Beaches and Shorelines | The Wildlife Trusts Beaches and Shorelines Beaches and Shorelines BEACHES AND SHORELINE Turnstone credit Neil Aldridge The shoreline or beach is the point at which the land meets the sea. They can consist of rocks, sand, gravel, shingles, pebbles or cobblestones and are often a mixture of these; the consistency can be sandy, muddy and/or stony and, again, is often a mix of these. What are they? The highest point the tide reaches is the strandline. Here the tides leave behind sediments such as seaweed, dead plants and animal and, unfortunately, litter. Several strandlines can occur on a beach due to changes in the height of the tides. Strandlines provide the main input of energy to sandy shores and intertidal habitats. They are particularly important on exposed shores, where they can act as precursors to sand dunes. As seaweed breaks down it produces organic matter which provides nutrients for pioneering plants trying to establish themselves in exposed beach and sand dune areas. Without this initial impetus, sand dune formation is severely limited. Where are they found?

The coastline of the UK boasts more than 6,000 km of shoreline with habitats ranging from hard-and soft-rock cliffs, sheltered coves, open beaches, river mouths, tidal inlets, estuaries, spits and barriers. Why are they important? Due to the tide the bottom of the beach is often or always covered by water whereas the top of the beach will only be covered by water when the tide is high. Therefore the species of plant and animal will vary greatly from the bottom to the top of the beach. Our beaches and shorelines provide the UK with protection from the sea, dampening the waves and removing energy from storm surges. Although this is not always the case, areas such as those in the North East are subject to high levels of coastal erosion, where soft sediments are being reclaimed by the sea. The greatest biodiversity on the shoreline is in the strandline. This are usually made up of organic matter, mainly seaweeds, driftwood and other debris. With each high tide, new life and material are deposited which contribute towards creating and supporting these unique habitats. Many species depend upon them for their food and shelter. The richest communities are found in the thickest, wettest, rotting material.

These rotting seaweeds provide a rich food source for a great variety of both marine and terrestrial invertebrates including sandhoppers, beetles, small crabs and seaslaters. Large pieces of driftwood provide shelter on the shore for active predators that emerge at night. There are a number of beetles who feed only on sea soaked wood. Many flies such as kelp fly lay their eggs in the strandline, and the emergent maggots become food for predatory beetles and birds. There are a broad group of birds which feed along the shoreline including dunlins, oystercatchers, ringed plover, sanderlings and turnstones. Some are resident others are migratory. These birds search for sandhoppers, other invertebrates and kelp fly eggs which are laid on the seaweed. In addition to invertebrates and birds, strandlines also support other animals, including bats, shrews and voles. Even larger mammals like deer will occasionally visit the strandline to support their diet by feeding on seaweed. Are they threatened? The main threat to British shorelines is pollution from litter and rubbish washed up by the tides. There are two methods to clean a beach - mechanical or hand beach cleaning.

Mechanical beach cleaners are heavy and cause compaction of the sand, this form of cleaning also removes the top 10-15cm of beach which contains high numbers of invertebrates and significant quantities of organic matter, and this has been shown to cause a 90% reduction in strandline species. Hand cleaning allows the natural strandline to remain and support the beach ecosystem, while also getting people involved in beach conservation. Some Wildlife Trusts organise beach cleans and this gives people an opportunity to get involved with protecting shoreline wildlife and improving their local environment. Rising sea level increases the risk of flooding in human populated areas, to avoid these sea walls and other sea defences are built reducing the available habitat available for shorelines. How are The Wildlife Trusts helping? What can I do to help? Visit wildlifetrusts.org/livingseas to find out how you can help our marine conservation work in the UK. Depending on where you live, local Wildlife Trust volunteers help out with everything from recording marine wildlife sightings to beach cleans and educational work. Visit our Living Seas pages online or contact your local Trust to find out more. Marbled Godwit Marbled Godwit Hover over to view. Click to enlarge.

