On Monday we drove to Holy Island and RSPB South Stacks.
Holyhead Mountain (taken from the car)
It was very very windy when we arrived at the reserve.
The reserve is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA) and is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). At this time of year there are breeding Guillemots (we saw so many), Razorbills, Kittiwakes, Fulmars, several species of Gull, Puffins and Choughs. The visitor centre, shop and cafe are currently closed but there are temporary toilets and food/drink facilities.
We walked across the heathland towards Ellins Tower which was built in 1868 by the Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey for his wife and is now used by the RSPB. Adders, lizards and Silver Studded Blues occur but none were around during our visit although it is perhaps a little early for the latter. We did see a few Stonechats and there were quite a few wild flowers.
Clover and Tormentil
Sorrel, Campion and the large pink flower is Common Valerian (thanks to Amanda and Dr Richard Bates for id confirmation).
I think this is Horseshoe Vetch? The leaves in the photo are not that clear and I would ideally like to see the seed pods to help with id. Please let me know if I am wrong.
South Stack lighthouse
Apologies for the following photos - I am afraid there are no closeups of the nesting seabirds! The cliffs are a long way off and it was so windy I was finding it very difficult to hold my bins and the camera steady.
By far the most common species were Guillemots.
We did spend quite a lot of time in Ellins Tower watching the birds (how I had wished we had taken the telescope on holiday!) although there are a couple in the tower you can use. The highlight of the visit was a close up view of a Chough just outside the tower on the cliff top. Having "dipped" at The Lizard this was a new "tick" for me. Around ten pairs nest on the cliffs and nearby Holyhead Mountain.
I also got talking to a lady volunteer who asked where we came from. It turned out that she was a year older than me, had attended the same Girls'Grammar School, lived as a child in the next avenue to where my parents lived and until 5 years ago when she moved to Anglesey she lived just round the corner from where we now live - talk about a coincidence! We spent quite a lot of time reminiscing about school days and teachers.
B and D wanted to visit the lighthouse - E and I didn't plan to (me because of not liking heights and the 400 steps!) so we stayed for some time watching the seabirds from Ellins Tower before walking back to the car
English Stonecrop
I have included D's photos of the lighthouse and their walk.
I haven't been able to id this caterpillar.
Looking back towards Ellins Tower
A closer view of Guillemots
About to start the final part of the descent and I would have not fancied it. Such a shame really because I think you can get closer to the birds and also view the amazing geology.
B an D were quite close to nesting gulls (Herring) on the little islet where the lighthouse is located.
A petition to erect a lighthouse at this location was presented to Charles II in 1665 but permission was not granted. A lighthouse was eventually built by Trinity House in 1809. Originally it had argand oil lamps and reflectors. In the mid 1870's a new lantern was installed and in 1909 an early form of incandescent light was installed. This was replaced in 1927 by a more modern version. In 1938 electricity was installed and the lighthouse was automated in 1983. South Stack rock is separated by Holy Island by a distance of 30 metres. The height of the lighthouse is 28 metres.
Geology
The cliffs at South Stack were originally laid down as sandstones and mudstones in the early Cambrian around 522 million years ago. During the Caledonian Orogeny (mountain building episode) the rocks were folded and compression of the original horizontal sedimentary rock of sandstones and mudstones led to the formation of the metamorphosed schists and quartzites we see today.
D managed to get some photos of the folds in the rocks by the lighthouse.
The return journey
There is a ghost story connected to the lighthouse. On 25th October 1859 the most severe storm of the century occurred which was called The Royal Charter Gale. Over 2 days over 200 vessels around the coast of Britain were wrecked or driven ashore and 800 lives were lost. A shop called the Royal Charter was driven onto the rocks at Moelfre on the other side of Anglesey with a loss of 500 passengers and crew. At South Stack lighthouse the assistant lighthouse keeper John (Jack Jones) was struggling at night down the 400 steps. No-one knows for certain what happened but he stumbled and was seriously injured. Somehow he managed to cross the bridge to the islet and reached the lighthouse where Henry Bowen the lighthouse keeper found him. Three weeks later he died from his injuries. Since then footsteps have been heard, strange screams and the rattling of doors in the lighthouse itself.
