North Wirral Foreshore
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SJ212907 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 1065.47 | 2021-09-28 |
| SJ251922 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 807.55 | 2012-10-23 |
| SJ258929 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 807.55 | 2012-10-23 |
| SJ266941 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 807.55 | 2012-10-23 |
| SJ274942 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 807.55 | 2012-10-23 |
| SJ296942 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 89.27 | 2012-10-23 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Habitats
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Coastal
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| bar-tailed godwit | Passage |
| bar-tailed godwit | Roosting |
| bar-tailed godwit | Wintering |
| black-tailed godwit | Roosting |
| black-tailed godwit | Wintering |
| common scoter | Roosting |
| common scoter | Wintering |
| curlew | Roosting |
| curlew | Wintering |
| dunlin | Passage |
| dunlin | Roosting |
| dunlin | Wintering |
| goldeneye | Roosting |
| goldeneye | Wintering |
| great crested grebe | Roosting |
| great crested grebe | Wintering |
| grey plover | Roosting |
| grey plover | Wintering |
| knot | Passage |
| knot | Roosting |
| knot | Wintering |
| oystercatcher | Roosting |
| oystercatcher | Wintering |
| redshank | Passage |
| redshank | Roosting |
| redshank | Wintering |
| scaup | Roosting |
| scaup | Wintering |
| turnstone | Passage |
| turnstone | Roosting |
| turnstone | Wintering |
Description
Area,2,109.9 hectares 5.213.6 ac Description North Wirral Foreshore is located between the outer Dee and Mersey Estuaries. This site is an area of intertidal sand and mud flats and embryonic saltmarsh which is of considerable importance as a feeding and roosting site for passage and wintering flocks of waders, wildfowl, terns and gulls. The embryonic mixed saltmarsh is formed principally from common saltmarsh grass Puccinellia maritima and glasswort Salicornia europaea, together with some common cord grass Spartina anglica. Whilst North Wirral Foreshore is not comparable with either the Dee Estuary or the Mersey Estuary in terms of the numbers and diversity of passage and wintering birds, it is still of great value for the populations of knot, dunlin and bar-tailed godwit it supports. The wintering populations of knot 20,000+, bar-tailed godwit 2,000+ and dunlin 10,000+ are the most significant because their numbers regularly exceed one percent of their total British and Irish wintering populations. Redshank 1,000+, turnstone 500+ which feed on the rocky shore at perch Rock and on the rocky sea walls, oystercatcher 500+, curlew, grey plover and black-tailed godwit are other waders which regularly roost here in relatively high numbers. Small populations of wildfowl, including common scoter, scaup and goldeneye, red throated diver and great crested grebe also frequently winter on this site.
Species mentioned
Show the 15 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scaup | Aythya marila | EN (NonBreeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | VU (NonBreeding), VU (Breeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| common scoter | Melanitta nigra | LC (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| great crested grebe | Podiceps cristatus | LC (NonBreeding), VU (Breeding) | bird-grebe | podicipedidae |
| turnstone | Arenaria interpres | VU (NonBreeding) | bird-wader | scolopacidae |
| dunlin | Calidris alpina | EN (NonBreeding) | bird-wader | scolopacidae |
| knot | Calidris canutus | LC (NonBreeding) | bird-wader | scolopacidae |
| oystercatcher | Haematopus ostralegus | LC (Breeding) | bird-wader | haematopodidae |
| bar-tailed godwit | Limosa lapponica | LC (NonBreeding) | bird-wader | scolopacidae |
| black-tailed godwit | Limosa limosa | LC (NonBreeding) | bird-wader | scolopacidae |
| curlew | Numenius arquata | EN (Breeding) | bird-wader | scolopacidae |
| grey plover | Pluvialis squatarola | VU (NonBreeding) | bird-wader | charadriidae |
| saltmarsh grass | Puccinellia maritima | LC | grass | poaceae |
| common cord grass | Spartina anglica | LC | grass | poaceae |
| common glasswort | Salicornia europaea | LC | herb | chenopodiaceae |
Plant communities
SM1 — Salt marsh
Zostera communities
Show 15 indicator speciesZostera angustifolia, Zostera marina, Zostera noltei, Spartina anglica, Porphyra umbilicalis, Chondria dasyphylla, Polysiphonia nigra, Chara aspera, Chaetomorpha linum, Chaetomorpha tortuosa, Cladophora battersii, Cladophora retroflexa, Ulva intestinalis, Ulva lactuca, Fucus spiralis
SM3 — Salt marsh
Eleocharis parvula salt-marsh community
Show 1 indicator speciesEleocharis parvula
SM4 — Salt marsh
Spartina maritima salt-marsh community
Show 6 indicator speciesSuaeda maritima, Salicornia europaea, Salicornia perennis, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica, Spartina maritima
SM5 — Salt marsh
Spartina alterniflora salt-marsh community
Show 3 indicator speciesPuccinellia maritima, Spartina alterniflora, Spartina anglica
SM6 — Salt marsh
Spartina anglica salt-marsh community
