A gully in the sand

Despite being of a modest size, the dune is big enough for small-scale orography to create crests and gullies. Here, we are at the lowest point of one of these gullies. Even though sand makes for a surface with a very poor water retention capacity, thanks to its orientation and topography, pools form here during rainy periods. A range of hygrophilous vegetation can be seen, like reeds (Juncus sp.) which form a small reedbed with cylindrical stems and without leaves. Another monocotyledon found here is butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus), from the same family as the asparagus. In the autumn and winter it has eye-catching red berries.