Stevenston Beach: Difference between revisions

'''Stevenston Beach''' is a [[Local Nature Reserve]] (LNR),<ref name=snh>[http://www.snh.org.uk/about/lnr/detail.asp?id=8152 SNH] Retrieved : 2012-08-29</ref> located between [[Stevenston]] and [[Saltcoats]] in [[Scotland]]. It is situated on the coast, west of the Stevenston Burn. The park covers an area of 12 ha (81.5 acres), and consists mostly of sand dunes, with an area of coal mining spoil derived from Auchenharvie Colliery No. 5 pit which produced Ladyha' coal.<ref name=c>Clements, Page 85</ref><ref>[http://maps.nls.uk/os/6inch-2nd-and-later/view/?sid=75494345 6 inch OS Map] Retrieved : 2013-05-10</ref> It is ranked as the fifth most important sand dune system in Ayrshire.<ref name=sbl>Stevenston Beach LNR Conservation Management Plan</ref> The dunes are also designated as a wildlife site by the [[Scottish Wildlife Trust]].

The sand dunes lay in the lands of Saltcoats Campbell, belonging to the Campbell's of Dovecothall and later to the Warner's of Ardeer House near [[Piperheugh]] on the outskirts of [[Stevenston]].<ref>Clement, Page 26</ref> The early [[Ordnance Survey|OS]] maps show that a magnesia works was present in the area from 1832. A dwelling known as Summerseat in 1856 extended into the northern part of the dunes, bisected by the railway that forms the present boundary. Railway tracks and tramways associated with the Auchenharvie Colliery pit and its bing or spoil heap extended into the dune slack area until lifted in the 1940s. A [[Triangulation station|Trig Point]] was positioned on top of this bing. The promenade or sea defence for the railway forms the western boundary of the LNR and the Stevenston Burn forms the eastern boundary. In the 1970's1970s a couple of small buildings were all that was left of the old colliery and satellite photographs show their foundations and the extent of the spoil heap.

The reserve represents the last fully forming sand dune system in [[North Ayrshire]] following the destruction and stabilisation of the Ardeer Hills sand dune sytemsystem in the 19th century. Its sands are shifting and therefore changing the structure and position of the dunes.

Rarer sand dune vegetation such as Babington's Orache (''Atriplex glabriuscula'') and [[Isle of Man Cabbagecabbage]] (''Coincya monensis monensis'') have been recorded,<ref name=snh/> together with typical sand dune wild flowers, including European Marrammarram Grassgrass (''[[Ammophila arenaria]]''), Lymelyme Grassgrass (''[[Leymus arenarius]]''), [[Kidneykidney Vetchvetch]], [[Tuftedtufted Vetchvetch]], Commoncommon Restharrowrestharrow (''[[Ononis repens]]''), European Searocketsearocket (''[[Cakile maritima]]''), [[Seasea Campioncampion]] (''Silene maritima''), Pricklyprickly Saltwortsaltwort (''[[Kali turgida]]''), Scottish Bluebellbluebell (''[[Campanula rotundifolia]]'') and, [[Birdbird's-foot Trefoiltrefoil]], ragwort (''[[Senecio jacobaea]]''), sea mayweed (''[[Tripleurospermum maritimum]]'') and sea sandwort (''[[Honckenya peploides]]''). Plants such as Lymelyme Grassgrass were so important in stabilising sand dunes that during the 17th -century reign of [[William III of England|William III]], the Scottish Parliament passed a law protecting it.<ref>[http://www.plantguide.org/sea-lyme-grass.html Lyme Grass] Retrieved : 2012-08-31</ref>

The sand dunes and shoreline plants support large numbers and a wide variety of insect species. Butterflies and moths present include [[Commoncommon Blueblue]]s (''Polyommatus icarus''), [[Smallsmall Heathheath (butterfly)|Smallsmall Heathheath]]s (''Coenonympha pamphilus''), Smallsmall Copperscoppers (''[[Lycaena phlaeas]]''), the sub-species ''caeruleopunctata'', [[Graylinggrayling (butterfly)|Graylingsgraylings]] (''Hipparchia semele'') and the [[Sixsix-spot Burnetburnet]] (''Zygaena filipendulae'').<ref name=sc>[https://sites.google.com/site/stevenstonconservation/Home/stevenston-beach-lnr Stevenston Conservation] Retrieved : 2012-08-29</ref>

Waders found on the beach include [[Sanderlingsanderling]] (''Calidris alba''), [[Dunlindunlin]] (''Calidris alpina'') , [[Ringedringed Ploverplover]], and [[Oystercatcheroystercatcher]]s are found on the neighbouring beach park. [[Brent Goosegoose]], [[Littlelittle Stintstint]], and [[European Goldengolden Ploverplover|Goldengolden Ploverplover]] are sometimes seen. The strandline on the shore contains marine invertebrates, which is a food source for flocks of [[Twitetwite]] (''Carduelis flavirostris''), [[Linnetlinnet]] (''Carduelis cannabina''), [[Whitewhite Wagtailwagtail|Piedpied Wagtailwagtail]] (''Motacilla alba yarrellii''), and, occasionally, [[Snowsnow Buntingbunting]] (''Plectrophenax nivalis'').<ref name=sc/> [[Eurasian Skylarkskylark]] (''Alauda arvensis'') and [[Meadowmeadow pipit]] (''Anthus pratensis'') are likely sightings and [[Ravenraven]]s (''Corvus corax'') are sometimes seen. Common snipe and jack snipe were both recorded at the site in 2014. Rooks are common and great black-backed gulls are seen in addition to the black-headed and herring gulls.

In August 1962 the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald (15th15 August, 1962) reported that a penguin was spotted on the rocks at 'Sandylands Beach.' The police were informed but failed to catch it and its fate is not known. In 1998 150 plant species and 60 bird species were recorded at the site.

[[ImageFile:Rosa rugosa hip Neelix.jpg|thumb|upright|''Rugosa'' rose hips resemble tomatoes]]

[[File:Rosa_rugosa_budsRosa rugosa buds.jpg|thumb|left|250px|''Rosa rugosa'' buds on [[Grape Island, Massachusetts]]]]

The dunes have suffered from non-native or inappropriate plantings such as alder, privet, hawthorn, [[michaelmas daisy]], and in particular the Rugosa rose (''[[Rosa rugosa]]''). It is a suckering [[shrub]] which develops new plants from the roots and forms dense thickets 1–1.50&nbsp;m tall. In late summer and early autumn the plants unusually often bear fruit and flowers at the same time. Planted nearby at the car park as an [[ornamental plant]] it has spread to the reserve and is now widespread and expanding. It is extremely tolerant of seaside [[sodium chloride|salt]] spray and [[storm]]s and is considered an [[invasive species]]. At Stevenston it is out-competecompeting native flora, thereby threatening the biological diversity of this Local Nature Reserve.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nobanis.org/files/factsheets/Rosa_rugosa.pdf |title=NOBANIS — Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet — ''Rosa rugosa'' |author=Weidema, I. |dateyear=2006 |work=Online Database of the European Network on Invasive Alien Species — NOBANIS [http://www.nobanis.org www.nobanis.org] |publisher= |accessdate=29 August 2012}}</ref> SNAPS (Scottish National Aerial Photography Scheme) has been used to map the areas of the Japanese rose domination. It is hoped that volunteers will be able to prevent its further spread by digging it out by hand and removing it from the site for appropriate disposal.