Ynys Feurig
Encyclopedia
Ynys Feurig is the name for a set of three small inter-connected low-lying inshore tidal rocky islets
(3.1 ha in extent), lying off from the west coast of Anglesey
, North Wales
, just north of the village of Rhosneigr
and south of RAF Valley
airfield. They are also known by the English name Starvation Island. The islets are accessible from the mainland at mid to low tide. The clipper Norman Court
ran aground nearby, in Cymyran Bay.
colony, in particular for Roseate Tern
, for which this is the most regular breeding site on Anglesey, although numbers of breeding pairs are low currently (2005) compared with the past. Because of this the island has been designated as part of the Ynys Feurig, Cemlyn Bay and The Skerries Special Protection Area
along with two other nearby sites, Cemlyn Bay
and The Skerries, and all three are also classed by Birdlife International
as an Important Bird Area
.
Ynys Feurig is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest
. Birds interchange regularly between all three sites, and form part of a larger Irish Sea
tern population together with birds at sites in Ireland
such as Rockabill Island. The major threat to the terns here is predation by rat
s; in 1978 rats killed 17 adult terns including 14 roseate terns, as well as taking all the eggs and young of that year. The RSPB warden the site to protect the terns; management measures they have undertaken here to help increase the Roseate Tern population include small-scale control of vegetation and provision of nestboxes, although it is thought that the number of breeding pairs at this site is primarily dependent on the overall health of the Irish Sea
population.
The site first came to national attention among birders in July 2005 when a Sooty Tern
paid a very brief visit, before relocating to The Skerries and Cemlyn
.
Tidal island
A tidal island is a piece of land that is connected to the mainland by a natural or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide. Because of the mystique surrounding tidal islands many of them have been sites of religious worship, such as Mont Saint Michel with its...
(3.1 ha in extent), lying off from the west coast of Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
, just north of the village of Rhosneigr
Rhosneigr
Rhosneigr is a village in the south-west of Anglesey, North Wales. It is situated on the A4080 road some 10km south-east of Holyhead, and is on the Anglesey Coastal Path. From the clock at the centre of the village can be seen RAF Valley and Holyhead Mountain...
and south of RAF Valley
RAF Valley
RAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training...
airfield. They are also known by the English name Starvation Island. The islets are accessible from the mainland at mid to low tide. The clipper Norman Court
Norman Court (clipper)
Norman Court was a composite built clipper ship, designed by William Rennie, measuring 197.4 ft x 33 ft x 20 ft, of 833.87 tons net. The ship was built in 1869 by A. & J. Inglis of Glasgow. On the night of 29 March 1883 in a strong gale it was driven ashore and wrecked in Cymyran...
ran aground nearby, in Cymyran Bay.
Seabirds
The islands are important for their ternTern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
colony, in particular for Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern
The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
, for which this is the most regular breeding site on Anglesey, although numbers of breeding pairs are low currently (2005) compared with the past. Because of this the island has been designated as part of the Ynys Feurig, Cemlyn Bay and The Skerries Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
along with two other nearby sites, Cemlyn Bay
Cemlyn Bay and lagoon
Cemlyn Bay is a bay on the northwest coast of Anglesey, North Wales, approximately 2.5 km west of Wylfa nuclear power station, within the parish of Llanfairynghornwy....
and The Skerries, and all three are also classed by Birdlife International
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources...
as an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
.
Ynys Feurig is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
. Birds interchange regularly between all three sites, and form part of a larger Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
tern population together with birds at sites in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
such as Rockabill Island. The major threat to the terns here is predation by rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
s; in 1978 rats killed 17 adult terns including 14 roseate terns, as well as taking all the eggs and young of that year. The RSPB warden the site to protect the terns; management measures they have undertaken here to help increase the Roseate Tern population include small-scale control of vegetation and provision of nestboxes, although it is thought that the number of breeding pairs at this site is primarily dependent on the overall health of the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
population.
The site first came to national attention among birders in July 2005 when a Sooty Tern
Sooty Tern
The Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscatus , is a seabird of the tern family . It is a bird of the tropical oceans, breeding on islands throughout the equatorial zone. Colloquially, it is known as the Wideawake Tern or just wideawake...
paid a very brief visit, before relocating to The Skerries and Cemlyn
Cemlyn Bay and lagoon
Cemlyn Bay is a bay on the northwest coast of Anglesey, North Wales, approximately 2.5 km west of Wylfa nuclear power station, within the parish of Llanfairynghornwy....
.