In search of the Cliff comber

I've been wanting to go and have a look for a certain carabid beetle for a couple of years now and a last week I finally got my arse in gear and organised an after work trip with fellow beetler, Bill. Leaving home at 17.45 we arrived at Overstrand in NE Norfolk an hour before dusk (19:30).

The beetle in question was Nebria livida sometimes known as the Cliff Comber, a large and predatory ground beetle and a specialist of soft rock cliffs. Historically known from Norfolk to East Yorkshire it only appears to be hanging on on the soft cliffs either side of Cromer.

After beating a patch of Sea Buckthorn and attracting the attention of a couple of holidaying families who asked us what we were doing, we made our way down to the beach and headed east.

The habitat here is fairly dynamic with parts of the cliff collapsing each year, yielding new patches of bare clay. Other parts are quite well vegetated having had a number of years for plants to establish. There were also numerous fresh water seeps coming out the base of the cliff and it was here we would focus our search. 

Over the next 4 hours we found various beetles including Asaphidion pallipes, Platyderus depressus, Paranchus albipes and several species of Bembidion.....but no livida.

By 23:30 we were tired and still had a long drive home so we decided to call it a day.

We both felt like it needed another go, so last week saw a repeat trip out but this time to East Runton. The cliffs are steeper and there are far less water seeps and this time the weather was looking beautifully ominous.

However, after about 90 minutes of searching we came across a couple of isolated water seeps and lo and behold our quarry was there, hanging out at the top of the beach around these damp patches, waiting for whatever these beetles feed on.

They were absolutely stunning creatures and we counted at least 11 individuals over the next 20 or so minutes. It's good to see this species still hanging on here but the longer term forecast for them is less rosy. How much longer will they hang on.....

There's no place like Holme

What to do on a relatively warm and sunny Sunday? The choice was quickly made: a trip to the coast.

All packed and out the house before 9 followed by a 90 minute journey meant we were hitting the carpark at Thornham by 10.20. We walked along the coastal path into the Holme Dunes NNR and set up base in a semi-sheltered spot. The number of common insects was amazing. Painted Ladies and Yellow Belles were disturbed from the side of the path and every stem seemed to contain a Cantharis rustica soldier beetle.

The main quarry was quickly seen, caught, papped and released and caused the kids much excitement.

Dune Tiger Beetle Cicindela maritima is restricted to the upper strandline in parts of Devon, Somerset, Kent, Wales and the North Norfolk coast. There were quite a few running and flying around in the warm sun and were quite prepared to give a friendly nip to curious fingers.

There were several Dune Chafers Anomala dubia flying about and wandering in the sand. Searches of the marram grass tussocks turned up a couple of weevils although I'm none the wiser as to what they were. Both were tiny.

The spider Arctosa perita is a coastal sand dune specialist and several of these were found on patches of sand. My book says there are other species in the genus from which they need to be separated by examination of the epigyne. The other species in the genus seem to have different behavioural characteristics and habitat preferences, so pretty sure this is the correct ID (famous last words).

They are incredibly well camouflaged when they freeze, despite their seemingly obvious markings, which I guess mimic the granular patterning of the sand.

Looking through patches of grass bordering the dunes turned up quite a few of the large click-beetle Agrypnus murinus.

All in all this was one of those great days where family fun and a bit of light natural history combined effortlessly. Everyone had fun I managed to see some cool things inbetween burying kids in sand and troughing on sandy ham sandwiches. Awesome.