You will be glad to hear that all four of our swallow chicks successfully fledged this week. On Tuesday morning we were holding our breath, waiting for the first bird to take the leap of faith, and by Wednesday the nest was empty. Whilst we were very happy that everything had gone so well for them, we were also left feeling a little bereft. So imagine our joy when, on Thursday morning, we went to open the centre doors and noticed all four lined up on top of the servery hatch. They quickly flew away on seeing us but later in the day had returned to the nest and were shouting for their parents to bring them food. The weather on Thursday was rather wet, wild and windy so we think they must have decided to stay in for the day and let their parents do all the hard work!
Today’s weather is much warmer and calmer. The centre is bustling, the birds are sunning themselves on the cliff side, or in the water, and the puffins are still out in force, showing off to the visitors. Yesterday we heard a marvellous story about a group of eight puffins landing on the grassy cliff edge in front of a small (but hardy) group of visitors. Wilder weather tends to lead to closer encounters with the seabirds, as the wind buffets them about more and they have less control over where they land. Sightings of non-cliff dwelling birds have also been good, with a kestrel being spotted in the farmland adjacent to the reserve, several whitethroats being seen in the hedgerows and a stonechat being reported near the visitor centre.
In other news, this weekend marks the beginning of the summer holidays for all of the lucky schoolchildren out there. To celebrate this, every Wednesday here at RSPB Bempton Cliffs there will be a ‘Wild Wednesday’ event. Activities will include nature trails, arts and crafts, and poetry and creative writing events. The staff are looking forward to the fun and games almost as much as the children will be, so you can be sure of a friendly and enthusiastic welcome.
Rachael Tulloch (Warden Intern, RSPB Fairburn Ings)