Sea buckthorn

Sea buckthorn is the most important shrub in the coastal dunes and provides a home for many birds such as the lesser whitethroat, the nightingale and the cetti's warbler. In autumn, when the acidic, orange berries colour the dunes, this plant is at its most striking. The berries are eaten by many migratory birds. They are ripe at exactly the moment that thousands of songbirds pass through the dunes on their way to their wintering grounds. They need the extra energy that the berries provide. In some years, the berries ferment on the shrubs. When this happens migrating birds such as fieldfares and redwings get drunk.