Hello again all, and what a busy weekend it’s shaped up to be at Bempton Cliffs! The week had a very slow start on the interesting sightings front, as the weather was cold, cloudy, and very windy indeed! A single sighting of a whitethroat on Wednesday 18 June was threatening to be our only spot of excitement for the week. But come Friday, the weather cleared to be positively glorious, and things began to pick up! The whitethroat was seen again in the same area – in the hedgerow near the main trail – on 20 June, and the puffins and other seabirds have all been a bit more active now they’re not hunkering down against that cold north sea wind quite so much!
The amazing view looking south from Bartlett Nab viewpoint to Flamborough's North Landing. Photo by Jaime.
That same morning we got a very exciting notice from Filey to the north: a single minke whale was spotted heading our way! We all kept a close watch, but alas, no whale sightings off the reserve yet. It is a bit early in the season yet for minke whales, as many of the regulars to the area have told me that August/September is the peak period for whale activity off the Yorkshire coast. Even then, it’s extremely lucky to see one – these particular whales, I’m told, like to keep low, and often don’t look like much more than strange, dark waves moving in the wrong direction! We’ll all be watching for them on clear days – me especially, as believe it or not, I’ve never seen a living whale! A whale sighting is definitely near the top of the seaside wishlist for this summer; if you spot one, do let us know!
The Friday hunt for whales was not totally fruitless, however, as we did spot some harbour porpoises some way off. These don’t leap the way dolphins are known to, but were travelling in a group, and are seen every few weeks in the water. So while Bempton’s known for seabirds, that’s certainly not all there is to see in our waters!
Harbour porpoises in the sea. Photo courtesy of Adrian Ewart.
Returning to the birds, a reed warbler was seen once again on Friday as well, this time in the hedgerow along the main trail. This was my first time spotting a reed warbler, and I must confess I had to double check its markings and have a little listen to its song as well before I was confident in my find! Corn buntings were spotted on both Friday and Saturday to the south of Grandstand, so for those hoping to catch a glimpse, they’re definitely out there!
While not strictly speaking a reserve sighting, on Friday one of our managers brought a special treat from his garden not far from the reserve: an elephant hawk-moth and an eyed hawk-moth. These were on display in a terrarium made nicely homely for them with some foliage for the day, before being released near where they were found. Both species have been spotted on the reserve previously, so if you keep your eyes peeled, you might just spot one in the fields and gardens! Watch out for the lovely pink colouring on the elephant hawk-moth, and the eyed hawk-moth... where does that name come from? From the lovely “eyes” it displays on its hindwings by vibrating them rapidly when it’s upset! This is meant to be a defence mechanism that might startle a predator, but to us it just looks really cool!
Elephant hawk-moth. Photo by Jaime.
Eyed hawk-moth with hindwing startle pattern just showing. Photo by Jaime.
For our flower enthusiasts, our bee orchids are still blooming, and with some new buds coming along, they should be around to be enjoyed for at least another week or two!
Saturday 21 June saw all our regular seabirds out in force, with the puffins coming and going, and chicks of all our regulars with the exception of fulmars on display. Fulmars are notoriously later to hatch, so we'll be watching out for the first of their chicks in weeks to come. Nevertheless, you can enjoy some fantastic views of the adults hanging around near the tops of the cliffs at several viewpoints. Fulmars are the most comfortable of any of our seabirds nesting within reach of the weasels and stoats, thanks to their fantastic defence mechanism. That funny lump atop its bill is known as a tube-nose, common to the petrel family from which they hail, and is useful in a number of specially adapted contexts – particularly as a narrow cannon through which fulmars can projectile vomit a stream of foul-smelling stomach juices sure to mess up the feathers of any avian predator and make any mammals that come near seriously think twice before trying it again! If you want to know more about these amazing birds (one of my personal favourites!), be sure to ask any of our volunteers, or join up on a Puffin Patrol where you'll see and learn about all our fantastic seabirds!
Fulmar nesting in a crevice, showing its tube-nose! Photo via scope, by Jaime.
To finish out Saturday, well, sometimes one of our birds has a bad day.
Young guillemot rescued from the wrong side of the fence by manager Keith Clarkson. Photo by Jaime.
This poor little guy (or girl! In guillemots, as with all of Bempton's seabirds, both sexes look the same!) was perfectly healthy, but had an unfortunate crash landing on the wrong side of the fence shortly after hours. He/she was a young non-breeder, so fortunately hadn't left an egg exposed on the cliffs, but was understandably quite upset with the predicament! Guillemots can't take off in an upward direction, and this bird couldn't quite hop high enough to get through the gaps in the fence. Fortunately one of our most experienced team members was on hand to execute a quick rescue and return it to the cliff side of the fence. If on a visit you should happen to see a seabird stuck on the wrong side of the fence, please remember that even the small ones could do serious damage with their sharp bills and surprisingly strong wings, and might also carry disease; don't try to approach it, but let one of our staff or volunteers know!
The weather today is looking to be fabulous, and we have a nice clear view out to the horizon! Here's hoping more rarities will show themselves in the coming days!