Gannets and the lighthouse on Bass Rock
The Island known as Bass Rock is a volcanic plug of Carboniferous phonolitic trachyte rock located on the fringe of the Firth of Forth north-east of North Berwick in the east of Scotland. At various times between the 13th and 18th centuries the island served as a fortress and a prison. A lighthouse was constructed on the rock in 1902 in the process much of the old castle keep was destroyed and recycled. Some older remains including those of a chapel survive to the present day. Boat trips round and to the island are organised from Dunbar and North Berwick on the mainland. Bass Rock is a Site of Special Scientific Interest being home to more than 150,000 breeding Gannets (Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus)) and is the largest single rock gannetry in the world. Other bird species present include Razorbills, Guillemots, Cormorant, Puffin, Eider Duck and gulls. Gannets are are spectacular divers, plunging into the ocean at high speed in order to catch fish. Gannet pairs may remain together over several seasons. They perform elaborate greeting rituals at the nest, stretching their bills and necks skywards and gently tapping bills together.
Size: 4256px × 2831px
Location: Bass Rock,East Lothian,Scotland
Photo credit: © Clearview / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: bass, bassanus, berwick, bird, blue, coast, coastal, colony, dunbar, east, gannet, gannets, island, lighthouse, lothian, morus, nesting, north, northern, rock, scotland, scottish, sea, seabirds, sky, summer, wildlife