While B and D were at the lighthouse I explored the Holyhead Hut Circles - in fact I went back again later with B, D and E - I will write about this in the next post along with a few photos of Treaddur Bay.
*D Photos taken by D with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera
It is such a splendid area for bird life! As for the wind, I think it is a permanent feature. It was certainly blowing a gale during my two visits there. My most vivid memories are of Red-billed Choughs almost at my feet, with a Common Raven overhead and just as we were about to leave a Peregrine Falcon in hot pursuit of a gull. I would gladly put up with the wind to go there again.
ReplyDeleteDavid M Gascoigne - Thank you and yes it is wonderful for birds :) It sounds as though it is often windy there! The chough to me was the highlight of the visit. Sadly didn't see any Peregrine Falcons. Hope to go again as we will go back to Anglesey.
ReplyDeleteTo see the seabirds like that we have to take to the water! How wonderful to not have to leave dry land.
ReplyDeleteLighthouses do have fascinating history, and often there are tales attached to them. An unfortunate event on the Smalls lighthouse is the reason they became manned by three instead of two men. A grizzly tale it is, most certainly.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thank you - I think you can get closer to the birds as you go down the steps. We did get closer views when we went out on a boat later in the week on Anglesey and we did once go on a sea trip from Padstow and got good views of seabirds including Puffins :)
ReplyDeleteMy son is fascinated by lighthouses and their history - Smalls lighthouse story rings a bell (I will look it up). Thank you.
How wonderful to see a Chough whilst you were at South Stack, I'm glad you found the hut circles, I found them quite fascinating to walk around:)
ReplyDeleteRosie - Thanks so much and I hope you have a good holiday. I found the hut circles so interesting. So glad I decided to investigate them :)
ReplyDeleteI remember the place well, it was very windy when we went and I too got to see my first Chough there too. The photo of the Common Valerian showing the whole plant gives a better indication of size, still remembering to take all parts of the plant. The Caterpillar could be a The Drinker moth (Euthrix potatoria) Caterpillar, as lots of people were seeing them round about that time, I had seen one at Ribblehead Viaduct.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos as ever. I really need to go back to Wales for a holiday soon.
Amanda xx
Amanda Peters - Thank you. Perhaps it is always windy there although the girl in the icecream van there said it was usually raining!! Glad you saw Chough too :) I am trying to remember now to take photos of all parts of plant! I wondered about Drinker moth too - it was just I couldn't see a lot of the markings and I remember your photo :)
ReplyDeleteWe shall certainly go back to Anglesey and that cottage! :)
really chuffed you saw a chough.... gets coat!
ReplyDeleteThe Quacks of Life - lol!!!!!!! :) Thanks for the tip by the way about it being a good place to see one :)
ReplyDeleteThe coastline looks lovely. It is a long time since I saw birds on the cliffs like that.
ReplyDeleteCherryPie - Thank you and yes the children were a lot younger when we last saw a seabird city.
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful post! And we also saw Choughs on our travels this summer. I loved what we called Holyhead Island when we were on Anglesey many years ago, but I see it seems to be Holy Island... the blues (sea and sky) and yellows (gorse) stick in my mind... so the sun must have shone down on us at that point! I'm so pleased you saw all the birds, too: I haven't seen any guillemots since last summer (when we saw them at Bempton Cliffs - and also Black Guillemots off Galloway).
ReplyDeleteCaroline Gill - Thankyou and I am so pleased you also saw choughs. To be honest I did not really make the best of the visit to South Stack as it was all so overwhelming! I think these islands have several names e.g. Llandwyn is also known as Isle of the Blessed and Dwynwen's Island!
ReplyDelete