The Copeland Islands is a group of islands in the north Irish Sea, north of Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland consisting of Lighthouse, Mew and Copeland Island. Donaghadee (Domhnach Daoi in Irish) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated on the east coast, about 18 miles from Belfast. ... County Down, (An Dún in Irish) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, covering an area of 2,448 km² (945 square miles). ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1...

Area of Special Scientific Interest(ASSI)

Copeland Islands ASSI is located off the County Down coast and comprise Big Copeland, Light House Island and Mew Island. The islands are important sites for breeding seabirds and waders, in addition to their coastal plant communities and geological features.

Big Copeland supports the most diverse range of habitats of the three islands. Communities influenced by the sea are found around the shore with maritime cliff vegetation and pockets of saltmarsh also present. The centre of the island is occupied by semi-improved wet grassland with frequent areas of marsh.

The vegetation on Light House Island consists of short rabbit grazed turf with large areas of rank Bracken and Himalayan Balsam. Notable species include English Stonecrop, Rock Sea-Spurrey, Scots Lovage and Sea Purslane. Light House Island represents the southern limit for Scots Lovage in Europe and the northern limit for Sea Purslane in Ireland. Binomial name Impatiens glandulifera Royle Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is a large annual plant, native to the Himalaya. ...

Mew Island is dominated by rank stands of grass and Bracken but, as on all the islands, notable areas of inter-tidal and exposed rock habitat are present.

The islands are internationally important sites for breeding populations of Manx Shearwater and Arctic Tern and nationally important sites for breeding Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull and Eider Duck. Binomial name Puffinus puffinus (Brünnich, 1764) The Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. ... Binomial name Sterna paradisaea Pontopiddan, 1763 The Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. ... Binomial name Larus melanocephalus Temminck, 1820 The Mediterranean Gull, Larus melanocephalus, is a small gull which breeds almost entirely in Europe, mainly in the south east, especially around the Black Sea, and in central Turkey. ... Binomial name Larus canus Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Gull, Larus canus is a medium-sized gull which breeds across North America (where it is called Mew Gull), Europe and Asia. ... Eider Duck is a fictional duck published in Walt Disneys comic books, and is the uncle of Donald Duck. ...

The Manx Shearwater colony on Copeland Islands holds more than 1.7% of the world population. The colony is in excess of four thousand pairs. The rabbit populations on the islands play an important role in the breeding success of the Manx Shearwater as the latter mainly nest in the rabbit burrows that honeycomb the islands. Grazing by rabbits maintains a short sward, which is desirable for the fledglings.

Big Copeland has an internationally important Arctic Tern colony, with some 550 pairs. The site now represents the largest colony for this species in Ireland. Mew Island has been an important tern colony in the past and it is hoped that positive management will encourage terns to become re-established. Binomial name Sterna paradisaea Pontopiddan, 1763 The Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. ...

The islands are the most important breeding sites in Northern Ireland for Common Gull with over 250 pairs present. Big Copeland has recently held Northern Ireland’s first successful breeding pair of Mediterranean Gull.

The islands are home to a nationally important population of breeding Eider Duck. In total the three islands account for 14% of the Irish population. Non- breeding Eider form part of the nationally important population that occurs along the Outer Ards coast and Belfast Lough areas.

Other breeding colonies of note include Black Guillemot, Water Rail and Stock Dove. The latter species has suffered a dramatic decline in Northern Ireland, but numbers have increased on Copeland with some 100 pairs now breeding. Binomial name Cepphus grylle Linnaeus, 1758 The Black Guillemot or Tystie, Cepphus grylle, is a medium-sized alcid at 32-38 cm in length, and with a 49-58 cm wingspan. ... Binomial name Rallus aquaticus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) is a small wetland bird of the rail family. ... Binomial name Columba oenas Linnaeus, 1758 The Stock Dove (Columba oenas) is a member of the family Columbidae, doves and pigeons. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1...

Breeding waders such as Lapwing and Snipe may be found further inland. Here the taller vegetation, interspersed with open areas, provides an ideal breeding habitat.

Birds of prey favour the islands when the breeding season is over. Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon are all be seen regularly. Binomial name Circus cyaneus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus) is a bird of prey of the harrier family. ... Binomial name Accipiter nisus (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. ... A buzzard is a type of large bird, in any of several different but related senses: In the Old World: A medium-sized wide-ranging raptor with a robust body and broad wings. ... The name kestrel is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. ... Merlin Ambrosius (Welsh: Myrddin Emrys; also known as Myrddin Wyllt (Merlin the wild), Merlin Caledonensis (Scottish Merlin), Merlinus, and Merlyn) is the personage best known as the mighty wizard featured in accounts of Arthur of Britain starting with Geoffrey of Monmouths Historia Regum Britanniae. ... Binomial name Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771 The Peregrine Falcon or, in North America, Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus) is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 38-53 cm (15 to 21 inches) long. ...

Grey Seal and Common Seal can be found off the Copeland Islands in significant numbers. They utilise the off-shore islands and reefs as haul-outs and as pupping and mating sites. Binomial name Halichoerus grypus (Fabricius,, 1791) The Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. ... Binomial name Phoca vitulina Linnaeus,, 1758 Common or Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina) are true seals of the Northern Hemisphere. ...

It is very important to conserve for the future the best features that remain. Environment and Heritage Service aims to work with landowners and occupiers to ensure that special landscape features from our past, and habitats and species, like those at Copeland Islands, are protected for the future through ASSI designation.

Copeland Island (Lighthouse Island)

1815 (station established early 1700s). Inactive since 1884. Ruined stump of 16 m (52 ft) stone tower, with ruins of keeper's house which has been rebuilt to house a bird observatory. The lighthouse was abandoned in favor of the Mew Island Light to the north. The island is now owned by the National Trust and operated by the volunteer members of the Copeland Bird Observatory [1]. Overnight accommodation is available but only by arrangement with the Bird Observatory. Located on Lesser Copeland Island, also called Lighthouse Island, a small island off Copeland Island about 7 km (4 mi) north of Donaghadee. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed.