What's the twist I hear you cry? Well... this week's Photo of the week is a video sent in by Nature's Home reader, Josh Richardson. We decided to share this with you instead of the usual photo format as its captivating nature not only gives a very real glimpse at what it's like visiting RSPB Bempton Cliffs, for us, it was just nice to still our minds for 2 minutes and remember why it is we do this work in the first place. We hope it goes a little way to reminding you why you care so much too...
The Bempton Cliffs reserve, on the spectacular Yorkshire coast, is home to one of the UK's top wildlife spectacles. Around half a million seabirds gather here between March and October to raise a family on towering chalk cliffs which overlook the North Sea. Josh says:
"The film comes from my recent trip to Bempton. I decided to make the journey having only recently read that it is one of only a few locations in the UK where gannets come to nest. Growing up in Whitby, I’d seen many nesting seabirds before, but almost all of them had been herring gulls or kittiwakes. So I took my camera along in the faint hope I might catch a glimpse of a few gannets. I arrived at the RSPB centre in the midst of a thick sea fret which made for a suspenseful approach as we pushed through the fog toward the cliffs. Upon reaching the precipice I quickly realised how vastly I’d underestimated the size the colony would be, thousands of gannets endlessly swooped to and fro as far as we were able to see into the mist. It was fantastic to witness so many seabirds working tirelessly away, constructing their nests on shelves of limestone cliff and circling above their prey in the grey surf below. Other busy inhabitants of the cliffs included fulmar, razorbills, guillemots and puffins which like the gannets, I had not seen before and found equally as enjoyable to watch. All the footage in the video was recorded over the course of two hours spent at Bempton with the accompanying music coming from pianist Josh Shackleton."
We're very grateful you sent this in Josh, thank you. If you are planning a trip to one of our reserves, camera in hand like Josh here, please feel free to send us the fruits of your labour by emailing us at: natureshome@rspb.org.uk - we love seeing your reserve footage, it helps us touch base during these difficult times, and it also provides us with a means to watch the wildlife we love from a different perspective - superb.
For more info on RSPB reserves, visit our Reserve A-Z, and for the latest news on reserves reopening in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, please visit the RSPB website.
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Images/ video: Josh Richardson
Lovely video. I visited Bempton in 1991 and have always wanted to return. COVID put a stop to it this year but I am very much hoping I will be there in spring 2021