Good Morning!

When I heard my call to the cliffs this morning I had no idea that the day would be so challenging for some of the wildlife! There was certainly a very fine line between life and death for two of the seabirds! However, the day started with the promise of sunshine, blue skies and warmth, to such an extent that yours truly was to be seen on the cliff tops in shorts for the first time this year! (No…

Kittiwake

My call to the cliffs today was again loud and clear on a fine, sunny and mild day, plus of course the added bonus of the sight, sound and smells of  250,000+ birds in the seabird city!

I-spy with my little eye something beginning with P! The answer was, of course Puffin, but what a challenge (again) to see these birds on the cliffs!

Many of the puffins are probably on egg in their tunnels in the chalk…

Glorious Gannets

My call to the cliffs this morning was delivered on a band of rain which only lasted until c0900hrs whereby the day developed into a mild, pleasant and sunny day. The "seabird city" is now well advanced delivering to all the three "S's" - Sight, sound and smell! All of the "Bempton 8" breeding seabirds were present, but one was playing hard to see - yes, the Puffin! There are no guarantees in nature…

Gannets are such wonderful birds, the largest seabirds in the UK, with a c2m wingspan and a c1m body! At this time of the year, they can be seen at very close quarters on the cliffs at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, where you can marvel at their sheer power. Many of the Gannets are on egg (they only lay one egg and raise one chick, known as a "Guga") but still collect materials as a gift for their beloved which will be ultimately…

Everyone loves a Puffin and these birds are usually at the top of the "must see" birds by visitors to the cliffs. The last few weeks have been challenging with Puffins preferring to be on the sea or hidden on the cliffs, with only brief glimpses of them in flight. Today, the tide turned! Puffins seemed to be everywhere and giving excellent views! At one point below Grandstand viewpoint, nine Puffins graced an exposed…

My call to the cliffs this morning was good and early giving me time to have a look around the reserve before duties called. The day was sunny but a cold easterly wind did its very best to challenge and blow everyone west! The seabird numbers are still increasing towards the expected 250,000+ but everyone's favourite, the Puffin, was playing hard to find and did so all day. Grandstand viewpoint was the best bet for…

There can be no guarantees in nature!  Views of Puffins on the cliffs over the last few weeks has, at best, been sporadic! They have spent most of their time back out on the sea, out of sight on the cliffs, or fleeting glimpses in rapid flight! Today, however, they were back in good numbers and more importantly, easily observed especially on Grandstand, Mosey Downgate and Bartlett Nab viewpoints. Some of the Puffins…

"He's not with me!" Comparison of Guillemot (L) and Razorbill (R).

 My call to the cliffs today was loud and clear on what promised to be a glorious day, with sunshine, blue skies, light winds and very mild. The "Seabird City" is now well and truly increasing as birds arrive to make up the expected 250,000 plus! That is, with one exception today - Puffins! These endearing little birds decided to play…

Puffins are often referred to as "Clowns of the Sea", mainly due to their splendidly colourful beaks, bright orange feet and clumsy traits! They are without a doubt everyone's favourite at Bempton Cliffs. Puffins are one of the smallest breeding birds at RSPB Bempton Cliffs, standing only 20cm (8ins) tall and weighing in at just 14ozs. Their wingspan is 55cm and they beat about 400 beats per minute. The birds…

The Gannet is the UK's largest seabird, measuring c90cm (3ft) long and with a wingspan of c2mtrs (6.6ft), weighing in at c3kg (7lbs). The British population is c220,000 pairs of which c12,500 pairs (3% of the UK population) can be found at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. The Gannets can look much smaller than this when on the cliffs due to their size - 122m (400ft). At the moment, some of the Gannets are collecting grass from…

Irresistible Puffins

The cliffs called loudly again this morning but with a "chuckle" as a few "challenges" would be thrown at us and the birds! The morning was cool, bright and sunny but was destined to end with a challenging and prolonged downpour, soaking us all and making us wetter than a wet thing on a wet Sunday! Only the hardy remained on the cliffs (visitors and birds) after 3pm! There was not a lot of change…

"Ol' Blue Eyes!" Gannet

Todays call to the cliffs was loud and clear especially with the promise of wall to wall blue skies and sunshine! It also promised to be a very busy day on the reserve and it was great to meet and chat with many fantastic and enthusiastic visitors. Most visitors, however, desperately wanted to see Puffins, but the Puffins had other ideas and challenged us to find them! Some lucky…

Doing something just for the joy of doing it, is a wonderful thing.   And if that something also helps give nature a home, it's doubly so.    

This is exactly what our incredible volunteers do.  We are totally indebted to the 13,000 people who volunteer on behalf of the RSPB in a thousand and one ways.   Together they put in an unbelievable one million hours each year which makes a massive difference to the work we can…

(male) Snow Bunting

The cliffs called loud and clear this morning and after a grey, cool start, developed into a lovely, mild, sunny day. The birds were obligingly evident, wowing visitors and lifting everyone's spirits. The RSPB Seabird Centre is now open from 0830hrs in the morning until July but closes at 1700hrs. Todays sightings:

A male Snow Bunting had been reported in the ploughed field near to Jubilee…

Hooting like an owl - easy peasy.   Squawking like a parrot...a doddle.   But the sounds some birds make are a little more complicated.  

Enter Scarborough-based artist Adrian Riley who, since he was a kid, has been fascinated by birds and their songs.

'As a youngster one of my prized possessions was an old Observer Book of Birds. It had these lovely watercolour illustrations in it - it hooked me completely.  Later…

Something to Crow Puffin about!

The cliffs didn't call me this morning - they positively shouted at me! The weather was fantastic, the birds were fantastic, the visitors were fantastic, the whole reserve oozed "fantastic"! March is not yet out but the famous "Bempton 8" breeding birds (Puffin; Guillemot; Razorbill; Fulmar; Gannet; Kittiwake; Herring Gull and Shag) were all showing very well…