Gannet action at Bempton

A place where the sound of birds rises above and dominates the east coast wind, where the fishy smell generated by tens of thousands of defecating birds pervades the air, and where a line of white cliffs cuts out into the blue of the North Sea. The RSPB's nature reserve at Bempton Cliffs is all of these things and the most easily accessible large seabird colony in England. Each year I try and make a visit to take in the spectacle of the colony in full flow and this year I was lucky enough to spend a few hours there at the end of July.

Part of RSPB Bempton Cliffs

Tree Sparrows bounced around the bushes surrounding the new Visitor Centre where I was able to grab a welcome coffee and slice of cake. I see Tree Sparrows every year but I am not aware of anywhere in Norfolk where I live where they are so easily seen around bird feeders in and in such good numbers. I love their rich chestnut caps and the black beauty spot on their cheeks.

Tree Sparrow

Caffeinated we set off down the well made path to the cliffs, normally I visit earlier in the Spring and there was a noticeable difference in the birds on view compared to my normal mid April visits. I had to work hard to see Guillemots and Razorbills, apparently the majority of these two species of Auks had finished breeding and left the cliffs the week before, Shags too were thin on the ground. But Puffins were everywhere, on the sea, flying in front of the cliffs and perched below the viewpoints. Apparently late July is just about the best time to see Puffins at Bempton.

Bempton Puffins

But the undoubted stars of the show were the Gannets, many with well grown fluffy chicks on the rocky cliff ledges below the viewpoints, these majestic Persil white seabirds would drift along the cliff tops a few metres away from you. My travelling companion was quite overwhelmed and wanted to add the use of the sens of touch ti that of hearing, smell and sight by reaching out to hold one. Perhaps the most entertaining Gannet action was on a grassy slope near the top of the cliffs where a constant succession of birds came in and landed to grab beak fulls of grass to start the process of making next years nests.

Bempton Gannet and nesting material

All along the cliff top trail were well presented and informative hand drawn chalk boards with key facts about the seabirds. At the southernmost viewpoint I spotted one of the resident peregrines high overhead a great bird to end our walk with.

Peregrine at Bempton

Back at the Visitor Centre I graduated from my morning coffee to a afternoon Ice Cream and then the long drive home.

May catch up

It's been a busy month, so in short and sweet fashion, here are a few sightings for you.

Wed 12th May

Stopped off in Thornham Harbour en route to a meeting at Titchwell, two Wheatear's whilst I drank my coffee were nice. A morning walk and talk around Titchwell was quiet but a single Little Gull was pleasant. Drove over to Frampton for another meeting, not much time for spotting but always good to see the Yellow Wagtails in the roadside fields here. Back at Titchwell I had a more leisurely look at the reserve and saw 2 Little gulls, heard Bittern and Bearded Tit and saw my first Sand and House Martins of the year along with a single Common Sandpiper.

Crap digiscoping - Little Gulls at Titchwell

Thursday 14th

An evening walk and talk around Strumpshaw Fen with friends was quiet but 3 rather smart Marsh Harriers were good to see.

Friday 15th

A brief stop on the way south at NWT Weeting Heath, didn't see a Stone Curlew but did manage a Stoat and Buzzard.

 

Stoat at Abbey Farm

Friday 15th

A walk along the River Medway in Kent south of Hadlow produced to "purring" Turtle Dove's, a Bullfinch, 

Grey wagtail and singing Blackcap, Chiff Chaff, Whitethroat, willow warbler, and my first Banded Demoisselle of the year. In the evening a Fox crossed the road in front of me in Hadlow.

Saturday 16th

Stopped on my way north at NWT Weeting Heath. Did see a Stone Curlew in the heat haze, notable how many Lapwings had chicks. A Firecrest in the pines by the hide was an added bonus.

Wednesday 20th

Titchwell in the evening, the Red Necked Phalarope along with the Little Gulls which had been present all day were scared off the marsh by a bird scarer half an hour before I got there. But it was a lovely evening with a rising tide being fished by Little Terns as the sun set over the salt marsh. 11 Red Crested Pochard were, I guess, a sign of the times. Best bird was a distant Short Eared Owl.