Marbled Godwit This is a large and highly varied group of birds that do not have many outward similarities. Most are water birds that feed on invertebrates or small aquatic creatures. The order is well represented in Washington, with seven families: Family: Scolopacidae This large and diverse family of shorebirds is made up mostly of northern breeders that migrate long distances. Their highly migratory nature leads them astray fairly frequently, and rarities often show up outside their normal range. Many of these mostly coastal birds forage in relation to the tides, rather than the time of day. They use a variety of foraging techniques, but the most common techniques are picking food from the ground or water, or probing into wet sand or mud. Those that probe generally have sensitive bills that open at the tips. Most members of this group eat small invertebrates. Many make dramatic, aerial display-flights during courtship. Nesting practices vary, but both parents typically help raise the young. Clutch size is usually four, and both parents generally incubate. The young are precocial and leave the nest within a day of the hatching of the last chick.

Most feed themselves, although the parents generally tend the young for a varying period of time. The female typically abandons the group first, leaving the male to care for the young until they are independent. Status: Uncommon migrant and winter coast. Rare east. Listen: Maps General Description Marbled Godwits are large shorebirds with slightly upturned bills. They are mottled brown with cinnamon underwings that are distinctive in flight. In winter, they are plain underneath, but during the breeding season they have dark barring on their breasts and bellies. Habitat They nest in native prairie habitats: wet meadows and grassy areas near water. During migration and winter, they are coastal, foraging on mudflats, salt marshes, estuaries, and coastal pools. Behavior Marbled Godwits are commonly seen in flocks with Whimbrels and Long-billed Curlews, both large and brown like the Marbled Godwit. The Marbled Godwit moves slowly, probing for food under the mud with its sensitive bill. It often inserts its entire bill into the mud, and its head is totally submerged at times. Diet In summer, Marbled Godwits eat insects, roots, and seeds.

During migration, they may forage almost exclusively on tubers. In coastal areas, they eat mollusks, crustaceans, and other aquatic creatures that live in the sand and mud. Nesting Marbled Godwits form loose colonies without obvious territorial boundaries. To attract a female, the male performs a high, circling flight display, followed by a steep dive. The male selects a nest site in a dry spot with short grass and starts a shallow scrape. If the female approves it, both will add grass, and sometimes a canopy of grass is arched over the nest. Both parents incubate the four eggs for 24 to 26 days. The young leave the nest soon after hatching and find their own food. Both parents protect and tend the young for the first 15 to 26 days, after which the female usually leaves. The male stays with the young until they can fly. Migration Status Most Marbled Godwits winter in coastal California or Mexico, and some range as far as South America. They migrate in flocks, with juveniles following a few weeks behind the adults. Birds migrate south through Washington in late August through mid-September, and return to the breeding grounds in April through early May.

Conservation Status Marbled Godwits breed in Canada and the interior and north-central area of the United States. The Canadian Wildlife Service estimates the population at 171,500 birds. They were common in the 1800s, but were over-hunted in the early 1900s. Protection from hunting has helped the population rebound, but the destruction of grassland breeding habitat now limits the population. When and Where to Find in Washington Marbled Godwits are most likely to be seen in protected estuaries along the outer coast, from Grays Harbor south, from April to early May, and from July into October. Birds seen later in the fall, from September to October, are usually juveniles. Large flocks often feed on the golf course in Ocean Shores (Grays Harbor County) in the spring. A flock also winters regularly at Tokeland in Willapa Bay (Pacific County). Other possible sites are Blaine (Whatcom County) and Sequim (Clallam County). Abundance Turnstone – What's Wild in Cornwall Rolling waves, baffling birds and a surfing seal…an afternoon at Polly Joke Just five miles from Newquay.

Enjoyed by surfers and dog walkers and those wanting an uncrowded beach walk. Worth a visit. No toilets or cafe. That’s the kind of information you get if you do an internet search for Polly Joke. To say that this is underestimating the call and stark beauty of this small Cornish beach is itself an understatement. I visited a couple of weeks ago with two good friends, one of whom had been visiting the beach since a child, and the other for many years, whereas for me it was my first time. And yet for each of us there were new things to find, fresh wonders to experience, a sense of apartness from the stresses of everyday life. Land around Polly Joke (Photo credit: NickDeluxe) We parked in the small National Trust car park nearby (turn off the road at the sign for Treago Farm), or you can park at West Pentire, a mile away. The National Trust owns the land around the bay, Cubert Common, which definitely sounds worth a ‘spring flower’ explore. But for now, on a brisk early-year day, you should go through the gate and head down the river valley towards the beach. Polly Joke is derived from Porth Joke.

