Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Headland between Hella Point and Gwennap Head within the SSSI
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| Area of Search | Cornwall |
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| Grid reference | to |
| Coordinates | 50°02′40″N 5°41′12″W / 50.0444°N 5.6866°W |
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 158 hectares (1.58 km2; 0.610 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1977 |
Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point is a special coastal area in west Cornwall, England. It's known for its amazing plants and animals. This area is so important that it's called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). A famous walking trail, the South West Coast Path, goes right through this beautiful place.
Contents
Exploring Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point
Where is this Special Place?
This special area covers about 158 hectares (that's like 390 football fields!). It was officially recognized in 1977. You can find it on the western coast of Cornwall, about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) south of Land's End.
The area starts in the south at a small village called Porthgwarra. It then stretches north along the coast, past the last parts of the English Channel, all the way to Pordenack Point. This coastline is also part of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It's also a Heritage coast and has some really old monuments from history.
Amazing Wildlife and Nature
Porthgwarra to Pordenack Point SSSI is famous for its unique plants and for being a fantastic spot for watching birds. It's especially important for birds that are migrating, meaning they are flying long distances between their summer and winter homes.
Birdwatching Hotspot
The southern part of this area, known as Tol Pedn or Gwennap Head, is a favorite place for birdwatchers. Many people travel from all over Britain to see rare seabirds here. This headland is well-known for the many different kinds of marine birds that fly past.
You can often spot common seabirds like:
- Northern gannet (Morus bassanus)
- Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus)
- Common guillemot (Uria aalge)
- Razorbill (Alca torda)
- Northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)
- Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis)
- Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
About 45 different bird species have been recorded breeding here. This includes the special red-billed choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax). They have successfully nested on Gwennap Head. Other birds you might see include the Eurasian teal (Anas crecca), which is rare for breeding in Cornwall, and the European stonechat (Saxicola rubicola).
Butterflies and Moths
This area is also home to many beautiful butterflies. Some of the butterflies that live here all the time include:
- Silver studded blue (Plebejus argus)
- Large white (Pieris brassicae)
- Small copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
- Common blue (Polyommatus icarus)
- Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
- Peacock (Aglais io)
- Comma (Polygonia c-album)
- Small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene)
- Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria)
- Grayling (Hipparchia semele)
- Wall (Lasiommata megera)
Some insects also migrate, just like birds! Butterflies often seen passing through include the clouded yellow (Colias croceus), red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), and painted lady (Vanessa cardui). Migrant moths you might spot are the rush veneer (Nomophila noctuella), rusty-dot pearl (Udea ferrugalis), hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), and silver Y (Autographa gamma).
Rare Plants
In 2010, a very rare plant called perennial centaury (Centaurium scilloides) was found again here by Helen and Laurie Oakes. This plant is considered a national rarity. Before this discovery, botanists hadn't seen it in Cornwall (or England) since 1962 (or possibly 1967). It was only known to survive in one place in Wales, along the coastal paths of Pembrokeshire National Park. Finding it again in Cornwall was a very exciting discovery!