Friday 22nd

A work visit to Minsmere the walk around produced Bittern 2, Hobby 3, lots of Garden warblers, a very distant Red Necked Phalarope but no Nightingales

Crap digiscoping - Garden Warbler at Minsmere

Sun 24th and Thursday 28th

Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire

Family visits as ever a great place to be and I managed to see Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Dippers, Common Sandpiper, Mandarin, Common Buzzard, Willow Warbler, Chiff Chaff, Nuthatch, and the Bluebells, Wild Garlic and Water Avens were all out

Crap digiscoping - Dipper at Bolton Abbey

Wild Garlic at Bolton Abbey

Evening of the 28th

A walk down to Bronte Falls near Haworth

Curlews over moors and Red Grouse heard in the distance, willow warblers singing in the trees by the falls.

Bronte Bridge near Haworth

Lapwing near Haworth

Wednesday 27th

Kilnsea Yorkshire Dales National Park

Visited the trout farm and walked up the hill to see the "captive" Lady's Slipper Orchids.

"Captive" Lady's Slipper Orchid, Kilnsea

Blue and Rainbow Trout, Kilnsea

Things to do and not to do in the Yorkshire Dales with kids.

Spent 26th July to 9th August in the Yorkshire Dales on a family holiday, we stayed in a small cottage between Hubberholme and Buckden at the top of the valley of the river Wharfe. Always nice to get a dose of the Uplands even if the birding in the Dales can be a little slow at times.

 

Grange Cottage near Hubberholme [left of picture]

This is an area that I know pretty well from childhood holidays and somewhere that we have visited several times with our own two young boys [aged 2 and 5]. So from the perspective of a family that likes the outdoors and wildlife here are some thoughts on things to do and maybe not do.

River Wharfe at Hubberholme

Six things to do

Go to Bolton Abbey its brilliant, great coffee and cake in the cafe, lovely buggy accessible riverside walks, pebbly beaches from which to skim stones and generally mess around in the river Wharfe and especially in the spring some great birds including Dipper, Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Wood Warbler, Mandarin Duck, Grey Wagtail etc.

 

Stone circle, Langstrothdale

Visit the inspirational Chris and Fiona Clark at Nethergill Farm just south of Hawes and learn about how they are linking Farming the Environment and People, enjoy one of their home made flapjacks, see the rare white shorthorn cattle, take a walk around the farm, or perhaps stay in one of their holiday flats.

 

White Shorthorn, Nethergill Farm

Walk south alongside the river Wharfe from Kettlewell along one side of the river as far as the stepping stones and then come back along the opposite bank, a great stretch of river for Dippers and Kingfishers and a nice length for small kids, no good for buggy's though.

 

Upper reaches of River Wharfe

Drive over to Bolton Castle and find your way through the maze or wander the battlements.

Bolton Castle and maze

Catch fish and Crayfish in the River Wharfe, you can do this pretty much anywhere.

Signal Crayfish, River Wharfe

Go to Malham, enjoy the well made path that takes you out to Malham Cove where in spring and summer you can look through the RSPB telescopes at the nesting Peregrines and wander why there are three times as many nesting in London as manage to breed in the Dales. If you have the time and energy walk up the steps on the side of the cove and across to Goredale Scar and back down into Malham where you could try out the Lister Arms for lunch.

One to maybe avoid

We went to Eureka the national children's museum in Halifax and were disappointed by the long and badly managed queues to get in and to eat, the crowded exhibition space and word heavy exhibits, an expensive mistake.

An afternoon at Bempton Cliffs

Gannet at Bempton

Saturday 12 April

I managed to grab a few hours at Bempton during a work visit to York this weekend/ Always a great place o visit in the Spring with an assault on the sense from the noise of the seabirds especially the Kittiwakes, the fishy smell of the seabird colony and of course the great views of Gannets.

What I was also reminded of on this visit was that Bempton also has a great supporting cast of land birds including a colony of tree sparrows nesting on and around the Visitor Centre, Corn Buntings in the cliff top fields and Peregrines on the cliffs. 

During our visit we saw all of the breeding seabirds: Gannets, Kittiwakes, Herring Gulls, Shags, Guillemot's, Razorbills, Puffin's, as well as Jackdaw's, Rock Dove's and Peregrines. We also had great views of Tree Sparrow's and Corn Bunting's. Worth noting that there are not that many Puffins nesting here and you can find yourself working quite hard to see them

Another Gannet at Bempton

A shame about the lack of a decent cafe with the food offer restricted to some long life cakes and packets of crisps served by a rather dour Yorkshire man, still I believes the RSPB have received a grant from HLF to extend and improve the Visitor Centre so hopefully the catering will improve.

Peregrine and Herring Gull having an altercation at Bempton