A Google search turns up that ‘Joke’ either means ‘chough’ or, and perhaps more likely, that the name comes from the old Cornish words for Jackdaw Cove – Pol-Lejouack. We didn’t see either of these corvids – choughs (not likely!) or jackdaws (more possible) – but we saw plenty else. You do in fact have to look hard. Isn’t it amazing how many creatures have adapted to merge into the background as much as possible. You have to be pretty alert and able to look beyond the “obvious” to see what is really lying there before your eyes. Literally lying there, in the case of one immature seal. Or rock. Until it hmmphed and lifted its back flippers to us. Definitely a seal. Seal masquerading as a rock (Photo credit: Amanda Scott) We also had to work hard to spot this bird hacking away at mussels on a rock. None of us being experienced birders, we only sorted later that it was a Turnstone. Can you spot it? Turnstone attacking mussels (photo credit: Amanda Scott) And what about the surfing seal of the title of this post?

Ecological ‘received wisdom’ is that animals do nothing energetic that isn’t focussed on survival gain. And yet we do find animals doing things for no obvious reason. For quite a while we watched an adult seal surfing, seeking out the decent waves, riding them into shore, and then repeating the show over and over again. One of us had in fact been there the day before, surfing alongside (probably) the same seal. It was hard to believe the seal was doing this for any reason other than sheer delighted fun. Kestrel: Polly Joke (photo credit: Amanda Scott) We ourselves had a bit of fun with a kestrel, that swooped over our heads and then hid itself in the cliff side. Poised with cameras, we waited for it to take off again, dreaming of an amazing in-flight shot. Not to be! It took off before we were ready, but we still enjoyed the drama and grace as it soared away. Here’s a rather fuzzy shot of it watching us from the cliffs. Cave at Polly Joke (photo credit: Amanda Scott) The beach itself is sandy, full of shells and small stones. Caves beckon, and ripples in the sand lead you on towards the northern Cornish sea.

I studied geology a few years ago, and one of the things I loved best was to find evidence of old beaches in the geological record – shell lines in rock faces, ripples preserved in rocks, cross-bedding reflecting the ebb and flow of tides. Here at Polly Joke those sand ripples are here and now – no different in form from those we can examine in rocks from millennia ago. We cannot escape our connection with the past – we are part of it, and it has structured our very being. Do not ever think we are separate from nature. It was then, it is now, and it is our future. We are as much a part of it as is the seal, the turnstone, the kestrel, the sea and the sand. At Polly Joke, or Porth Joke, the Bay of the Jackdaw, or wherever, we are called to remember that. Share this: Solitary Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Hover over to view. Click to enlarge. Solitary Sandpiper This is a large and highly varied group of birds that do not have many outward similarities. Most are water birds that feed on invertebrates or small aquatic creatures.

The order is well represented in Washington, with seven families: Family: Scolopacidae This large and diverse family of shorebirds is made up mostly of northern breeders that migrate long distances. Their highly migratory nature leads them astray fairly frequently, and rarities often show up outside their normal range. Many of these mostly coastal birds forage in relation to the tides, rather than the time of day. They use a variety of foraging techniques, but the most common techniques are picking food from the ground or water, or probing into wet sand or mud. Those that probe generally have sensitive bills that open at the tips. Most members of this group eat small invertebrates. Many make dramatic, aerial display-flights during courtship. Nesting practices vary, but both parents typically help raise the young. Clutch size is usually four, and both parents generally incubate. The young are precocial and leave the nest within a day of the hatching of the last chick. Most feed themselves, although the parents generally tend the young for a varying period of time. The female typically abandons the group first, leaving the male to care for the young until they are independent.

Status: Maps General Description The Solitary Sandpiper is shaped like the Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, but is smaller than both and has shorter, greenish legs. The bill is straight, thin, and of medium length. The dark back is covered in light spots, and the head is streaked gray. The head is dark enough that the white eye-ring is fairly distinct. The tail pattern, seen in flight, is distinctive. The outer edges are white, barred with black, with a dark center. The wings are entirely dark underneath, sharply contrasting with the white belly. Habitat During the breeding season, Solitary Sandpipers inhabit muskeg bogs surrounded by spruce. During migration, they are usually found along the banks of wooded streams, in narrow marsh channels, and sometimes along the edges of open mudflats. They can also be found in places not usually frequented by shorebirds, such as drainage ditches and mud puddles. This is predominantly a freshwater species and generally avoids tidal flats and salt marshes. Solitary Sandpipers winter in swamps and along river-banks. Behavior Solitary Sandpipers do not gather in flocks.

