Pages

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Bodie Island Lighthouse

   Today's skywatch post is of the Bodie Island Lighthouse of North Carolina. Earlier this summer my family and I spent some time there.

IMG_1449

The Bodie Island Lighthouse (pronounced body) is one of three historic lighthouses on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The lighthouse was built in 1872.

IMG_1459

 Some Bodie Island Lighthouse Facts:

Height: 156 feet
Height of Stripes: 22 feet
Stairs: 214
Beam Range: 19 miles
Ownership: transferred from US Coast Guard to the National Park Service in 2000

Here is a picture from inside the lighthouse looking up:

IMG_1450

There's a nearby nature trail that we were going to hike on until my wife saw this sign below...I ended up hiking alone.

IMG_1458

Although we didn't have the time, Cape Hatteras National Seashore is a great place to go birding. Nearly 400 species of birds have been sighted within its surrounding waters. This impressive number is due to several factors: its location on the Eastern Flyway, varied habitats, and strong winds and storms that often bring in exhausted vagrants.  They have quite an impressive bird checklist. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/chekbird/r4/hatteras.htm

Areas of the Cape Hatteras shoreline is also a breeding area for the endangered piping plover. If interested, you can view last years Piping Plover Report.

I hope to do more bird watching there next spring!

 

To learn more about Bodie Island and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore check out the links below:

http://www.nps.gov/archive/caha/bodielh.htm

http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=357

http://www.nps.gov/caha/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Hatteras_National_Seashore

 

9 comments:

Baruch said...

Beautiful SWF photos. My favourite is the first one. Thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

That a beautiful lighthouse. Nice photos.

Anonymous said...

Wow, beautiful photos Alan! Thanks for sharing!

Jane Hards Photography said...

The persectives on these are absolutely fanatastcic.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info. I love lighthouses. They look so neat. That warning sign is great. I guess you do have to warn some people to not go near rattlesnakes, I would hope the majority don't need such a warning.

imac said...

Interesting post and love those shots.

FO - 2 said...

Very nice series.
Great view, looking up, on the picture from inside the lighthouse. :)

Coloradolady said...

Oh, great shots. I love the one looking up. REally nice. Great SWF post.

Mary said...

I'm so intrigued by lighthouses that I've collected and decorated my Delaware home with them.

As far as the rattlesnakes, I'd pass on the hike, too!

You took good photos of that lighthouse. Bravo!