Return to . . . Emsworth Wildlife - Homepage POPPIT SANDS WILDLIFE July-Aug 2011 . . . BIRDS This was our fourth year visiting Poppit Sands for our family holiday - near Cardigan in West Wales. We stayed in a self-catering flat attached to the Webley Hotel overlooking the Teifi Estuary. View of the estuary from our flat window with the regular gathering of Canada Geese Dunlin and Ringed Plover were rare visitors to the shore in front of the Webley Here is a full list of birds recorded from our flat overlooking the estuary in the four years 2011 2009 2008 2007 TEIFI ESTUARY - Max counts Cormorant 1 1 2 Grey Heron 1 1 1 Mute Swan 2 11 60 Canada Goose 156 208 16 Barnacle Goose 1 1 Greylag Goose 1 Shelduck 9 Mallard 16 4 16 Black-headed Gull 50 4 100 Herring Gull 7 25 50 Lesser Black-backed Gull 4 50 40 Great Black-backed Gull 2 2 4 Sandwich Tern 4 Common Tern 2 Oystercatcher 52 40 60 Curlew 1 12 60 Ringed Plover 1 Dunlin 1 Buzzard - soaring 1 BUTTERFLIES Gatekeeper 2 Small Copper 4 Painted Lady 1 Speckled Wood 4 Red Admiral 1 Common Blue 2 GRASSES I think I got most of the grasses, but one was a puzzle - what looked like a Bent-grass (Agrostis) growing on the beach alongside Marram and Lyme with red inflorescences and creeping stolons. My guess was Velvet Bent-grass though it could equally have been Creeping Bent-grass. I consulted Martin Rand who commented on some photos (below) as follows: "I think it's probably a Bent-grass - Agrostis. But Agrostis canina (Velvet Bent-grass) seems very unlikely in that situation. A. stolonifera (Creeping Bent-grass) would be a better bet although it's not characteristic habitat for that, either, and the plants are on the large side. I did also toy with Wood Small-reed Calamagrostis epigejos, which will grow in such places, but the panicle looks a bit open. But then, it does tend to open up at flowering time." I think Wood Small-reed - Calamagrostis epigejos is unlikely as the plants definitely had stolons and not rhizomes and did not seem big enough. So, I inclined to stay with Agrostis, with Creeping Bent-grass (A. stolonifera) as the most likely. Cope and Gray stress that it may be encountered in an exceptionally wide range of habitats and they do mention dune slacks and shingle (p.338). I will have another look next year!  A panicle of Creeping Bent-grass (?) growing on the beach This creeping grass is fairly common on the beach south of the chalets  Grass with creeping runners (stolons) and growing with Lyme and Marram  Marram Grass is the main binding plant on the dunes WILD FLOWERS Here are a few photos from this year only  The pretty yellow flowers of Toadflax were very common on the roadsides and on the dunes Green seedheads of Alexanders later turning black - on the dunes  Burnet Rose was very common on the dunes  This was the only patch of Common Valerian I found on the dunes south of the chalets  The black fruits of Jointed Rush showed up well on the beach    My only Painted Lady of the year feding on the luxuriant Lucerne by the lifeboat station Prickly Sandwort grows on the beach to the south of the chalets   Clumps of Sea (Scentless) Mayweed were common on the beach  We found this lovely Sea Anenome in a rock pool Sea Rocket was widespread on the beach   Sea Spurge was fairly common both on the beach and in the dunes  WEST WALES PLANT LIST Here is my complete list of plants recorded over four yearly holidays. Most were seen at Poppit Sands, with a few at other places visited. Agrimony - occasional on roadside Annual Meadow-grass - general Alder - Roadside Alexanders - with black seeds heads Apple - Few trees on dunes Annual Seablite - on saltmarshes Barren Brome - General Babbington's Orache - Low growing on sandy shore Beech Bee Orchid – a few on dunes. Betony - Gwbert cliffs Bird's-foot Trefoil – Mainly on the dunes. Biting