A Wander on the Coast...

Coastal locations are teeming with all sorts of unique flora and fauna, from the minute to the massive and Spanish Point in Co.Clare is no exception, and a day spent in the sand dunes of Spanish Point in early July proved very productive indeed!

Most sand dunes are planted with Marram Grass, a long rooted plant suited to the harsh sandy terrain found in sand dunes. Marram Grass binds the sand grains and prevents sand being carried during harsh weather conditions, this limits the harmful effects of inconvenient sand deposition and preserves the habitat provided by sand dunes allowing wildlife to thrive.

                                White Clover

                                Red Clover

                                House Fly (Musca domestica) on Dandelion

These dunes happened to be host to both Red and White Clover, a favourite of many pollinators, two flora species which have seen a notable decline with the extensive use of pesticides in both agricultural and domestic use. These clovers are hugely beneficial to many pollinators, particularly bee species, and as a result Spanish Point's sand dunes were buzzing with invertebrate life.

 

It wasn't just invertebrates inhabiting this niche, a noisy flock of predominantly juvenile Starlings were probing the soft sands and scavenging.

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