October 2008 Newsletter

Sefton’s Green Beach

Have you found Sefton’s Green Beach?

It stretches 4km from Ainsdale to Southport, and covers around 100ha. Incredibly it has all developed since 1986. Today it is is one of the most important areas in North-west England for biodiversity.

It includes a range of coastal habitats from strandline through saltmarsh and sand dunes to marsh and alder scrub. 275 wild plants have been recorded, 43 of them rare. Natterjack toads breed, as do Sandhill Rustic moths, skylarks and lapwing.

Even if your identification skills are not up to dealing with rarities, it makes a most attractive walk, especially in summer when many plants are in flower.

The Dee Estuary Conservation Group

The Dee Estuary Conservation Group represents 25 local & national environmental organisations and a further 10 statutory agencies all with an interest in the wildlife of the estuary. It meets three times a year, and in the last 12 months has commented on on a Draft Assessment on the proposed 124 sq km Gwynt y Mor wind farm and the risks it may pose to migrating sea-birds, particularly common scoter and terns.

The DECG also responded to the consultation on the proposed Marine Bill, urging that Marine Conservation Zones should include fish nursery areas such as the shallow waters of the Dee estuary. Powers should be included to close such areas at appropriate times of the year.

Nearer home, of course…

If you can’t make it to Ainsdale, we do have a mini-version on Wirral, between West Kirby beach and Red Rocks, where a new salt marsh and sand dune complex is emerging. Ours is growing much more slowly than the Sefton one, and is less rich in species, bit it’s still a place where you can see geology in action.

So “grass on the beach” can be very good news for wildlife, as well as increasing coastal protection against our rising sea level and increasingly stormy weather.

The Green Beach at Sefton, showing the variety of plants and developing pools where natterjack toads breed. Photo: Hilary Ash

Wind turbine. Photo: Wikipedia

The DECG also expressed concern to Wirral MBC over the proposed Golf Resort on greenbelt land used by birds covered by European Birds Directive.  

Common Tern. Photo: Wikipedia