The Ayres NNR

Directions: From Ramsey, take the coast road to Bride village. Take the first exit at the small roundabout by Bride Church and after approx. ½ mile, turn right (signed to Visitor Centre) and follow this road for approximately 1mile. Alternatively stay on the main road for another 1½ miles and turn left for Smeale.

Car Parking: Small Car park at the northern entrance to the reserve and one alongside the visitor centre bordering the dunes. There are various off-road parking areas at the southern end of the reserve (Smeale).

Habitat: A large area of low heather and gorse heath bordered to the west by sand dunes and a gently sloping, sandy beach and to the east by a golf course and grazed farmland. There is a small pine plantation to the south-western edge of the reserve. Extensive flood pools form during very wet weather but, on the whole, the area is very dry.

Year round species: Meadow Pipit, Stonechat, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Long-eared Owl and Yellowhammer. Razorbill, Guillemot, Black Guillemot and Shag offshore.

Summer Visitors: Spotted Flycatcher, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Wheatear, Gannet, Manx Shearwater, Storm Petrel, Arctic, Sandwich and Little Terns.

Passage Migrants: Tree Pipit, Whimbrel, Knot, Greenshank, Godwits, Whinchat, all four Skuas (mainly Autumn).

Winter Visitors: Sanderling, Grey Plover, Great Northern, Red-throated and Black-throated Divers, Eider, Red-breasted Merganser, Fieldfare, Redwing, Crossbill, Siskin.

Highlights over the last 10 years:  Sabine’s Gull, Little Gull, Mediterranean and Sooty Shearwaters, King Eider.

Plants/insects/mammals of interest: Interesting plants (if there is such a thing) are represented by various Orchids, ground growing Usnea Articulata (lichen), Isle Of Man Cabbage and Moonwort (rare fern). Interesting moths are; Mother of Shipton, Pyrausta Sanguinalis, Sand Dart, Portland and Silver Hook, plus many more! Butterflies are Dark-green Fritillary, Common and Holly Blues and Grayling in particular.

Mammals are poorly represented with Hedgehog, Rabbit and Brown Hare being the most obvious and Atlantic Grey Seal, Common Dolphin, Harbour Porpoise, Basking Shark and even Killer Whale being seen offshore (obviously!). There is also a healthy, but elusive, population of Common Lizards.

                                            The Ayres Shore