Habitats:

Maritime heath and hard cliffs

 

Flora & Fauna:

The plants and animals listed here are the ones most typical for these habitats and the ones you are most likely to encounter when visiting the area. The list is by no means complete and subject to ongoing observation and research.

 

Flora & Fauna Maritime Heath:

Birds:

• Snipe (Gallinago gallinago); resident

• Skylark (Alauda arvensis); resident

• Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis); resident

• Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe); summer visitor

Mammals:

• Irish Hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus)

Flowering Plants:

• European gorse (Ulex europaeus); O

• Bell heather (Erica cinerea); A

• Ling (Calluna vulgaris); A

• Cross Leaved Heath (Erica tetralix); A

• Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria); O

• Early Marsh Orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata / cruenta); O

• Lousewort (Pedicularis sylvatica); F

• Milkwort (Polygala serpyllifolia); F

• Common Dog Violet (Viola riviniana); O

• Tormentil (Potentilla anglica); F

• Common Bird’s Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus); F

• White Clover (Trifolium repens); O

• Glaucous Sedge (Carex flacca); F

Lichen:

• Cladonia impexa

Invertebrates:

• Brown Lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)

• Green Shield Bug (Palomena prasine)

• Ground Beetle (Pterostichus madidus)

 

Flora & Fauna Hard Cliffs:

Birds:

• Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis); summer visitor

• Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla); summer visitor

• Guillemot (Uria aalge); summer visitor

• Razorbill (Alca torda); summer visitor

• Herring Gull (Larus argentatus); resident

• Greater Black Backed Gull (Larus marinus); resident

• Lesser Black Backed Gull (Larus fuscus); resident

• Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis); resident

• Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax); resident

• Raven (Corvus corax); resident

• Rock Dove (Columba livia); resident

• Starling (Sturnus vulgaris); summer visitor

• Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus); resident

Flowering Plants:

• Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia officinalis); F

• Thrift (Armeria maritima); F

• Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima); F

• Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria); F

• Sea Campion (Silene uniflora); F

• Sea Aster (Tripolium pannonicum); F

• Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis); O

• Wild Thyme (Thymus polytrichus); O

• Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea); O

• English Stonecrop (Sedum anglicum); R

Lichen:

• Sea Ivory (Ramalina siliquosa)

• Yellow Scales Lichen (Xanthoria parietina)

• Crab-Eye Lichen (Ochrolechia parella)

• Habitats:

• Ross Bay: Rocky shore and boulder beach with underlying sandy beach.

• Ross Cove: Rocky shore and boulder beach backed by soft cliffs; hard cliffs and rocky shore at entrance to the cove.

•  

• Flora & Fauna:

• The plants and animals listed here are the ones most typical for these habitats and the ones you are most likely to encounter when visiting the area. The list is by no means complete and subject to ongoing observation and research.

•  

• Flowering Plants:

• Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia officinalis); F

• Thrift (Armeria maritima); F

• Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima); O

• Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria); O

• Sea Campion (Silene uniflora); O

• Wild Thyme (Thymus polytrichus); O

• Sheep’s Bit (Jasione montana); O

• English Stonecrop (Sedum anglicum); O

• White Clover (Trifolium repens); O

• Bell Heather (Erica cinerea); O

• Lichen:

• Black Tar Lichen (Verrucaria maura)

• Caloplaca marina

• Yellow Scales Lichen (Xanthoria parietina)

• Sea Ivory (Ramalina siliquosa)

• Black Shields Lichen (Leconara atra)

• Seaweed:

• Pink Encrusting Seaweeds

• Sea Lettuce (Ulva lactuca)

• Gut Weed (Enteromorpha intestinalis)

• Velvet Horn (Codium tomentosum)

• Oarweed (Laminaria digitata)

• Kelp (Laminaria digitata)

• Thongweed (Himanthalia elongate)

• Dulse (Palmaria palmata)

• Carrageen (Chondrus crispus)

• Purple Laver (Porphyra umbilicalis)

• Pepper Dulse (Osmundea pinnatifida)

• Sea Noodles / Threadweed (Nemalion helminthoides)

• Coral Weed (Corallina officinalis)

• Lathesia difformis

• Channelled Wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata)

• Bladder Wrack (Fucus vesiculosus)

• Serrated Wrack (Fucus serratus)

• Wireweed (Sargassum muticum); invasive

• Sponges:

• Breadcrumb Sponge (Halichondria panicea)

• Purse Sponge (Grantia compressa)

• Hymeniacidon perleve

• Sea Anemones:

• Beadlet Anemone (Actinia equina)

• Strawberry Anemone (Actinia fragacea)

• Snakelocks Anemone (Anemonia viridis)

• Jewel Anemone (Corynactis viridis)

• Common Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)

• By-The-Wind-Sailor (Velella velella)

• Worms:

• Coiled Tube Worm (Spirobis spp.)

• Keel Worm (Pomatoceros triqueter)

• Green Leaf Worm (Eulalia viridis)

• Lugworm (Arenicola marina)

• Shells

• Common Limpet (Patella vulgate)

• Blue Rayed Limpet (Helcion pellucidum)

• Edible Periwinkle (Littorina littorea)

• Flat Periwinkle (Littorina obtusata)

• Rough Periwinkle (Littorina saxatilis)

• Dogwhelk (Nucella lapillus)

• Netted Dogwhelk (Tritia reticulata)

• Painted Topshell (Calliostoma zizyphinum)

• Thick Topshell (Osilinus lineatus)

• Flat Topshell (Gibbula umbilicalis)

• Montagu's Sea Snail (Liparis montagui)

• Common Mussel (Mytilus edulis)

• Chiton (Lepidochitona cinerea)

• Sea Hare (Aplysia punctata)

• Crustaceans

• Common Shore Crab (Carcinus maenas)

• Hermit Crab (Pagurus bernhardus)

• Common Prawn (Palaemon serratus)

• Common Sea Slater (Ligia oceanica)

• Common Acorn Barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)

• Marbled Swimming Crab (Liocarcinus marmoreus)

• Common Lobster (Homarus Gammarus)

• Edible Crab (Cancer pagurus)

• Echinoderms

• Common Starfish (Asterias rubens)

• Cushion Star (Asterina gibbosa)

• Spiny Starfish (Marthasterias glacialis)

• Scarlet / Henry’s Starfish (Henricia oculata)

• Edible Sea Urchin (Echinus esculentus)

• Black Sea Urchin (Paracentrotus lividus)

• Cotton Spinner (Holothuria forskali)

• Fish

• Blenny (Lipophrys pholis)

• Montague’s Blenny (Coryphoblennius galerita)

• Butterfish (Pholis gunnellus)

 

Abundance Key:

Dominant (D) – species that cover more than 2/3 of the habitat

Abundant (A) – species that that cover 1/3 -2/3 of the habitat

Frequent (F) – species that are obvious but don’t dominate the habitat

Occasional (O) – species with only few individuals in the habitat

Rare (R) – species with only one or two individuals in the habitat

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