South Stack Lighthouse may 18

With the weather not being to good Again!   i decided to visit RSPB South Stack on the island of Anglesey and look around the lighthouse and maybe shoot a few bird shots.
The lighthouse was built in 1809 at a cost of £11,828 ,designed by Daniel Alexander and built by John Nelson. it is on a point on the tip of Anglesey not too far from Holyhead. it is 91 ft high and the light can be seen 28 miles away!

To get down to the light house i had to climb 400 steps  and gives a good opportunity to see all the nesting sea birds that are on the cliff faces.

 There are approx 4000  sea birds nesting all around the rocky headland, here are Guillemots all in rows!  lol

                              Near the bottom of the steps i get a better view of the lighthouse.

                                                              Razorbills on a rocky outcrop :)

Crossing over the bridge onto the island i first shot a herring gull portrait, they where everywhere  sitting on nests, this one was shot with 70-300 lens

Up into the lighthouse on a guided tour:)   the central spiral staircase which surrounds a central tube that housed a winding mechanism that originally turned the oil fired lamps of which there where  21 ! which originally where housed in a 3 sided reflector which took 6 minutes to revolve . now it is a 6 sided housing with the original 1000 watt bulbs converted to electric in 1938.

the outside of the revolving lamp enclosure

                                                  and then i climbed inside the structure

      Here you can see the bulbs, one is a spare that can be turned to replace the other one if it blows!

                               Another slightly closer composition of the staircase :))

    There is a museum that has loads information about the history of the lighthouse , here is one of the large 1000 watt bulbs as it arrived in its special cradle to prevent damage in transit.

and an old generator that was used to power the lights

Just outside the entrance was a female herring gull sitting on her eggs , i shot this portrait with 100mm macro lens:)) 

and then!!!!!!!!    she took off and started dive bombing me!  SCARY!  but got the shot before ducking!  lol     uncropped from 100mm macro , about 4/5ft from my head   :)  and i felt the wing clip my head!!!!!

                              After this excitement, i made my way back up the 400 steps lol
       pausing to shoot the birds again, not because i needed a rest!!  a good view down the coastline:)

images shot with canon 5d2, 17-40L ,70-300 is & 100mm L macro