Stonecrop – Fairly common on walls around the area. Bittersweet – dunes and roadside Black Knapweed - frequent on dunes Black Medick – General. Blackthorn – Abundant Bracken – Abundant on hillside Bramble – General. Bristly Ox-tongue - scarce on dunes Broad-leaved Dock – Common Broad-leaved Willowherb - On nature reserve Bulbous Buttercup - Cliffs at Mwnt Bulrushes - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Burnet Rose – Abundant on the dunes. Large hips. New growth. Butterfly Bush - Roadside Cleavers - Occasional on dunes Clustered Dock - mainly on dunes Cocksfoot – General Coltsfoot - scarce on dunes south Cat's-ear - General - frequent Common Centaury – Frequent on the dunes and elsewhere. Common Chickweed - General Common Cord-grass - on saltmarshes by Webley Hotel Common Figwort - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Common Fleabane - scarce on dunes - south Common Fumitory – A few plants found in dunes. Common Gorse – Abundant on the dunes Common Mallow - occasional Common Milkwort – Infrequent on the dunes. Common Mouse-ear – common Common Nettle Common Orache - on saltmarshes in front of Webley Hotel Common Polypody - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Common Ragwort - abundant Common Reed – On saltmarshes Common Saltmarsh Grass Common Sorrel - rare on roadside Common Stork's-bill Common Toadflax - Poppit dunes and Teifi Marsh reserve. Common Valerian – 2011 On dunes to north of chalet - mainly seedheads Common Vetch – General. Compact Rush - scarce on dunes and beach Corky-fruited Water-dropwort - Rare on dunes Cow Parsley – A few plants still in flower. Crack Willow - roadside Creeping Bent-grass - general - also on the sandy beach with stolons Creeping Buttercup – General Creeping Cinquefoil - roadside Creeping Thistle - general on dunes Crested Dogstail – On nature reserve Crow Garlic - On nature reserve and roadside Curled Dock – Occasional in dunes. Cut-leaved Crane's-bill Daisy - General Dandelion – General Danish Scurvygrass - Newquay cliffs Glasswort - on saltmarshes by Webley Hotel Great Mullein - Occasionally on dunes Dog Rose - Occasional Dove's-foot Cranesbill - Occasional Elder - Occasional on roadside Enchanter's Nightshade - Occasional on roadside English Scurvygrass – Common the saltmarshes Eyebright - Occasional on dunes False Brome - roadside False Oat-grass – Occasional Fennel - Newquay cliffs Festulolium Hybrids - Scarce on Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Field Forget-me-not - On nature reserve Field Horsetail – roadside Field Scabious – Road to cliffs at Poppit ,,, scarce on dunes Foxgloves – Occasional on roadside Germander Speedwell - Frequent on dunes Giant Fescue - On nature reserve Giant Horsetail – On edge of saltmarshes by Webley Hotel Glasswort sp – On edge of saltmarshes by Webley Hotel Goatsbeard – rare on dunes Golden Saxifrage – Abundant on Pam and Geoff's estate July 15 2009 Greater Plantain - general Greater Sea-spurrey - Newquay quay Grass Vetchling - On nature reserve Great Willowherb - on dunes and roadside Ground Ivy - general Hare's-foot Clover – frequent on the dunes Hart's-tongue Fern - rare Hawthorn - Abundant Heather - occasional Hedge Bedstraw - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Hedge Bindweed - occasional Hedge Mustard - General Hedge Woundwort Hemlock Water-dropwort – Some large plants on dunes and elsewhere. Hemp Agrimony - On Poppit Roadside. On nature reserve Herb-Robert – General. Himalayan Balsam - on road to Poppit Sands Hoary Ragwort Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Hogweed - General Honeysuckle - Plenty along the road to Poppit Sands Hop Trefoil – Here and there on the dunes. Italian Ryegrass Japanese Knotweed – Only a few seen Jointed Rush - Two patches past the chalets with black seeds Knotgrass - common on beach - south Ladies Bedstraw – Frequent on dunes Large Bindweed – General Large-flowered Evening Primrose - common on dunes Lesser Hawkbit - Occasional on dunes Lesser Sea Spurrey – Fairly common on saltmarshes Lesser Stitchwort – Occasional on roadside and in dunes Long-bracted Sedge – Just one plant on sea wall in front of Webley Long-stalked Cranesbill - Main track of Teifi Marshes 21 July Lords and Ladies Lucerne - Abundant south of the lifeboat station. Different colours. Lyme-grass – A few distinctive tufts on the edge of the dunes Male Fern - rare Marram Grass – Abundant. The main binding grass on the dunes. Marsh Woundwort - occasional on dunes Meadow Buttercup – General Meadow Vetchling - Occasional on dunes Meadowsweet - Plenty on dunes along roadside Montbretia – On seawall in front of hotel. Newquay cliffs Musk Mallow - Rare on dunes Navelwort ** - On roadside up the hill from Poppit. Nipplewort – Occasional Orpine - Single plant on the main track on Teifi Marshes NR Oxeye Daisy – Common on roadside Pale Toadflax - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Perennial Ryegrass - General Perennial Sow-thistle – frequent on the dunes Prickly Saltwort - common on sandy beach Pineappleweed – roadside Purple Loosestrife - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Prickly Sow-thistle - Occasional Pyramidal Orchid – Just a few flowering on the dunes. Red Bartsia – Frequent on dunes Red Clover – Frequent Red Fescue – Mainly on saltmarshes Red Campion – Abundant Red Valerian – Everywhere along road sides. Restharrow – fairly frequent on dunes. Remote Sedge - on path the river from Netpool Ribwort Plantain – General Rock Sea-spurrey - Gwbert cliffs Rosebay Willowherb – Flowering on nature reserve Rough Chervil - Rare on roadside Rough Hawkbit - Occasional on dunes Rough Meadowgrass - General Sand Sedge – The only sedge everywhere on the dunes Scarlet Pimpernel - Newquay cliffs Sycamore - Occasional Sea Arrowgrass – Abundant on the saltmarshes in front of hotel Sea Aster – on saltmarshes Sea Beet - scarce on dunes Sea Bindweed – Occasional on the dunes. Sea Club-rush – General on the saltmarshes. Sea Couch – Common on saltmarshes and dunes Sea Mayweed - common on beach Sea Milkwort – Fairly abundant on shore in front of hotel. 1st for me! Sea Plantain – Common on saltmarshes. Sea Purslane - Frequent on saltmarshes Sea Rocket – Abundant on sandy shore Sea Rush – Lots of old and new plants on saltmarshes. Sea Spurge – Frequenton the sand dunes. Sheep's Sorrel – Occasional on dunes Shepherds Purse – Fairly common Silver Ragwort – One or two bushes near the dunes. Silverweed – Fairly common. Slender Hare’s-ear ** - On nature reserve Smooth Brome – General Smooth Hawk's-beard – Frequent on dunes Soft Brome - Occasional Soft Rush - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Southern Marsh Orchid – 100 dunes north of the lifeboat station. Spear-leaved Orache – Abundant on saltmarshes. Spear Thistle - Occasional on dunes Sweet Vernal Grass – saltmarshes Tall Fescue - On nature reserve Thrift – Common on edge of estuary. Tufted Hair-grass - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Tufted Vetch – Abundant everywhere Upright Hedge-parsley - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Viper's Bugloss – Common mainly in dunes Wall Barley - Occasional on roads Water Figwort - Teifi Marshes Nature Reserve Watercress – A few plants near a small stream. Weld - occasional White Clover – Common White Stonecrop - On nature reserve Wild Angelica - just a few plants on dunes Wild Carrot – Frequent on the dunes Wild Parsnip - common on roadside Wild Thyme - Cliffs at Mwnt Wood Avens - On nature reserve Wood Sage – Surprised to find this one on the dunes. Yarrow - General Yellow Oatgrass Yellow Rattle - occasional on dunes Yorkshire Fog