Dunes

Gronant Dunes an area of sand dunes and foreshore located on the Denbighshire coast between Prestatyn and Gronant, forms part of a more extensive dune system that stretches eastwards to the Point of Ayr, Talacre. The area to the west is generally known as Barkby Beach.

Due to its outstanding wildlife value, the entire dune system and foreshore has been notified by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It also represents the only surviving largely unmodified remnant along the North Wales coastline of a once more extensive dune system. Elsewhere, it has largely been replaced with a sea wall. Here, it still serves a valuable function as a natural sea defence.
Gronant is unique because it supports Wales' only remaining colony of breeding little terns.

The little tern is one of Britain’s smallest and rarest seabirds. They migrate from Africa to Gronant every summer to breed on the exposed bare shingle ridge. With help from wardening at the site, by a number of organisations and volunteers, the colony has grown from a couple of pairs in the 1970’s to 103 breeding pairs in 2007. Denbighshire County Councils’ Countryside Service now manages the colony each year with the help of a dedicated band of volunteers.

The shingle spit and foreshore also provides an important high tide roost for wintering waders, which feed in the Dee Estuary and along the adjacent coastline. Sanderling occurs regularly in nationally significant numbers. Dunlin, ringed plover and grey plover are also regularly present in locally important numbers. The foreshore is also an important winter gull roost.

The foreshore is used in summer as a roosting area by large flocks of several species of terns. Roosting cormorant numbers are frequently of national significance, with peak usage occurring at low tide. Ringed plover nest on the shingle, while the dunes provide suitable habitat for nesting skylark and stonechat.
Other species also occur which are important to overall biodiversity. In particular, brown hares, a species that has declined in recent years, are still seen, and a number of less common species of bryophytes and invertebrates are also associated with this site.

The Natterjack toad and Sand lizard have been re-introduced to the area and are forming stable populations again. Their decline in the 1960’s was due to a number of reasons but loss of habitat and issues with disturbance were key problems. With continued management it is hoped that these rare species will continue to be present at this important site.