The inhabitants of the Long Nanny tern site are an eclectic bunch. From May to the end of July the site becomes home to over a thousand pairs of breeding shorebirds. For Arctic terns
their arrival is the end of a long migration from Antarctica and little terns
travel from the warmer climes of West Africa to join ringed plover, a year
round resident of our coast. Arriving with slightly more luggage than their
avian co-habitants, five National Trust rangers also call the site home for three
months of the year.
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| The Long Nanny tern site © Rachelle Regan |
Although the main focus of the site is the breeding birds,
it harbours hundreds of other species that flourish inside the protected
boundary. The dune flora has enjoyed a
spectacular year. Bloody cranesbill swathes the dunes in a blanket of brilliant
pink, interspersed with the yellow of crosswort and the brilliant blue of
speedwell. Three species of orchid can be found hidden among the marram grass
and clumps of harebell brighten the pathways. This variety creates amazing
habitat for the many species of butterfly and moth found in the surrounding
dunes of Newton Links.
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| Bloody cranesbill and bird's-foot-trefoil © Kevin Redgrave |
Wildlife can be found in strange places. As the summer
progressed the stock fencing became adorned with hundreds of creamy cocoons
containing the pupa of burnet moths. A bag of fence posts left on site made a
perfect hiding place for common lizards, with as many as eight individuals in
one bag. A common shrew has even taken up residence in the rangers hut.
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| Common Lizard © Will Whittington |
With the excitement of the summer migrants it is easy to
overlook the sites permanent residents. Foxes, badger, and deer can be seen all
year round. Many species of wader, including curlew and oystercatcher, spend
the winter months in Beadnell Bay. Toads and hedgehogs hibernate throughout the
winter and drinker moth caterpillars can be seen sunning themselves in the
dunes. Although the end of the summer will bring a brief reprieve for these
locals it won’t be long until new migrants start to arrive, ready to
over-winter on the Northumberland coast.
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| Drinker moth caterpillar © Kevin Redgrave |
