Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve
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Scotland’s National Nature Reserves For more information about St Cyrus National Nature Reserve please contact: Andy Turner, Reserve Manager, St Cyrus NNR, Nether Warbuton, St Cyrus, Montrose, DD10 0QA Tel: 01674 830736 Fax: 01674 830736 Email: [email protected] The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve Foreword St Cyrus National Nature Reserve (NNR) is one of the most picturesque sections of coastline in north-east Scotland. Taking up the northern third of the magnificent sandy sweep of Montrose Bay, the Reserve comprises 92 hectares (ha) of mixed coastal habitat. Towering volcanic cliffs and yellow dunes enclose a spectacular wildflower meadow that supports a number of rare plants and insects. The mild, sheltered climate and nutrient-rich soils provide a sanctuary for a range of plant species that are characteristic of a more southern climate. Many plants and insects found here are at the northern limit of their range in Britain. The seclusion of gorse scrub provides safe nesting for a host of small birds, such as stonechat, yellowhammer and whitethroat. The ready accessibility of this tranquil refuge attracts thousands of visitors each year, with many of them passing through the doors of the award winning Visitor Centre. Designated as a NNR in 1962, it has been managed for the conservation of its special wildlife, and for the enjoyment and education of its visitors, ever since. St Cyrus is one of 58 NNRs in Scotland. All are managed primarily for nature, but also provide the opportunity for visitors to experience and enjoy our rich natural heritage. The Reserve Story is one of a series of documents used to guide management of the Reserve. It introduces the Reserve and outlines the history of the land before it became a NNR, present management practices, and brief descriptions of the wildlife and habitats. The Reserve Proposals outline how it is proposed to manage the Reserve in future years; comments are invited on the proposals and will be used to inform the Reserve Plan. The Plan is the blueprint for management of the Reserve for a six-year period. At the end of the plan period, a Reserve Review is used to report how well our plans have worked. These documents can be downloaded from the NNRs website (www.nnr-scotland.org.uk) or obtained from the address below. The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve For further information about St Cyrus National Nature Reserve please contact: Andy Turner, St Cyrus NNR, The Old Lifeboat Station, Nether Warburton, St Cyrus, Montrose, DD10 0AQ Telephone: 01674 830736 Fax: 01674 830736 E-mail: [email protected] ii The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve Contents Foreword i Maps of St Cyrus NNR iv 1 Introduction to St Cyrus NNR 1 2 The Natural Heritage of St Cyrus NNR 3 3 Management of St Cyrus before it became a NNR 12 4 Management of St Cyrus NNR 16 5 Document properties 26 Appendix 1 - National Nature Reserves (NNR) 28 Appendix 2 - Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 30 iii The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve Maps of St Cyrus NNR1 Location maps Boundary of St Cyrus NNR 1 These maps are based upon the Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office ©Crown copyright (2008). Any unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. ©Scottish Natural Heritage 100017908 (2008) iv The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve Aerial photographs of St Cyrus NNR 2001 v The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve 1 Introduction to St Cyrus NNR St Cyrus NNR nestles directly beneath the village of St Cyrus on the north-east coast of Scotland, approximately 7 kilometres (km) north of Montrose. The setting, with a spectacular wind-sculpted beach, towering volcanic cliffs, and dune pasture carpeted with fragrant wildflowers, is breathtaking. The Reserve is important for its coastal habitats, and especially for a number of wildflower and moth species that are at, or near, their northern limit in Britain. Some of these species, such as the clustered bellflower, are rarely found elsewhere in Scotland. The diverse flora attracts a corresponding variety of uncommon invertebrates, including four species of grasshopper and the rare small blue butterfly. The teeming insect-life provides an abundant food supply for a host of summer breeding birds. The richness of the St Cyrus flora and fauna is influenced by several factors: the diversity of coastal habitat, the presence of base-rich rocks, and a generally fine climate of its sheltered location. The