Sunday, 24 July 2011

Fraisthorpe beach

We visited Fraisthorpe beach today. With its crumbling low cliffs on a golden sandy beach, it is in some ways a typical East Yorkshire beach. But there is something special about it, with the farm and fields behind it, and the lovely cliff top path, it has got fantastic views. Something unique is the bustle of Sand Martins, which nest in a scattered colony in the clay-sand cliffs. There were lots of butterflies and bumblebees in the daisies, ragwort and other wildflowers on the cliffs and field margins, including a Brown Argus, a species I had never seen before.
 The beach got quite busy later on, with dog walkers and horse riding, in addition to surfing and kite flying. A great spot for a day out.
 Scorpion fly
 Small Tortoiseshell
 Brown Argus
A very faded six spot burnet on creeping thistle
Sea Rocket on the beach
The tide getting low
 Common Rest Harrow (thanks Hedera! from Wild about Britain)
 Greater Willowherb
Sandwich tern
 Ringlet on Mayweed
Cernuella virgata snails
 Sand Martin chicks
 Sand martins flying next to the cliffs
A view of the colony of Sand Martins
Adult entering nest
A view of the low cliffs
The little creek next to the entrance to the beach, Auburn Beck

Whereas at low tide the beach is very wide, high tides can reach the cliff bases at high tide, so it pays to check the local tide times.
There are toilets and a car park (£2 in summer).

Butterflies
  1. Small tortoiseshell, 2, bramble and ragwort
  2. Small Copper, 2, daisy
  3. Green-veined white, 1 on Ragwort
  4. Ringlet, 1 on daisy
  5. Red Admiral, 3 sunbathing and flying about
  6. Six spot burnet, 1 on creeping thistle
  7. Brown Argus, 1
  8. Small White, 1
Birds
  1. Crow
  2. Sandwich terns, flock passing by several times
  3. Black-headed gull
  4. Linnet, lots of them
  5. Sand Martins
  6. Swallows
  7. Kestrel, 2 individuals on the way.
  8. Oystercatcher
  9. Blackbird
  10. Collared dove
  11. Woodpigeon
  12. Sparrow
  13. Swift
  14. Rook
  15. Magpies
  16. Lesser-black backed gull
  17. Herring gull
  18. Swan
  19. Pied wagtail
  20. Starling
Location map

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