Hi Everybody!
My name is Steve Race and I am the newly appointed "Community Education and Outreach Officer" at RSPB Bempton Cliffs Reserve. One of my many jobs is to keep this blog updated on a regular basis with information regarding what is happening on and around the reserve - so here goes!!
The bank holiday weekend was awesome with lots of Puffins showing well all over the reserve. The wind direction was at it's best coming in at a north-easterly direction which brings the birds up the cliff to eye level view. The Gannets were picking grass from the cliff top which kept all the visiting photographers extremely happy. I held an exhibition of my images of seabirds mainly taken here at Bempton in the RSPB marquee (had to get a plug in some how!) in which I got a tremendous amount of positive feedback. Many thanks to all that took the time to look around the marquee.
Just when we thought the day couldn't get any better a visitor rushed in to the Visitor Centre stating that they had seen a Hawfinch feeding in the bird feeding station. I grabbed my camera and dashed up there very quickly and to my amazement there was this spanking Hawfinch feeding on some seed on the floor of the feeding station - just stunning.
Species recently reported are:
Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Grasshopper Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Ring Ouzel, Yellow Wagtail, Swallow, Sand Martin, House Martin, Wheatear, Skylark, Corn Bunting, Meadow Pipit, Linnet, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Reed Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Barn Owl and of course Hawfinch.
Bempton Cliffs is the only mainland breeding seabird colony in the UK - once visited never forgotten.