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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

When Seahenge II was constructed the sea was some distance further north, archaeologists tell us it was built in a saltmarsh in the Bronze Age, again it is exposed or not depending on beach sand movement. Just as the beach changes from steep to flat depending on position of offshore sand bars.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

1900 groyne, sand bars roll over beach I see these posts more or less exposed, and a Saxon fish trap.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

Two different eras of attempts to stabilise dunes, left a series of posts with geotextile put in place by EA (also a beach dewatering trail putting under beach drainage in place) I've seen sand to top of those posts and gone again also.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

I watched birds fly between locations which gave an area fitting that 40 ha in summer. Also saw pair bonding display in December, lovely sight. Found a few nests and would find silent foraging birds working outer canopy branches of trees. Not easy birds to find when they are silent.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

The defended territory of late spring included an
average of c. 40 ha of preferred foraging
habitat. Another study from Germany: 211 ha in winter, 192 ha in the pre-breeding period and 45 ha during
nesting.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

In my time watching them you tended to find them in March when they are vocal, they have huge territories. A European study, mean home range in winter was 742 ha, falling to 355 ha in early spring, 103 ha in late spring and 43 ha when nesting.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

This coastal observation bunker was buried within the dunes until recently, even if low dunes existed in front of it in 1940s these windows were exposed when in use (the Norfolk Heritage website gives coastal observation as most likely purpose).

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

Eroded dunes, you can see dark organic rich soil lines which I suppose represents vegetation and subsequent accretion, but I may be wrong.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

A WW2 left over in a saltmarsh which developed circa 1850, held barbed wire, angled cut makes a nasty point.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

I used to see and hear them regularly, worked in a good woodland location not so far from New Forest, some years now since I've seen one, nearest ones to 'new' home are in Brecks (maybe now were in?).

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

these new spit dunes and saltmarshes I have seen develop probably do not appear new to visitors

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

This erosion is easy to observe

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

@clareblencowe.bsky.social @lukaslarge.bsky.social

Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

"a 52-ha wood in Kent, which normally held 1–3
pairs, was reported to hold 15 pairs while the
trees were dying from Dutch elm disease
(Flegg & Bennett 1974), although numbers
have now fallen to zero."

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 7h

Fairly recent I shared my opinion that Dutch Elm disease and a glut of dead elms did not cause an increase in Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers; how wrong I was.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

The environment aspects and historic events are part of the story of the current unfavourable condition assessment of Holme dunes. I'll add some other factors to these linked threads.

bsky.app/profile/amie...

Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 12h

@hydrology.nl created this superb elevation illustration of the mouth of The Wash embayment and the west of the North Norfolk coast, prompts me to make a thread of some historic map images.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

Impacted the coast path, and Sand Martins have bred in eroded sand dune 'cliff', first time I've seen them breed here in near 20 years.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

This WW2 coastal observation bunker was entombed in the dunes, recent erosion has exposed the windows, suggesting dune accretion after WW2.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

This is reworking, erosion & deposition, the new saltmarsh formed in the lee of this spit drains via this channel, the new spit is recurving which has pushed the channel against old dunes causing some erosion, a natural process, south of older dunes is an old saltmarsh now a slack, then older dunes.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

due to rainwater leaching. The fact that these dunes, maybe half the dune system is stabilised, fertilised, amenity chemicals inputs, drained slacks, irrigated with river water (with sewage input) on the golf course is a major issue. As is a failed attempt to control a new spit causing erosion

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

the past 20 years. A dynamic coast with mobile dunes is not only an important habitat it is also a sea defence. The oldest dunes which are the highest ones and may have formed in the 1500s, perhaps starting marsh development north of Hunstanton Hall are more acidic than dunes on the nature reserve

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

Issues with the tidal prism and position of offshore sand bars which provide 'protection' to the beach dunes would be resolved. Rising sea levels at least initially may increase barrier island creation, extensive new spits and saltmarshes have formed since 1850 and in a new period of rapid growth in

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

saline intrusion under the seawall made arable agriculture unviable. At some stage a return to saltmarsh is the future. This means the spit from Hunstanton, Gore Point, to Firs can move, which spits will do in time despite our wishes. The Corsican Pine plantation is another historic anomaly.

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

We could discuss numerous topics, I'll do so in other threads, farming, exploitation of natural resources, common grazing. I'll sum up with some major impacts and issues we live with now and decisions we face.

Managed realignment of the coast, the polder has in my time here reverted to grassland as

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Philip Amies @amiesphilip.bsky.social · 8h

creating wetlands in the old saltmarsh creeks in the polder, bunds hold water, reedbeds formed.

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