Dooey Point in Donegal is one of our sites of special interest for 2026, so we've been really eager to start exploring. Although our special interest sites have a minimum requirement of a single visit per year, in reality once we start to explore, it's hard to stop.
For any new site, the first thing we do is a familiarisation visit. On a very windy Saturday on March, we ventured onto the shifting sands of Dooey beach to see what it might throw at us.
Despite the near sand storm, we still managed to find some interesting species. As you can imagine they needed a good bit of searching to find - everything was well sheltered in from the blowing winds. We spent a good bit of time digging into the bottom of clumps of grass, or lifting dung piles (luckily quite dried and not at all smelly). Really looking forward to getting back next month when the coltsfoot and dandelion should bring out some early pollinators, and the temperature might be a little bit warmer.
(All identifications are provisional and subject to specialist confirmation.)
Protapion fulvipes White Clover Seed Weevil
A tiny beetle (< 2.5 mm) whose life cycle is closely tied to white clover (Trifolium repens) but is also associated with other Trifolium species. While not really a dune specialist, there are no records for Donegal and few in Ireland. → NBDC
Calathus sp.
We found these 6-8mm ground beetles in almost every clump of marram grass we delved into. Identification to species is tricky as there are two closely-related species C. melanocephalus and C. cinctus, but cinctus appears more likely given the dune habitat. Calathus cinctus is a nocturnal predator most at home on dry heaths and bare sandy ground. → NBDC
Ocypus aeneocephalus
A large rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) in the same genus as the familiar Devil’s Coach Horse. Described as widespread and fairly common under stones or in moss in drier grassland types including dunes. (R. Anderson) → NBDC
Agalenatea redii Gorse Orbweaver
A medium-sized orb-weaver strongly associated with open, sunny habitats — it is typically found in heather and gorse less than one metre from the ground, and in rough grassland where it constructs its web between dead herbaceous stems. In the north of England the spider is most common on sand dunes. It favours warm, exposed sites. Just a few records in Ireland. → NBDC
Pogonognathellus longicornis Longhorned Springtail
A delightful wee creature found while exploring marram clumps. The largest springtail in Britain and Ireland, reaching 6 mm in body length, with extraordinarily long antennae that outstretch beyond the body and which curl into an unusual spiral shape when the animal is disturbed. It is a detritivore of leaf litter, soil, and decaying organic matter. → NBDC
Syntrichia ruraliformis Sand-hill Screw-moss
A simple gorgeous moss that we couldn't but notice! It's a sand dune specialist that forms extensive mats on loose sand in unstable coastal dunes and can survive prolonged dessication. → BBS
