One of the highlights of the reserve's year is its Seabird Cruises from Bridlington harbour aboard the iconic Yorkshire Belle. Keith Barrow, one of the RSPB local group volunteers who assist the crew and provide a commentary on the trips, gives us an insight into what it's like to make the journey across the bay and round the headland:
As we crossed Bridlington Bay on a lovely sunny morning, taking in the spectacle of the chalk cliffs which form the Flamborough Heritage Coast, passengers could start to see why the coastline is a Special Protection Area and internationally important for its seabirds.
We passed the occasional herring and great black-backed gull, before seeing a group of cormorants resting on one of the large marker buoys, quickly followed by views of its close cousin the shag. Soon we were passing FIamborough’s Lighthouse and onto the seabird colony of Breil Newk where Peter, skipper of the Yorkshire Belle, gets us steers us right into the hustle and bustle of 'seabird city'.
The bird cries richocheted off the cliffs - amongst them the ringing calls of the kittiwakes repeating their own name, 'kittiwaaake, kittiwaaake'.- and there were close views of the shags, guillemots and razorbills getting down to the serious business of egg laying; the comical puffin soon put in an appearance too.
Passing Flamborough North Landing and the old lifeboat station, on beyond Thornwick Bay to the outer boundry of the RSPB reserve, the chalk cliffs rise dramatically from 100-150 feet high to a towering 425 feet at Buckton. Here fulmars, close relatives of the albatross, came calling and shearwaters glided effortlessly by on their long stiff wings close enougn to see their feathers rippling in the wind.
Further along we were treated to the sight of a peregrine falcon flying right over the boat.. Then gannets, the largest seabird breeding in the North Atlantic with a wing span of up to six feet, skirted past on their way back to Staple Newk, part of England’s only mainland gannetry. As the skipper nudged us closer still to the cliffs. we could see the gannets on their nests of seaweed, old rope and brightly coloured fishing net.
Sailing along underneath the cliffs, the sight of the ledges lined with guillemots standing shoulder to shoulder with their neighbours, scattered pairs of razorbills along with scores of kittiwakes was truly spectacular. We were then treated to the sight of a great skua sweeping by. 60% of the world’s population breeds in northern Scotland and this was an unusual sighting for this time of year.
As we turned to return, three common scoter were seen sitting on the water. These are seaducks that breed on lakes and bogs in Scandinavia, the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea and across into Russia. Their sighting in the late afternoon sun really brought home the diversity of birds that thrive on the cliffs at Bempton.
Dates and times of all our 2013 sailings can be found on our Events page
The Belle from the cliff tops
'Seabird City' in full swing
An unseasonal great skua