A dominant habitat here in Bude, small areas of dunes edge the car parks where blown sand from the beach gathers, these are dominated by drought-resistant grasses such as marram, sea holly, spurges and other unusual species. Dunes are not static and where erosion from trampling or big tides expose bare sand they soon blow away. The covering of plants creates a root structure that helps to bind and the vegetation above ground reduces the air flow. Dunes are great places to look for insects that have blown in and check for rare plants, they also seem to collect large numbers of terrestrial snails. The sand on the beach is a very different place, here the large particles (compared with the silt and mud of the estuary and river) provide extremely difficult living spaces. Worms find it difficult to live as the sand does not hold the tunnels open (they build cases to overcome this), the sand is mobile so they are frequently exposed to predators. To live here requires protection so bivalves can often be found. Cockles, tellins, razors and others move through the sand easily their shape adapted for less friction. Sea potatoes and the the sea mouse ( a furry worm) are common on sandy shores but I have yet to find either at Bude.
Where the sand is constantly or frequently wet the diversity increases, with gobies, sand eels and weaver fish using the now fluid sand to hide. Seaweeds find it difficult to establish here, they cant get a hold on the surface but some can actually bind it together. Where the sand lies in a pool look for anemones, daisy and gem, these often lie with just the tentacles showing. The sandy strand line is an excellent place to search for sand hoppers and detritivores, flies lay eggs and all of these eat the stranded seaweed fragments. This provides rich pickings for small waders such as sanderlings and turnstones in the winter and autumn, curlews probe the wet sand for worms and small molluscs. On a sandy shore the strand line is essential to support the food chain and so a tidy beach (natural debris not plastic) is not a healthy one.
Where the sand is constantly or frequently wet the diversity increases, with gobies, sand eels and weaver fish using the now fluid sand to hide. Seaweeds find it difficult to establish here, they cant get a hold on the surface but some can actually bind it together. Where the sand lies in a pool look for anemones, daisy and gem, these often lie with just the tentacles showing. The sandy strand line is an excellent place to search for sand hoppers and detritivores, flies lay eggs and all of these eat the stranded seaweed fragments. This provides rich pickings for small waders such as sanderlings and turnstones in the winter and autumn, curlews probe the wet sand for worms and small molluscs. On a sandy shore the strand line is essential to support the food chain and so a tidy beach (natural debris not plastic) is not a healthy one.