has shaped this coastline for thousands of years, and how it influences all the species that can be found here.
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.