Rhunahaorine Point

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 55.6810, -5.6560

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Also within

Argyll and Bute County

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (2) Unfavourable Declining (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Greenland white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons flavirostris), non-breeding Favourable — 2016-03-15
F2 Little tern (Sternula albifrons), breeding Unfavourable Declining — 2018-01-24
F3 Shingle Favourable — 2014-01-22

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

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

Coastal vegetated shingle

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Coastal

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

SpeciesSeason
white-fronted goose Wintering

Description

Rhunahaorine Point Rhunahaorine Point Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is situated on the west coast of Kintyre approximately 24.3 km south-west of Tarbert and just north of Tayinloan. The site is notified for its natural features of coastal shingle, overwintering Greenland white-fronted geese Anser albifrons flavirostris and breeding little tern Sternula albifrons. The Rhunahaorine foreland consists of shingle ridges laid down in two distinct sequences, the younger with ridges roughly north-west to south-east, the older ridges south-west to north-east and some 3 m higher than those at the point. The vegetation on site consists of a mosaic of habitats which includes dry heath and wetland. The areas of vegetated shingle are important examples of a habitat type which is becoming increasingly rare in great Britain. The site is of international importance as a roosting and feeding area for large numbers of wintering geese particularly Greenland white-fronted geese (3.81% of the world population and over 6% of the British population). The little tern colony is the largest in Kintyre, with between approximately 9 and 25 pairs present in the four years 2006-2009.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
white-fronted goose Anser albifrons CR (NonBreeding) bird-goose anatidae
little tern Sternula albifrons VU (Breeding) bird-tern laridae

Plant communities

MC6 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Hard cliff and cliff slope

Atriplex prostrata-Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima sea-bird cliff community

Daucus carota, Sonchus oleraceus, Taraxacum officianalis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cochlearia officinalis, Silene uniflora, Spergularia rupicola, Atriplex hastata, Malva arborea, Plantago coronopus, Armeria maritima, Polygonum aviculare, Rumex crispus, Bromus hordeaceous, Catapodium marinum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra

SD1 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Rumex crispus-Glaucium flavum shingle community

Solanum dulcamara, Crithmum maritimum, Cirsium arvense, Cirsium vulgare, Helminthotheca echioides, Hypochaeris radicata, Jacobaea vulgaris, Lactuca serriola, Leontodon saxatilis, Senecio viscosus, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Crambe maritima, Cerastium fontanum, Honckenya peploides, Sagina apetala, Silene uniflora, Atriplex prostrata, Sedum acre, Euphorbia paralias, Lathyrus japonicus, Geranium robertianum, Glaucium flavum, Plantago coronopus, Plantago lanceolata, Rumex crispus, Potentilla anserina, Ammophila arenaria, Arrhenatherum elatius, Elytrigia atherica, Elytrigia juncea, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Lolium perenne

SD2 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Honkenya peploides-Cakile maritima strandline community

Salsola kali, Achillea millefolium, Cirsium arvense, Eryngium maritimum, Hypochaeris radicata, Senecio vulgaris, Sonchus arvensis, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Cakile maritima, Cerastium diffusum, Honckenya peploides, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex glabriuscula, Atriplex laciniata, Atriplex littoralis, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Sedum acre, Polygonum oxyspermum subsp. Raii, Rumex crispus, Potentilla anserina, Agrostis stolonifera, Ammophila arenaria, Arrhenatherum elatius, Elytrigia juncea, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Leymus arenarius, Poa annua

SD3 — Coastal vegetated shingle, Sand dune

Matricaria maritima-Galium aparine strandline community

Bolboschoenus maritimus, Juncus bufonius, Juncus gerardii, Ligusticum scoticum, Matricaria discoidea, Sonchus arvensis, Sonchus asper, Tripleurospermum maritimum, Mertensia maritima, Cakile maritima, Cochlearia officinalis, Honckenya peploides, Stellaria media agg., Atriplex glabriuscula, Atriplex patula, Atriplex prostrata, Triglochin maritimum, Plantago maritima, Armeria maritima, Rumex crispus, Glaux maritima, Galium aparine, Agrostis stolonifera, Elytrigia repens, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Leymus arenarius, Poa annua