Show 14 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Cochlearia anglica, Spergularia media, Atriplex hastata, Salicornia europaea, Plantago maritima, Limonium vulgare, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica, Catenella caespitosa, Fucus vesiculosus, Fucus vesiculosus ecad volubilis
SM7 — Salt marsh
Arthrocnemum perenne stands
Show 9 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Spergularia media, Salicornia europaea, Salicornia perennis, Limonium vulgare, Puccinellia maritima, Bostrychia scorpioides
SM8 — Salt marsh
Annual Salicornia salt-marsh community
Show 6 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Salicornia europaea, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica
SM9 — Salt marsh
Suaeda maritima salt-marsh community
Show 6 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Salicornia europaea, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica
SM10 — Salt marsh
Transitional low-marsh vegetation with Puccinellia maritima annual Salicornia species and Suaeda maritima
Show 10 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Spergularia media, Salicornia europaea, Triglochin maritimum, Armeria maritima, Limonium vulgare, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica
SM11 — Salt marsh
Aster tripolium var. discoideus salt-marsh community
Show 12 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Spergularia media, Salicornia europaea, Salicornia perennis, Plantago maritima, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica, Bostrychia scorpioides, Fucus vesiculosus, Pelvetia canaliculata
SM12 — Salt marsh
Rayed Aster Tripolium on slat marshes
Show 13 indicator speciesSchoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bufonius, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Spergularia marina, Spergularia media, Atriplex hastata, Salicornia europaea, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Puccinellia distans, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica
SM13 — Salt marsh
Puccinellia maritima salt-marsh community
Show 23 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Juncus gerardii, Suaeda maritima, Aster tripolium, Cochlearia anglica, Cochlearia officinalis, Spergularia media, Atriplex hastata, Salicornia europaea, Salicornia perennis, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium humile, Limonium vulgare, Glaux maritima, Agrostis stolonifera, Festuca rubra, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica, Spartina maritima, Bostrychia scorpioides, Fucus cottonii
SM14 — Salt marsh
Halimione portulacoides salt-marsh community
Show 16 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Juncus maritimus, Suaeda maritima, Artemisia maritima, Aster tripolium, Inula crithmoides, Spergularia media, Salicornia europaea, Salicornia perennis, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium vulgare, Elytrigia atherica, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica
SM15 — Salt marsh
Juncus maritimus-Triglochin maritima salt-marsh community
Show 24 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Carex extensa, Juncus gerardii, Juncus maritimus, Suaeda maritima, Oenanthe lachenalii, Artemisia maritima, Cochlearia anglica, Cochlearia officinalis, Spergularia media, Atriplex hastata, Salicornia europaea, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium humile, Limonium vulgare, Glaux maritima, Agrostis stolonifera, Festuca rubra, Phragmites australis, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica, Fucus cottonii
SM16 — Salt marsh
Festuca rubra salt-marsh community
Show 30 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Carex distans, Carex flacca, Juncus gerardii, Hypnum cupressiforme, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Cochlearia anglica, Cerastium fontanum, Sagina procumbens, Spergularia media, Atriplex hastata, Salicornia europaea, Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium repens, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium vulgare, Glaux maritima, Ranunculus acris, Potentilla anserina, Agrostis stolonifera, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Cynosurus cristatus, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Puccinellia maritima
SM17 — Salt marsh
Artemisia maritima salt-marsh community
Show 24 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Juncus gerardii, Juncus maritimus, Suaeda maritima, Suaeda vera, Artemisia maritima, Cochlearia anglica, Cochlearia officinalis, Spergularia media, Atriplex hastata, Salicornia europaea, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago coronopus, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium vulgare, Glaux maritima, Agrostis stolonifera, Elytrigia atherica, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Hordeum marinum, Parapholis strigosa, Puccinellia maritima
SM18 — Salt marsh
Juncus maritimus salt-marsh community
Show 32 indicator speciesCarex distans, Carex extensa, Carex otrubae, Juncus gerardii, Juncus maritimus, Amblystegium serpens, Kindbergia praelonga, Oenanthe lachenalii, Cirsium arvense, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Sonchus arvensis, Cochlearia officinalis, Silene flos-cuculi, Atriplex hastata, Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Rumex crispus, Glaux maritima, Samolus valerandi, Ranunculus acris, Potentilla anserina, Galium palustre, Agrostis stolonifera, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Poa pratensis, Schedonorus arundinaceus
