Puffin Island - Ynys Seiriol
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Habitats
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| cormorant | Breeding |
| fulmar | Breeding |
| guillemot | Breeding |
| herring gull | Breeding |
| kittiwake | Breeding |
| lesser black-backed gull | Breeding |
| puffin | Breeding |
| razorbill | Breeding |
Description
Description This Carboniferous limestone island lying less than a kilometre off the eastern tip of Anglesey is principally of interest for its nesting seabirds breeding both on its sea-cliffs and open grassland areas. The seabirds involved include the three auks, puffin, guillemot and razorbill, together with cormorant, shag, fulmar and gulls namely: kittiwake, herring gull, greaterblack-backed gull and lesser black-backed gull. The island supports more than 1% of the breeding great Britain population of cormorant. The breeding puffin population, which formerly numbered several thousand pairs, has declined significantly to currently number less than a hundred pairs. However, old records suggest substantial population fluctuations in the past. A large gullery dominated by herring gull is present. The vegetation reflects in part introductions by man particularly of alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum and in part the low grazing pressure following myxomatosis allowing the spread of elder Sambucus nigra scrub across the island in dense stands. Nettles Urtica dioica, Urtica urens, hemlock Conium maculatum, and thistles Cirsium vulgare, Cirsium arvense are also widespread. The open Festuca rubra grasslands have diminished in extent recently. The sea-cliffs support a typical maritime flora including sea spleenwort Asplenium marinum. The island is used as a hauling out ground by grey seals Halichoerus grypus. The rare spider, Meta bourneti, known from only five British locations, has been recorded.
Species mentioned
Show the 19 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| razorbill | Alca torda | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| puffin | Fratercula arctica | CR (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| guillemot | Uria aalge | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| shag | Gulosus aristotelis | VU (Breeding) | bird-frigate | fregatidae |
| cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | NT (Breeding) | bird-frigate | fregatidae |
| fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | CR (Breeding) | bird-fulmar | procellariidae |
| herring gull | Larus argentatus | EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| lesser black-backed gull | Larus fuscus | DD (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| sea spleenwort | Asplenium marinum | LC | fern | aspleniaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| creeping thistle | Cirsium arvense | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| spear thistle | Cirsium vulgare | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| hemlock | Conium maculatum | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| Alexanders | Smyrnium olusatrum | LC | herb | apiaceae |
| nettle | Urtica dioica | LC | herb | urticaceae |
| nettle | Urtica urens | NT | herb | urticaceae |
| grey seal | Halichoerus grypus | None | seal | phocidae |
| elder | Sambucus nigra | LC | shrub | caprifoliaceae |
Plant communities
W20 — Montane scrub
Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub
Show 107 indicator speciesSalix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis
W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub
Show 81 indicator speciesHedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas
W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub
Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub
Show 49 indicator speciesHedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas