Mappp.co - Creigiau Pen y Graig

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Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

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.

Habitats

Coppiced woodland

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Silurian

Landscape processes: Coastal

Birds & fish recorded

Birds

Species	Season
cormorant	Breeding

Description

Description These relatively steep sea cliffs, composed of Silurian grits and shales support isolated remnants of wind-pruned coastal hanging oakwoods composed mainly of sessile oak Quercus petraea. A few maiden trees occur, but the majority exhibit a coppiced growth form. The trees achieve a maximum height of 8 metres, although some are prostrate and extremely worn by wind exposure. A shrub layer of hazel Corylus avellana, blackthorn Prunus spinosa, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and dog rose Rosa canina occurs, with a mixture of grasses and herbs including Yorkshire-fog Holcus lanatus, false oat grass Arrhenatherum elatius, false brome Brachypodium sylvaticum, bluebell Endymion non-scriptus, moschatel Adoxa moschatellina, dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, wood avens Geum urbanum and wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella. This woodland is possibly a remnant of that which once clothed extensive areas of Ceredigion’s coastal plateau. A large cormorant colony is situated in this site, being the largest in Ceredigion and among the four largest in Wales. Grey seals are seen frequently along this stretch of coastline and are believed to breed in one or two gullies along its length. Remarks: 12 ha of the site are managed as the Penderi nature reserve by the West Wales Naturalists’ Trust.

Species mentioned

Show the 13 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
cormorant	Phalacrocorax carbo	NT (Breeding)	bird-frigate	fregatidae
false oat grass	Arrhenatherum elatius	LC	grass	poaceae
wood false brome	Brachypodium sylvaticum	LC	grass	poaceae
Yorkshire fog	Holcus lanatus	LC	grass	poaceae
moschatel	Adoxa moschatellina	LC	herb	adoxaceae
herb bennet	Geum urbanum	LC	herb	rosaceae
dog's mercury	Mercurialis perennis	LC	herb	euphorbiaceae
wood sorrel	Oxalis acetosella	LC	herb	oxalidaceae
dog-rose	Rosa canina	LC	herb	rosaceae
hawthorn	Crataegus monogyna	LC	shrub	rosaceae
blackthorn	Prunus spinosa	LC	shrub	rosaceae
hazel	Corylus avellana	LC	tree	corylaceae
sessile or durmast oak	Quercus petraea	LC	tree	fagaceae

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
Chequered skipper Carterocephalus palaemon	Endangered	Brachypodium sylvaticum
Oak lutestring Cymatophorina diluta	Endangered	Quercus petraea
Figure of eight Diloba caeruleocephala	Endangered	Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Rosa spp.
The lappet Gastropacha quercifolia	Endangered	Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp.
Scarce vapourer Orgyia recens	Endangered	Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp., Rosa spp.
Black hairstreak Satyrium pruni	Endangered	Prunus spinosa
Mouse moth Amphipyra tragopoginis	Vulnerable	Crataegus spp.
The sprawler Asteroscopus sphinx	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Quercus spp.
Broom moth Ceramica pisi	Vulnerable	Rosa canina
Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp., Rosa canina
Grayling Hipparchia semele	Vulnerable	Brachypodium sylvaticum
The lackey Malacosoma neustria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Quercus spp., Rosa canina
Pale brindled Phigalia pilosaria	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp., Rosa spp.
Grizzled skipper Pyrgus malvae	Vulnerable	Geum urbanum, Rosa canina
Brown hairstreak Thecla betulae	Vulnerable	Prunus spinosa
Early moth Theria primaria	Vulnerable	Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp.
Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi	Vulnerable	Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp.
Oak hook-tip Watsonalla binaria	Vulnerable	Quercus petraea
Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola	Near Threatened	Crataegus monogyna, Quercus spp.
Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis	Near Threatened	Crataegus monogyna
Grey chi Antitype chi	Near Threatened	Crataegus monogyna
Garden tiger Arctia caja	Near Threatened	Prunus spinosa
Large thorn Ennomos autumnaria	Near Threatened	Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Prunus spp., Quercus spp.
September thorn Ennomos erosaria	Near Threatened	Quercus spp.
Grey pug Eupithecia subfuscata	Near Threatened	Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa
Double dart Graphiphora augur	Near Threatened	Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa, Quercus spp.
Wall Lasiommata megera	Near Threatened	Brachypodium sylvaticum, Holcus lanatus
Rosy minor Litoligia literosa	Near Threatened	Arrhenatherum elatius
Clay fan-foot Paracolax tristalis	Near Threatened	Quercus spp.
Frosted green Polyploca ridens	Near Threatened	Quercus petraea

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.