Wales - Anglesey - South Stack
Wales - Anglesey - South Stack
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Location Summary
Location Summary
RSPB Nature Reserve over a large area and with a large number of trails around the cliffs and Holyhead Mountain.
RSPB Visitors Centre with café.
Possibility of seeing many coastal birds.
Elin's Tower is an old Victorian stone tower. and is now used as an RSPB information centre and viewing point.
The Iron Age settlement is also worth a visit (see map, right)
Website: RSPB South Stack
Car Park: Paid (Free Parking for RSPB Members). Two smaller carparks available past the RSPB Visitors Centre, further along South Stack road.
Fee: Free
Expand to see Walks including this Place Event (Click To View)
Captain's Log
Captain's Log
A Couple Of Chuffs Having Fun Near The Cliffs
01/12/23
01/12/23
Chuffing Hell
Chuffing Hell
I'd already done an out-and-back walk along the Angesey Coastal Path to Trearddur today (see South Stack Slide And Shuffle), but I wanted to finish things off with a wander to Erin Tower at the RSPB South Stack site, and a gander at the cliffs. I'd brought my long lens with me and so was I hoping to get one or two bird shots. When I arrived at the tower, who should turn up at the same time, but Iolo Williams, the TV nature presenter. He'd missed the last series of Autumnwatch due to a reported 'heart issue.' He was with two friends and they immediately set off on the cliffside path. I was quite glad that they didn't ask me what I'd seen today since Herring Gulls, Oyster Catchers, Dunnocks, Starlings and Robins probably wouldn't have sounded that impressive to them.
I walked around to the viewing area of the tower and viewed the cliffs for a few minutes. Apart from three Chuffs having fun chasing each other, the cliff was totally empty. How frustrating, since the end of day light was superb. I gave it a bit longer but nothing appeared. I would have gone along the cliff path but I didn't want Iolo and his mates thinking I was some sort of celebrity stalker. I find it odd that some people crave celebrity; I think it must be more of a curse than a gift.
Iolo Williams Enjoying Some Bird Spotting On The Cliff Path
Pippit?
Visitor Centre
Visitor Centre
I decided to go and have a coffee and bun at the RSPB Visitor Centre. I took my tray of goodies to the picnic table area outside. As I walked past a table occupied by a couple of blokes, their Collie dog that had been contently sprawled on the patio, suddenly got to his feet, straining at its leash, and started barking at me. 'It's okay, it's just because you've got a hat on' one of the blokes informed me. I wondered how the aggressive response of his dog was suddenly my fault. £2 worth of my £4 mug of coffee was now swirling about in my tray.
I did see the back of a small bird on the way back to the carpark It looked a bit like a Pippit but I couldn't tell for sure.
It turned out that Iolo and his mates had parked next to me at the carpark and were chatting away when I arrived. An account of this can be found in ( South Stack Slide And Shuffle).
In terms of bird spotting, today's outing at RSPB South Stack hadn't been quite what I'd hoped. It isn't every day that you see Chuffs though and so I guess I should be grateful for that. The scenery had been spectacular. That cliff face down to the lighthouse seemed bottomless when I'd been standing next to the cliff edge. And the view over Anglesey to the snow clad Snowdonia...could that be one of the best views in the UK? It is certainly up there.
The Massive Cliffs Of South Stack
The Path Down To South Stack Lighthouse
13/04/23
13/04/23
First Visit
First Visit
An account of my first visit to RSPB South Stack can be found in South And North Stack Track.
Distant Snowdonia From RSPB South Stack
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