Kincardine coast benefits from the warming influence of the sea, and has a climate more characteristic of the north-east coast of England. The rainfall at St Cyrus is relatively low, and there are long periods of spring and summer sunshine. The Reserve has a south-easterly aspect and gains shelter from the cliffs to the west and dunes to the east. Consequently the mainly south-westerly wind is often barely noticeable, and severe frosts and snow are uncommon. This microclimate is one of the main reasons for the incredible diversity of wildlife on the Reserve. St Cyrus NNR is relatively small, encompassing a 92 ha strip of coastal habitat just 3.5 km long, and less than 500 metres (m) across at its widest point. It is separated from the sandy sweep of the rest of Montrose Bay to the south by the River North Esk, which marks the southern boundary of the Reserve. The Woodston Burn waterfall, just south of Milton Ness Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), marks the northern limit. To the west is a wall of fine-grained volcanic rock, while to the east the North Sea. The Reserve’s earliest history can be read from the landscape. The volcanic rocks of the cliff are testament to a turbulent geological past, whilst the dune grasslands are just the overgrown beaches of more ancient seas. The natural forces of sea and wind have shaped, and continue to re-shape, the dunes, the beach and the mouth of the River North Esk. The leeward side of the dunes are protected from the predominantly onshore winds ensuring the survival of the expanse of species-rich dune grassland for which St Cyrus is famed. Through the spring and summer months this meadow comes alive with a riot of wildflower colour and a cacophony of birdsong. 1 The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve St Cyrus NNR is part of the larger St Cyrus and Kinnaber Links SSSI, which extends south of the North Esk estuary. The features of St Cyrus NNR that have been selected for protection under UK legislation are listed in Table 1. Table 1 Designated and qualifying features for St Cyrus NNR Designation Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) St Cyrus and Kinnaber Links SSSI Species Breeding bird assemblage 9 Grasshoppers 9 Vascular plant assemblage 9 Moths 9 Small blue butterfly 9 Habitat Sand dune 9 More information on designations, and the policy and purpose of NNRs, can be found in the appendices. 2 The Story of St Cyrus National Nature Reserve 2 The Natural Heritage of St Cyrus NNR The dune system and towering cliffs of St Cyrus NNR offer protection from the, often ferocious, onshore winds, and give rise to a micro-climate quite different from the surrounding area. This sheltered haven is one of the richest and most important botanical sites on the coast of north-east Scotland. Surrounded by more intensively managed agricultural land, the plants and animals of the Reserve are now quite isolated from similar areas and more vulnerable because of that. Geology, geomorphology and soils Most of St Cyrus NNR is only a few metres above sea level, bounded by a dune- ridge to the east, and cliffs reaching as high as 75 m to the west. The base of the cliffs is banked with windblown sand and fallen rock. The cliffs are of varied composition, but are mainly volcanic rocks such as andesite and basalt. They were formed around 400 million years ago when Scotland lay south of the Equator and had a hot, semi-arid climate. Sandstone and conglomerate also occur, and the variance in rock type can clearly be seen, as you look northward to the red cliffs by Milton Ness. The cliffs of St Cyrus are in fact former sea cliffs. During the last ice-age sea levels were much lower than they are today, as a result of the volume of frozen ice sheet. When the ice melted, most of what is now St Cyrus NNR was submerged, and the waves of the North Sea lapped against the cliffs. Over time the force of the sea slowly eroded the cliffs causing them to retreat. There have been many stages of melting and re-freezing of the glaciers and ice sheets in the Grampian region, with corresponding changes in sea level. This succession of sea levels can be seen on the Reserve as a series of raised beaches along the base of the cliffs. A relict feature from more recent times is the dry river channel that 'flows' across the Reserve. Prior to 1879 the North Esk flowed through the Reserve before reaching the sea several hundred metres further north than today. Local legend says that during a particularly stormy night in 1879 the river, fuelled with water from melting snow upstream, burst its banks and took a direct course out to sea, leaving the old channel high and dry.