SPA description
(information as published 2001)
Ynys Seiriol / Puffin Island
Ynys Seiriol / Puffin Island is located just off the eastern tip
of the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales. It is a Carboniferous
limestone block rising to 55 m with steep cliffs on all sides. A
veneer of heavily guano-enriched soil masks the limestone over much
of the surface, leading to an impoverished vegetation dominated by
a dense mat of grasses (mainly Red Fescue Festuca rubra
and Cock's-foot Dactylis glomerata), Common Nettle
Urtica dioica, Bramble Rubus fruticosus and
Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum. It was heavily grazed by
rabbits until the advent of myxomatosis. Dense woodland of Elder
Sambucus nigra has developed, particularly in the past 40
years since the loss of rabbit grazing. The island has long been
unoccupied. A large population of Common Rat Rattus
norvegicus appears to have been eradicated by poisoning
undertaken in 1998 to enhance its value for breeding seabirds. The
site is of European importance for its breeding population of
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, which feed in the
surrounding waters outside the SPA.
Qualifying species
For individual species accounts visit the Species
Accounts section
This site qualifies under Article 4.2 of the
Directive (79/409/EEC) by supporting populations of European
importance of the following migratory species:
During the breeding season;
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, 776 pairs representing
at least 1.9% of the breeding Northwestern Europe population (count
as at 1996)
Note:
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