Coquet Island
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NU292050 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 19.93 | 2013-01-23 |
| NU292051 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 19.93 | 2013-01-23 |
| NU293046 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 19.93 | 2013-01-23 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Rock Type: Sandstone
Landscape processes: Coastal
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| Arctic tern | Breeding |
| common tern | Breeding |
| eider | Breeding |
| roseate tern | Breeding |
Description
Description Coquet Island lies less than a mile off Amble on the Northumberland coast. It consists of a flat grassy plateau measuring some 20 hectares, girt by low sandstone cliffs with a wide rock platform at tide level, which is partly the result of former quarrying. The plateau is covered by a peaty soil supporting fescue grassland mainly Festuca rubra but with some Festuca ovina, with docks Rumex spp. and ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris. Maritime species such as sea campion Silene uniflora and thrift Armeria maritima are scarce. A variable population of rabbits graze the island and keep the turf short cropped, except where the high nutrient levels associated with sea bird droppings support dense stands of nettles mainly Urtica dioica but with some Urtica urens. The island is noted for its breeding sea birds. Several species occur at nationally important levels in excess of one percent of the British breeding population. Thus some 500 pairs of eider breed here at their most southerly colony on the east coast. Of particular note are the significant populations of various tern species, 1,100 pairs of common tern; 700 pairs of arctic tern; 1,500 pairs of Sandwich tern and 29 pairs of roseate tern. There is also a large population of black headed gulls, some 2,400 pairs.
Species mentioned
Show the 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eider | Somateria mollissima | VU (NonBreeding) | bird-duck | anatidae |
| roseate tern | Sterna dougallii | CR (Breeding) | bird-tern | laridae |
| sheep's fescue | Festuca ovina | LC | grass | poaceae |
| red fescue | Festuca rubra | LC | grass | poaceae |
| thrift | Armeria maritima | CR | herb | plumbaginaceae |
| ragwort | Jacobaea vulgaris | LC | herb | asteraceae |
| sea campion | Silene uniflora | LC | herb | carophyllaceae |
| nettle | Urtica dioica | LC | herb | urticaceae |
| nettle | Urtica urens | NT | herb | urticaceae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| The grey Hadena caesia |
Endangered | Silene uniflora |
| Sussex emerald Thalera fimbrialis |
Endangered | Jacobaea vulgaris |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Jacobaea vulgaris |
| Grayling Hipparchia semele |
Vulnerable | Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra |
| Grey chi Antitype chi |
Near Threatened | Armeria maritima, Urtica dioica |
| Garden tiger Arctia caja |
Near Threatened | Jacobaea vulgaris, Urtica dioica |
| Small heath Coenonympha pamphilus |
Near Threatened | Festuca spp. |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Festuca ovina |
| Tawny speckled Eupithecia icterata |
Near Threatened | Jacobaea vulgaris |
| Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata |
Near Threatened | Jacobaea vulgaris |
| Bordered pug Eupithecia succenturiata |
Near Threatened | Jacobaea vulgaris |
| White-spotted pug Eupithecia tripunctaria |
Near Threatened | Jacobaea vulgaris |
| Silver-spotted skipper Hesperia comma |
Near Threatened | Festuca ovina |
| Rosy minor Litoligia literosa |
Near Threatened | Festuca ovina |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.