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| Looking eastward over Breakwater Drive |
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| From the Dunes to Breakwater Drive |
Bude
Marsh and Valley Survey Group recently completed their annual survey
of Summerleaze Dunes. July is always seleced as this is the month
when most dune plants are in flower. And they were. The recently
levelled area in front of the RNLI station was expected to be a
barren desert, but plants are beginning to recolonise the area. It
was formerly a home to many wasteland species and some garden
escapes. The car park edges still host many of these species which
is the seed bank for recolonisation of the bare sand.
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| Sea Holly |
The
larger natural dune area continues to be a delight. Sand dunes are
the most natural remaining habitat in the UK and this area comprises
both Embryo and Mobile Dune habitats. It is host to typical species
of these habitats; Sea Holly, Sea Spurge, Marram, Sea Bindweed,
Restharrow and Morning Primrose to name but a few. It is the only
remaining dune habitat between Perranporth in the south and Braunton
Burrows in the north.
The
Sea Holly is an amazing colour and obviously important and attractive
to bees. We observed tens of Red-tailed and hundreds of White-tailed
Bumblebees nectaring on these plants.
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| Dune Chafer on Marram |
The
Survey Group continues to record all of these typical dune plants and
invertebrates which are unique to this habitat. Silvery Leaf-cutter
bees were again identified. They need the soft un-compacted sand in
which to nest, Restharrow for nectar and Bird’s-foot Trefoil leaves
to line their nest all of which are only to be found together here.
We also added an endemic dune species for the first time; Dune
Chafers which were busily producing another generation in the Marram
grass.
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| Silvery Leafcutter Bee approaching her nest |
This
year we recorded 66 species of plants, birds, butterflies and beetles
in this tiny 1.2 hectare area of Bude bringing our running total in
three years of survey to 120 species.
It
is one of Bude’s hidden jewels, a secret treasure that should be cherished.