They are extremely alert and one of the first species to give alarm calls in response to a perceived threat. These sandpipers usually forage in shallow water, picking up food items from the surface or probing into the water and mud. They may also use their feet to stir up small creatures from the bottom. Solitary Sandpipers bob the front half of their bodies up and down, a characteristic behavior of this genus. When alarmed, they often fly straight up in the air to escape, a flight pattern that is perhaps an adaptation to the closed wooded areas they inhabit. The Solitary Sandpiper's call sounds like high-pitched whistles. Diet Aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates are the most common food of the Solitary Sandpiper. These include insects and insect larvae, spiders, worms, and tadpoles. Nesting The nesting biology of this species is not well known. Unlike most shorebirds, Solitary Sandpipers do not nest on the ground, but find an old, abandoned, songbird nest in a tree.

(The nest is usually one that was built by an American Robin, Rusty Blackbird, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Jay or one of the waxwings--all of which build sturdy nests that are likely to survive a winter.) The male finds the nest, which the female reworks until it is suitable to her needs. She does not add any nest material, but may rearrange the lining. This nest is usually in a spruce or other conifer and may be 4'40 feet up. Both parents help incubate the 4 eggs for 23-24 days. The nestling state is not well known, but the parents are not known to feed the young, so they probably jump from the nest at an early age and start to find their own food. Fledging age is not known. A pair raises a single brood each season. Migration Status Long-distance migrants, Solitary Sandpipers breed in far northern areas of Canada and Alaska and winter in Central and South America. Conservation Status Solitary Sandpipers are dispersed at all seasons, and thus difficult to count. Most of their breeding habitat remains intact, although logging in boreal forests is an increasing threat.

The Canadian Wildlife Service estimates the population to number 25,000 birds in North America. When and Where to Find in Washington Breeding Solitary Sandpipers are found regularly in southern British Columbia, and there are a few confirmed breeding records in Oregon. There are no known breeding records in Washington, but it is possible that they have nested here. Solitary Sandpipers are uncommon migrants in Washington on both sides of the Cascades, though they are more common in eastern Washington. They are rare along the coast from mid-April through May and July through October, with the most numbers in late April and late August. In eastern Washington, their occurrence is similar to that on the coast, with some arriving earlier in April, and the bulge in numbers starting in the beginning of August. Adults typically migrate through first, with juveniles coming later in the summer and into the fall. Eastern Washington has fewer adults than does coastal Washington in the spring, but more juveniles in the fall. In western Washington, the most reliable locales seem to be small, wet areas in Skagit, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties. In Seattle, Solitary Sandpipers can sometimes be seen at the Union Bay Natural Area (King County).

The ponds in Reardan (Lincoln County), west of Spokane, are also good spots to look for migrating Solitary Sandpipers. Abundance Habitat & Species - Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Habitat & Species Contact SBEP Habitat & Species More than 1,400 native species of diverse plants and animals inhabit Sarasota Bay Estuary. The word habitat can be used to describe areas that benefit wildlife or as plant communities such as upland habitat or something more specific like coral reefs. Coastal ecosystems include marine and estuarine and coastal upland habitats. Estuarine habitat includes mangrove swamps, saltwater marshes, tidal flats, and seagrass beds. Marine habitat refers to ocean environments such as inter-tidal and ocean, hard bottom (coral and rock) and soft bottom substrates (sand and mud). Coastal upland habitat is the beach dune system and maritime forests. The following is a partial list of plant and animal species living in the Sarasota Bay Estuary. SBEP will continue adding new photos of local species of animals and plants to the gallery below.

Bonnethead Shark – Dotty Motta Marine and Estuarine Vegetation Species: Five Types of Seagrass: Turtle Grass, Manatee Grass, Shoal Grass, Star Grass, and Widgeon Grass. Three Species of Mangroves: White, Red and Black. Salt Marsh Vegetation: Christmas Berry, Sawgrass, Smooth Cord Grass, Needle/Black Rush, Marsh-Hay, Salt Meadow Cord Grass, Salt Joint Grass, Key Grass, Saltwort, Salt Grass, Annual Glasswort, Coastal Arrowhead, and Perennial Glasswort. Marine Algae and Plankton: Sargassum, Dictyota, Sewing Threat Seaweed, Sea Lettuce, Dino Neuro Toxin (Red Tide), Dinoflagellate, Dead Man’s Fingers, Green Agae, Red Algae, Dino Ciguatoxin, and Sea Hair.

