Coast: Glyne Gap Beach
The cliffs, beach and intertidal area at Glyne Gap is a gem of an area for wildlife. The cliff and beach on the Hastings side has been designated a Site of Nature Conservation Importance due to its county importance for nature conservation.
Winter Waders
This site is one of the most important for roosting and wintering turnstones and purple sandpipers in Sussex. Hundreds of turnstone feed and roost here in winter and flocks of over 40 purple sandpiper used to winter here although in recent years this number has declined dramatically to just half a dozen.
Turnstones can be seen on migration during spring, late summer and autumn but large numbers are usually seen during the winter months. It is believed the bulk of these birds breed in Greenland. The purple sandpipers that winter here are believed to breed in Russia. Other waders can be seen regularly in smaller numbers, including ringed plover (which have even bred here in the past), oystercatcher, dunlin, common sandpiper, sanderling and redshank. Please try and avoid disturbing the roosting flocks at high tide.
Above: Roosting Turnstones and Purple Sandpiper
Migration Watchpoint
In spring and autumn many different species of migrating waders turn up including avocet, knot and whimbrel. The site is also a hotspot for migrating gulls such as Mediterranean gull and glaucous gull.
Right: Mediterranean Gull. Photo - Joe Dickens
Below: Seawatching from Glyne Gap Beach
Little Galley Hill or even the beach is an excellent viewpoint for watching migration and looking out for dolphins and porpoises. In spring hundreds of brent geese, common scoter and many other species of wildfowl can be seen heading east along the coast. Later in the spring hundreds of terns, waders and skuas can be seen heading east. In summer gannets, sandwich terns, common scoter and eider can be seen feeding offshore and if you are lucky maybe a Balearic shearwater or storm petrel.
In autumn, return migration of terns, wildfowl and skuas can be witnessed and overhead sometimes thousands of swallows, house martins, meadow pipits, goldfinch, linnet and siskin can be seen and heard migrating along the coast. Later in the autumn the annual migration of woodpigeon can be seen, which sometimes numbers into the tens of thousands.
In winter the bay is a good place to see wintering great crested grebes, red-throated divers, guillemots, razorbills and common scoter. Sometimes velvet scoter can be seen amongst the scoter flock which can number over 200.
Rock and shingle
Amongst the wintering waders on the intertidal and sea defence rocks black redstarts, rock pipits and grey wagtails are regularly seen. In early spring the first migrant wheatears and black redstarts make landfall here.
Right: Male Wheatear in Spring. Photo - Joe Dickens
Vegetated shingle is a very scarce habitat globally and every single patch is important. Some of the plants that grow here live only on shingle or cliffs such as yellow horned poppy, rock samphire and the nationally scarce sea kale.
Cliffs and shingle beaches are also very important for rare and scarce insects. This is one of the best places locally to see the large spectacular green tiger beetles. Many can sometimes be seen together in spring. This is also the only place locally where the nationally scarce six-belted clearwing can be found.
Right: Green Tiger Beetle
This is a day flying moth that looks like a wasp with its black and yellow striped body. The cliffs here in spring and summer buzz with thousands of solitary bees and wasps. These insects are harmless and probably play an important role in pollinating plants and controlling pests in gardens and green spaces nearby.
Wildlife
Habitats
