Conservation

Fancy a bit of bird or shark watching whilst enjoying a round of golf?
The island enjoys a much milder climate than our "cousins" Ireland,England,Scotland due to its central loaction, eavily influenced by the Gulf Stream which moves through the Irish sea. Chough, Grey plover, Knot, Curlew sandpiper are all regular visitors to Castletown Golf Links. From mid summer onwards, basking sharks can often be observed around the south coasts. Trips can be arranged from Port St Mary and Peel.


Useful links:

• http://www.manxbirdatlas.org.uk
• http://www.isle-of-man.com/interests/shark/

Langness, Sandwick and Derbyhaven
Area of Special Scientific Interest

Fauna
Langness is of outstanding scientific importance as the only place in the British Isles where the lesser mottled grasshopper, has been recorded. The grasshopper is found in the short grass around rock outcrops.

lesser mottled grasshopper

Langness is the most important Manx locality for wintering and migrant waders, and wildfowl. They feed mainly in the intertidal zone but also on the upper shore and coastal grassland. The sheltered coast is important for ducks (particularly teal, wigeon and shelduck) and waders (lapwing, oystercatcher and ringed plover) as well as visiting rarities. Significant numbers of waders roost here and large feeding flocks of curlew and golden plover have been recorded in the area. Raven and chough nest on the rocky coast and lapwing have bred on the saltmarsh.

chough

In winter there are heaps of seaweed on the strandline in which choughs dig and feed. Its location as a southern promontory makes Langness a key site for migrant birds and a great variety of species have been recorded, comparable with the range of species on the Calf, which is a British Isles Bird Observatory. These include wryneck, little auk, goosander, avocet and little egret.

Other vertebrates
The birds are the main vertebrates but frogs and common lizards have been recorded. Around the shores grey seals haul out on the rocks.

The peninsula also attracts migrant butterflies (red admiral, painted lady and clouded yellow) and moths (silver-Y). The heath and grassland are habitats for a wide variety of invertebrates, including Grey and Pod Lover moths. The native butterflies include dark green fritillary, grayling, common blue and small copper. A total of 15 species of butterfly have been recorded. Other invertebrates recorded include green tiger beetle, great yellow bumble bee, the saltmarsh centipede and a rare moth which also occurs on the Ayres.

Flora
The dominant vegetation is believed to have been gallic heath (Manx gorse ling, and bell heather) and dune vegetation (marram grass and sand sedge). Now relatively little heath remains in pockets on the shallower soils. Where the ground is not intensively managed as golf greens, the vegetation is un-improved grassland, heath and scrub on limestone, Manx slate and conglomerate and on sand.

Gallic heath - Manx gorse and bell heather

One of the largest areas of saltmarsh on the Island is on the Castletown side of the peninsula. Such species as sea club-rush, grass-leaved orache, maritime rush and sea aster occur there. Interesting coastal grassland plants include spring squill, Burnet rose and Danish milk vetch.

Burnet Rose

Around the margin of Langness freshwater seepage creates flushes of interesting plants; black bog rush, ragged robin, celery leaved buttercup and bog pimpernel. A water tank between the cliffs and the golf course, with planted white water lily, attracts damselflies and adds to the diversity of habitats. The strandline vegetation includes the dramatic sea kale, sea radish and a variety of more common flowering plants.

Sea kale

Geology, geomorphology and landscape
The Langness peninsula is an example of a “tombolo”, a rocky island joined by a sandy spit to the main island. The area has geological formations of limestone, Manx slate and conglomerate overlain with sand and shingle at the land-ward end. This combination occurs nowhere else on the Island. Dramatic rock arches of conglomerate or “pudding stone” occur in the south east. This conglomerate overlies Manx slates illustrating an “unconformity” or a gap in the geological sequence. Within the conglomerate there is a dyke of basalt: a volcanic intrusion. The variety of rocks leads to soils which are diverse in structure and acidity.

Conglomerate arch (Photo by Jon Wornham)

Other information:
The land has a history of copper mining, lime burning and farming. The importance of human history in the area has been reflected in the designation of several listed monuments under the terms of the Manx Museum and National Trust Act 1959.

This site forms a cohesive ecological unit which is important for its terrestrial ecology and together with the marine and inter-tidal area of Derbyhaven and Sandwick bays, meets the criteria for designation as a wetland of international importance under the RAMSAR Convention. Much of the peninsula and its adjoining foreshores have been a designated Bird Sanctuary since 1936.

Western shore looking north

Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry
Wildlife and Conservation Office
Knockaloe Farm
Peel
Isle of Man
IM5 3AJ

Tel 01624 842335
March 2003