Mangrove Coastal Upland Vegetation: Trees and Palms: Cabbage Palm, Silver Palm, Slash Pine, Jamaica Dogwood, Jamaica Caper Tree, Ironwood, Paradise Tree, Torchwood, Red Bay, Live Oak, Myrtle Oak, Chapman’s Oak, Southern Red Cedar, Pigeon-Plum, Bay Cedar, Cat Claw, Poisonwood, Strangler Fig, Butterbough, and Sea Grape. Shrubs: Narrow Leaf Ground Cherry, Christmas Better, Salt Bush, Gallberry, Inkberry, Saw Palmetto, Seaside Ground Cherry, Saffron Plum, Rosemary, Yaupon Holly, Winged Sumac, Wild Coffee, Shortleaf Wild Coffee, and Florida Privet. Cactus and Succulents: Spanish Bayonet and Prickly Pear Cactus. Grasses: Sea Oats, Gulfdune Muhly Grass, Beach Cordgrass, Coastal Bluestem, Beach Grass, Shore Grass, Stiffleaf, Seashore Dropseed, and Seashore Paspalum.

Herbs and Vines: Sea Lavender, Matrimony Vine, Greenbriar, Fox Grape, Beach Sunflower, Sea Daily, Blue Porterweed, Capeweed, Pepper Vine, Poison Ivy, Virginia Creeper, Morning Glory, Beach Morning Glory, Railroad Vine, Beach Pennywort, Sea Rocket, Beach Chaff-Flower, Saltweed, and Sea Purslane. Sea Urchin Non-native: Australian Pine, Coconut Palm, Hawaiian Half Flower, Sea Side Mahoe, Carrotwood, Brazilian Pepper, Asiatic Colubrina, Seville Orange, Key Lime, Guava, Papaya, Tamarind, and Lead Tree. Invertebrate Species: Sponges and Corals: Red Beard Sponge, Vase Sponge, Green Finger Sponge, Purple Sea Fan, Common Sea Fan, Sea Whip, Fire Sponge, and Palmer’s Sea Rod. Coelenterates and Tunicates: Portuguese Man of War, Pink-Tipped Anemone, Pale Anemone, Ghost Anemone, Muller’s Sea Pansy, Moon Jellyfish, Comb Jelly, Painted Tunicate, and Mangrove Tunicate.

Polychaetes: Sabellariid Worms, Atlantic Tube Worm, Lugworm, Blood Worm, and Parchment Tube Worm. Starfish Molluscs: Spotted Sea Hare, Mud Snail, Coquina Clam, Atlantic Bay Scallop, Whelk, Stiff Pen Shell, Quahog Clam, Queen Conch, Marsh Periwinkle, Eastern Oyster, Keyhole Limpet, Atlantic Long-Finned Squid, Atlantic Octopus, Banded Tulip Shell, Shark’s Eye, Florida Worm Snail, Common Slipper Shell, Angel Wing, Turkey Wing, and Ribbed Mussel. Echinoderms: Common Sea Star, Banded Luidia, Forbes Sea Staf, Banded-arm Brittle Star, Striped Sea Star, Variegated Sea Urchin, Sand Dollar, Long-Spined Sea Biscuit, Common Starfish, and Florida Sea Cucumber.

Crustaceans: Ivory Barnacle, Goose-necked Barnacle, Sessile Barnacle, Little Striped Barnacle, Stone Crab, Ghost Crab, Blue Crab, Sand Fiddler Crab, Long-Clawed Hermit Crab, Common Mantis Shrimp, Spotted Cleaning Shrimp, Red-Lined Cleaning Shrimp, Grass Shrimp, Pink Shrimp, Large-Claw Snapping Shrimp, Banded Coral Shrimp, Spiny Lobster, Big-Eyed Beach Flea, Mole Crab, Mangrove Tree Crab, Marsh Fiddler Crab, Land Hermit Crab, Sea Cockroach, and Atlantic Horseshoe Crab. Juvenile Blue Crab Coastal Insects: Digger Wasp, Tiger Bettle, Velvet Ant, Black Salt Marsh Mosquito, Seaside Grasshopper, Golden-silk Spider, Dune Wolf Spider, Great Southern White, Schaus’ Swallowtail, Monarch, Gulf Fritillary, Mangrove Skipper, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreatk, Eastern Pygmy Blue, Mangrove Buckeye, Large Orange Sulphur, Cassius Blue, Common Buckeye, Florida Leafwing, Malachite, Rudy Daggerwing, and Emerald Moth.

