We’re pleased to announce the hatching of four baby swallow chicks at the Bempton Cliffs visitor centre. The youngsters, now a couple of days old, are typically hungry and rather vocal about it! Many people are starting their visit to Bempton staring up into the rafters of the porch where the nest is located, which, until you get a bit closer and discover the reason for this, can seem a little bit strange…
The chicks will be here for a few weeks before they fledge and we’re quietly confident that all four will grow up safely and in good health. There’s definitely no shortage of insects for them to eat, that’s for sure!
We’ve also heard about a drake king eider (a large sea duck) being spotted amongst a group of common eider at Filey Brigg, a few miles north of our reserve. These ducks have a colourful winter plumage but currently they are sporting their toned down summer, or ‘eclipse’ plumage, which consists of a brown body with a yellow bill patch.
We’re very lucky that Bempton, and the surrounding area, provide a good mosaic of habitats that a wide range of resident and migrating birds find safe and suitable. We’re particularly glad that the work we do on our reserves pays off for both the birds and the birders and that it allows us to learn a great deal more about a wide range of species. We're hoping that within the next week we will be able to provide you with an update on how our Seabird Research Officer, Ruth Porter, has been getting on with her kittiwake, fulmar, gannet, razorbill and guillemot monitoring.
Rachael Tulloch (Warden Intern, RSPB Fairburn Ings)