Coast and Shore
Tides, cliffs, dunes and seabirds.
The shore is a habitat that changes twice a day. Rock pools hold animals that cope with being covered and uncovered, mudflats feed huge flocks of wading birds, and dunes and saltmarsh protect the land behind them.
Many seabirds nest on cliffs or beaches in spring and summer, and disturbance at that time can lose a whole season's chicks.
183 species and 363 sightings have been recorded in coast and shore habitat by the Bosk community.
Species you may see in coast and shore habitat
- Rock Pigeon (Columba livia)
- Common Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)
- Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
- Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica)
- Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita)
- Common Sunburst Lichen (Xanthoria parietina)
- Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis)
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
- Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
- Ivy-Leaved Toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis)
- Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
- Common Wall Lizard (Podarcis muralis)
- Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius nebulifer)
- Eurasian Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
- Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber)
- Coypu (Myocastor coypus)
- Black-Headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
- Viper's-Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
- Red-Necked Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus)
- Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis)
- Yaeyama Kajika Frog (Buergeria choui)
- Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)
- Hart's-Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium)
- New Zealand Sea Lion (Phocarctos hookeri)
What to look for
- Gulls and terns
- Oystercatcher and other waders
- Rock pool animals at low tide
- Seals on sandbanks
Coast and Shore through the year
Spring
Seabird colonies fill; migrants arrive.
Summer
Breeding season: keep dogs and people away from nesting areas.
Autumn
Waders and wildfowl arrive from the north.
Winter
Large flocks of waders and ducks; storms bring unusual seabirds close to shore.
Why Coasts And Shores Matter
- Estuaries and mudflats are vital feeding stops for migrating birds.
- Dunes and saltmarsh take the force out of storms.
- Seagrass and kelp store carbon and shelter young fish.
How to be kind to coast and shore wildlife
- Respect signs around nesting areas.
- Keep dogs on a lead on beaches in breeding season.
- Keep well back from seals.
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