SM19 — Saline lagoon, Salt marsh
Blysmus rufus salt-marsh community
Show 26 indicator speciesBlysmus rufus, Carex extensa, Carex lepidocarpa, Carex nigra, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Eleocharis uniglumis, Juncus articulatus, Juncus gerardii, Amblystegium serpens, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Drepanocladus polygamus, Leptodictyum riparium, Oenanthe lachenalii, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Cochlearia anglica, Trifolium repens, Triglochin maritimum, Triglochin palustre, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Glaux maritima, Potentilla anserina, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus geniculatus, Festuca rubra, Puccinellia maritima
SM20 — Saline lagoon, Salt marsh
Eleocharis uniglumis salt-marsh community
Show 25 indicator speciesBolboschoenus maritimus, Carex distans, Carex extensa, Carex nigra, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Eleocharis uniglumis, Juncus articulatus, Juncus gerardii, Leptodictyum riparium, Oenanthe lachenalii, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Atriplex hastata, Trifolium repens, Triglochin maritimum, Triglochin palustre, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Glaux maritima, Samolus valerandi, Potentilla anserina, Galium palustre, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus geniculatus, Festuca rubra
SM21 — Salt marsh
Suaeda vera-Limonium binervosum salt-marsh community
Show 21 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Frankenia laevis, Suaeda maritima, Suaeda vera, Artemisia maritima, Cochlearia anglica, Cochlearia danica, Cochlearia officinalis, Sagina maritima, Spergularia marina, Spergularia media, Salicornia europaea, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium bellidifolium, Limonium binervosum, Limonium vulgare, Glaux maritima, Elytrigia atherica, Festuca rubra, Puccinellia maritima
SM22 — Salt marsh
Halimione portulacoides-Frankenia laevis salt-marsh community
Show 14 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Frankenia laevis, Suaeda maritima, Spergularia media, Salicornia europaea, Salicornia perennis, Plantago coronopus, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium vulgare, Elytrigia juncea, Festuca rubra, Parapholis strigosa, Puccinellia maritima
SM23 — Salt marsh
Spergularia marina-Puccinellia distans salt-marsh community
Show 18 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Juncus bufonius, Suaeda maritima, Spergularia marina, Spergularia media, Atriplex hastata, Salicornia europaea, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Polygonum aviculare, Glaux maritima, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus geniculatus, Elytrigia atherica, Festuca rubra, Parapholis strigosa, Puccinellia distans, Puccinellia maritima
SM24 — Salt marsh
Elymus pycnanthus salt-marsh community
Show 24 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Juncus gerardii, Juncus maritimus, Hypnum cupressiforme, Suaeda vera, Artemisia maritima, Aster tripolium, Sonchus arvensis, Atriplex hastata, Atriplex littoralis, Beta vulgaris sp maritima, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium vulgare, Glaux maritima, Potentilla anserina, Galium aparine, Agrostis stolonifera, Ammophila arenaria, Elytrigia atherica, Festuca rubra, Parapholis strigosa, Phragmites australis, Puccinellia maritima
SM25 — Salt marsh
Suaeda vera drift-line community
Show 20 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Suaeda maritima, Suaeda vera, Artemisia maritima, Cochlearia anglica, Cochlearia danica, Cochlearia officinalis, Spergularia media, Atriplex littoralis, Salicornia europaea, Salicornia perennis, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Limonium vulgare, Glaux maritima, Elytrigia atherica, Festuca rubra, Puccinellia maritima, Bostrychia scorpioides, Pelvetia canaliculata
SM26 — Salt marsh
Inula crithmoides stands
Show 14 indicator speciesAtriplex portulacoides, Suaeda maritima, Inula crithmoides, Spergularia media, Salicornia europaea, Salicornia perennis, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Limonium vulgare, Elytrigia atherica, Festuca rubra, Puccinellia maritima, Spartina anglica, Bostrychia scorpioides
SM28 — Salt marsh
Elymus repens salt-marsh community
Show 51 indicator speciesBolboschoenus maritimus, Carex otrubae, Eleocharis uniglumis, Juncus gerardii, Kindbergia praelonga, Odontites verna, Anthriscus sylvestris, Apium graveolens, Heracleum sphondylium, Oenanthe crocata, Oenanthe lachenalii, Torilis japonica, Centaurea nigra, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium vulgare, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Sonchus arvensis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cochlearia anglica, Cochlearia officinalis, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex hastata, Atriplex littoralis, Calystegia sepium, Lotus corniculatus, Medicago lupulina, Melilotus altissima, Trifolium repens, Vicia cracca, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago maritima, Rumex conglomeratus, Rumex crispus, Glaux maritima, Potentilla anserina, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus geniculatus, Arrhenatherum elatius, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Lolium perenne, Poa pratensis, Puccinellia maritima, Schedonorus arundinaceus