Puffin
A still, mild day but hazy cloud and a few bright intervals greeted us on the cliffs today. On the walk down to the cliffs, one of the Barn Owls quartered the fields east of the visitor centre (always a good sign!). Arriving on the viewpoints it was certainly a "wow"! I felt like bursting into song " The cliffs are alive with the sound and sight of seabirds"! (Apologies to Julie Andrews!). It was certainly a full house with all of the "Bempton 8" seabirds present in good numbers, although Fulmar and Shag numbers seemed lower than normal. Light on the cliffs was hampered a little by haze and slight mist but the seabirds more than made up for this minor inconvenience. So, what could be seen today:
Although the sightings list is very impressive, it should be remembered that some birds are observed flying over and others appear only briefly. It was good to see Puffins back on the cliffs, on the sea and in flight between the two.
Many visitors are amazed at how small the Puffins actually are! Standing at 20cm (8in) and weighing in at 400grams, here is a comparison with a Kittiwake.
Razorbills
Guillemots
Bridled Guillemot
"Marmite Gulls" aka Herring Gulls (you either love them or hate them!), looking so much more majestic on the cliffs than in urban areas!
And finally, Kittiwake
Thank you Clare. I agree 100% about the Marmite Gulls!