Non-native: Asian Tiger Mosquito and Pacific Swimming Crab. Reptiles & Amphibians Species: Green Treefrog, Southern Leopard Frog, Southern Toad, and Squirrel Treefrog. Aquatic Reptiles: American Crocodile, Suwannee Cooter, River Cooter, Common Mud Turtle, Diamondback Terrapin, Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, Leatherback Sea Turtle, Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Green Sea Turtle, Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Mole Skink, Florida Reef Gecko, Florida Scrub Lizard, Island Glass Lizard, Six-Lined Lizard, Racerunner, Salt Marsh Snake, Marsh Brown Snake, Florida Crowned Snake, Florida Green Water Snake, Florida Swamp Snake, Eastern Coachwhip Snake, and Florida King Snake. Gator – Marina Scarr Marine Toad, Cuban Tree Frog, and Curly-Tailed Lizard. Saltwater Fish Species: Sharks and Rays: Southern Stingray, Atlantic Manta Ray, Spotted Eagle Ray, Yellow Sting Ray, Bull Shark, Tiger Shark, Bonnet Head Shark, Small Tooth Sawfish, Nurse Shark, Hammerhead Shark, and Sand Tiger Shark.

Bony Fish: Sailfish, Great Barracuda, Tarpon, King Mackerel, Atlantic Croaker, Atlantic Spadefish, Spanish Mackerel, Permit, Sheepshead, Cobia, Amberjack, Black Sea Bass, Rock Sea Bass, Red Snapper, Crevalle Jack, and Gag Grouper. Shallow-water Feeders: Spotted Trout, Snook, Florida Pompano, Gray Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, and Striped Mullet. Tarpon Blue Angel, Queen Parrotfish, and Queen Triggerfish. Bottom Feeders: Gulf Sturgeon, Gafftopsail Catfish, Red Drum, and Bonefish. Baitfish: Inland Silverside, Gulf Menhaden, Atlantic Thread Herring, Spanish Sardine, Gulf Killifish, and Pinfish. Unusual Species: Lined Seahorse, Striped Burrfish, Atlantic Needlefish, Atlantic Flyingfish, Spotted Moray, and Gulf Toadfish.

Snowy Egret – Barbara Bowen Waterbird Species: Wading birds: Wood Stork, Great Blue/White Heron, Tri-Colored Heron, Little Blue Heron, Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Green Backed Heron, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, and White Ibis. Diving Birds and Waterfowl: Common Loon, Double Crested Cormorant, Horned Grebe, Red-Breasted Merganser, Ring-Necked Duck, Blue-Winged Teal, American Black Duck, and American Coot. Shorebirds: American Avocet, Ruddy Turnstone, Piping Plover, Willet, American Oystercatcher, Killdeer, Western Sandpiper, and Sanderling. Sea Birds: Magnificent Frigatebird, Northern Gannet, Laughing Gull, Great White Pelican – Ron Wooldridge Black-Backed Gull, Ring-Billed Gull, Herring Gull, Royal Tern, White Pelican, Brown Pelican, and Black Skimmer.

Birds of Prey: Osprey, Broad-Winged Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Bald Eagle, and Black Vulture. Coastal Upland Species: Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow Warblet, Black-Whiskered Vireo, Fish Crow, Gray Kingbird, Common Ground Dove, and Mangrove Cuckoo. Coastal Marsh Species: Tree Swallow, Marsh Wren, Seaside Sparrow, Sharp-Tailed Sparrow, and Clapper Rail. Mammal Species: Osprey – Marina Scarr Coastal Marsh and Mangrove: Florida Saltmarsh Vole, Least Shrew, Round-Tailed Muskrat, Cotton Rat, Marsh Rice Rat, Marsh Rabbit, Cotton Mouse, Mink, Raccoon, and Striped Skunk. Coastal Uplands: Eastern Wood Rat, Beach Mouse, Cotton Mouse, Virginia Opossum, Florida Fox Squirrel, Raccoon, River Otter, Key Deer, and Little Mastiff Bat. Marine Mammals: Bottlenose Dolphin, Short-Finned Pilot Whale, Pygmy Sperm Whale, and Florida Manatee.

Exotics: Turnstone | The Nature of Dorset The Nature of Dorset My personal guide to the natural places, habitats and species of Dorset You are not logged in. User login This is just one of over 1,500 species featured on the Nature of Dorset. Find what it is like and where you might see it below. You are here A frequent species on stoney shores and around seaweed. PeterOrchard One of the first lessons I learned when I started bird watching nearly forty years ago was that where a bird is and what it is doing is often enough to know exactly what species you are looking at even if you cannot see its plumage markings and colouring. This is actually true of many types of wildlife, especially some insects, but it is most noticeable with some species of birds. This is as good an example as I can think of. A bird, working its way along the water’s edge on a stony shore as the tide is going out and what is it doing? It is turning stones over to look for small creatures hiding underneath … no need to rush for the field guide!

In this case, just to make it even easier, they named it the turnstone (Arenaria interpres), what could be easier than that? Seriously, waders can be a real challenge, even to experienced birders so it is good to find one that is quite so distinctive. Common Name Look for Distribution Map: This map shows the nature reserves and 'hot-spots' where I have recorded this species. Obviously it will occur in other places too but this is intended to give you a graphical guide as to the species distribution in Dorset. Click any marker to see the name of the site; you can then click again to see more information about that site. Where can I see it? To see any of these photographs in a larger form click on it. General Turns stones and seaweed over looking for food General They have a distinctive brown horseshoe on their front General Found on shingle shorelines at low tide Contributed Photos: 6 years 4 months ago The content of this page was last reviewed Not found what you are looking for?

Try the site search: Search Print or Email this page: Add this page to your social network: HOME PAGE Go to the site home page TABLE OF CONTENTS For comments, suggestion or questions The Small Print! This website has been created by, and is the copyright of, Peter Orchard, Wareham, Dorset. The website is run as a hobby and the information is made available free of charge to anyone who finds it useful. No responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions in the data and information supplied. Copyright of all photographs on this website (unless otherwise stated) remains with the publisher or the contributor and they should not be used by others for any purpose without permission. Please note that the data on this website is not the result of scientific research, it is a collection of random observations made by a very amateur enthusiast. The species database covers everything from mammals to fungi and no one can be an expert in all of these taxa and much of the identification is restricted by the quality of reference material available.

One person cannot possibly produce the definitive guide to the nature of Dorset and so species lists will be incomplete and there will be reserves not covered but as time goes by so the database will grow and (depending on health and the weather) the content will become more comprehensive as time passes. I welcome constructive suggestions and comments and I am happy to try and answer questions if I can. The 'contact' function can also be found at the bottom of every page. I will ignore any communication that is not constructive but just negative and destructive (fortunately I do not get many of those!). You can read the full 'terms and conditions of use' on the 'about us' link available at the bottom of every page. Turnstone - Definition and synonyms of turnstone in the English dictionary. Translation of turnstone to 20 languages. turnstone Meaning of turnstone in the English dictionary DICTIONARY ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD TURNSTONE So called because it turns over stones in search of food. Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance. PRONUNCIATION OF TURNSTONE exclamation Turnstone is a noun. A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality.

Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc. WHAT DOES TURNSTONE MEAN IN ENGLISH? Turnstone Turnstones are the bird species in the genus Arenaria in the family Scolopacidae. They are closely related to calidrid sandpipers and might be considered members of the tribe Calidriini. Both birds are distinctive medium-sized waders. They are high Arctic breeders, and are migratory. These chunky powerful birds have strong necks and bills well suited to their feeding technique. As the name implies, these species readily turn stones or seaweed looking for hidden invertebrates. They are strictly coastal, preferring stony beaches to sand, and are often found with other waders such as purple sandpipers. Their appearance is striking in flight, with white patches on the back, wings and tail. Ruddy turnstone in breeding plumage. Black turnstone in summer plumage. The ruddy turnstone, Arenaria interpres, has a circumpolar distribution, and is a very long distance migrant, wintering on coasts as far south as South Africa and Australia. It is thus a common sight on coasts almost everywhere in the world.

In breeding plumage, this is a showy bird, with a black-and-white head, chestnut back, white underparts and red legs. Synonyms and antonyms of turnstone in the English dictionary of synonyms SYNONYMS WORDS RELATING TO «TURNSTONE» turnstone contest group bivi casino estate builders buoy chairs turnstones bird species genus arenaria family scolopacidae they closely related calidrid sandpipers might considered turnstone simple quality office furniture small businesses brand from steelcase aligned today fast growing companies sales recruitment training graduate bespoke company proud work fastest dynamic mission provide therapeutic educational wellness recreational programs empower people disabilities only profit brands products offers smart solutions emerging rspb flipping over pebbles Translation of «turnstone» into 20 languages TRANSLATOR TRANSLATION OF TURNSTONE Find out the translation of turnstone to 20 languages with our English multilingual translator . The translations of turnstone from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «turnstone» in English. List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «turnstone».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «TURNSTONE» OVER TIME The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «turnstone» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «turnstone» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day. Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about turnstone EXAMPLES 10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «TURNSTONE» Discover the use of turnstone in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to turnstone and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature. 1 The Turnstone: A Doctor's Story The author’s research has taken him around the world, and besides his research findings, the book has a rich array of anecdotes and adventures, ranging from the threat of imprisonment in South Africa to a period spent as the personal ... Geoffrey Dean, 2002 10 Icelandic Voice in Canadian Letters: The Contribution of ... Winnipeg: Turnstone, 1 994. . Fifty Stories and a Piece of Advice. Winnipeg: Turnstone, 1 982. .

The Happiest Man in the World. Vancouver: Talonbooks, 1989. , and Michael Olito. The Icelanders. Winnipeg: Turnstone, 1981. . If Pigs Could Fly. Daisy Neijmann, 1997 10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «TURNSTONE» Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term turnstone is used in the context of the following news items. 1 Turnstone hosting power soccer tournament this weekend Turnstone will host the 2015 MK Battery Champions Cup national power soccer tournament this weekend at IPFW. This is soccer played by individuals utilizing ... «News Sentinel, Jul 15» 2 Turnstone announces ongoing enrollment of Marabex clinical trial Turnstone Biologics Inc. ("Turnstone" or the "Company"), a FACIT portfolio company, has announced the ongoing enrollment of the Marabex™ clinical trial ...

«News-Medical.net, Jul 15» 3 Turnstone Biologics Announces Enrollment in Landmark Oncolytic … Turnstone's technology platform, Marabex™, is a novel approach that combines the benefits of oncolytic viral therapy with a tumour-targeted vaccine into a ... «PR Newswire, Jul 15» 4 Tickets available for Turnstone annual corvette fundraiser Tickets are available starting at $10 by calling 866-483-1278 or stopping by in person to Turnstone at 3320 North Clinton Street. The Indiana License is #136481 ... «WANE, Jul 15» 5 My Neck of the Woods: At the Ruddy Turnstone reunion During the last few years, I have looked forward to meeting ruddy turnstones in this ecosystem, specifically in early June. These island locals are larger ... «theday.com, Jun 15» 6 Turnstone Partners Representing Bank on Office Condo Sale Turnstone Partners, having been authorized by the bank which owns the office condominiums at 703 Saint Joseph Street, is coordinating the activities designed ...

«Island Gazette, May 15» 7 Turnstone Biologics Inc. to accelerate clinical and commercial … TORONTO, May 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - The Fight Against Cancer Innovation Trust (FACIT) and its partners are pleased to announce the formation of Turnstone ... «PR Newswire, May 15» 8 Fort Wayne, Turnstone becoming home to national goalball squad Turnstone and the United States Association of Blind Athletes announced today that the United State's men's national goalball team will move to Fort Wayne in ... «News Sentinel, Feb 15» 9 National goalball team will train in Fort Wayne FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) Turnstone continues to work to become a leader in bringing Olympic and Paralympic athletes to the area for training and ... «WANE, Feb 15» 10 Turnstone Research Reveals Desire to Work in Lounge Postures GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Turnstone ®, a Steelcase brand, today introduces additions to its Campfire ® collection, designed in response to ... «Business Wire, Feb 15» REFERENCE

Question: What type of creature is a Turnstone?
Answer: A Bird