Every year Puffin Post magazine, part of Puffin Books, sends competition winners on a visit to Bempton Cliffs.

This time round it was the turn of Thomas Gee, Abi Westwood, Kylah Jacobs and their families travelled from Sheffield, Penrith and Cambridge to join the RSPB team on a VIP tour of the reserve. Together with family members, they enjoyed a day out exploring, discovering and getting up-close and personal with the…

  Harbour porpoise   

This weekend we’ll be spotting something other than birds on the reserve.  

As part of the National Whale and Dolphin Watch, experienced watcher Emma Howe-Andrews will be on the reserve to observe and record any passing porpoises, dolphins and whales.  Visitors are welcome to join her on the cliff tops on Sunday 29 July,between10am and 2pm, and do their bit to help protect these fabulous creatures…

We love sharing the amazing place we work in with other people.  And recently members of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) joined us to spend time on the reserve.

 The MMO is a new organisation tasked with the creation of marine plans to ensure sustainable use of the marine environment.

Our visitors were joined by Helen Quayle, RSPB Marine Conservation Officer; Alec Taylor, RSPB Marine Policy Officer; Kirsten Smith…

Next stop RSPB Bempton Cliffs.

Sundays are a day for taking things easy.   And now they can be even more relaxing as you can leave the car behind and hop on the bus to the reserve.

The Headlander (Services 500 & 501) will run every Sunday from 22 July until 2 September 2012, and also on Bank Holiday Monday, 27 August.  And to promote the new service, a double-decker and a photographer turned up for a photo-shoot. 

The RSPB is not just about birds, we are about saving nature – from the tiniest insects to the largest mammals and everything in-between. Here at Bempton Cliffs we are embracing this sentiment and increasing the number of species that we monitor on the reserve.

Moths are our latest project  -  thanks to Richard Baines, director of Wold Ecology, who recently supplied the funds to install a moth trap on the reserve.  For…

The amazing field teachers at Saltholme, our wildlife reserve and discovery park up near Stockton in the Tees Valley, have been recognised for the fab work they do with local schools and the community.

They’re through to the semi-finals of the National Lottery Awards 2012 - just 10 projects throughout the UK have reached the semi-finals in the education project category. How good is that?

But they need your help to…

After a slightly, shall we say, foggy morning, the cloud lifted and the lingering Alpine Swift appeared in front of New Roll Up, as the sun shone over the cliffs. All looked quite fitting for a bird adept at living on mountainous crags, although I can't say that I've ever seen one weaving in and out of hordes of Puffins!

A walk about yesterday revealed quite a few Corn Buntings singing here and there, the most…

Yesterday afternoon an Alpine Swift was seen briefly, but it didn't hang around. It clearly did hang around somewhere though, as it was found again this morning. Much bigger than the swifts we usually see, Alpine Swifts are essentially white below and brown above, so keep an eye out.

Plenty of other things to look for, a Peregrine can usually be seen from Grandstand viewpoint, Barn Owls are often seen hunting the…

While nearby Bridlington may lay claim to David Hockney,  RSPB Bempton Cliffs has Jake & Tom Caston  and Daisy & Joe Lumbley.  

These four young visitors spent  time at the reserve during a stay in Flamborough.  And they enjoyed themselves so much, they decided to raise some money to help support the RSPB’s work.

But not for them a raffle or a car boot sale.  They got out their crayons and drew some fabulous…

Before Sir Cliff bounced his way through his classic hit, Congratulations, at the Jubilee Concert, RSPB Bempton Cliffs marked her Majesty’s 60 years as Queen in equally impressive style – fortunately, without the singing.

The sun shone and the bunting fluttered as the Jubilee Day ‘do’ got underway.    Special Puffin Patrols kicked things off while the gannets, not to be out done, hovered at eye…

With spring drawing to a close, life in the colony is in full swing with the focus being chicks of all sizes - and indeed shapes - being tended by busy parents. Prize for the laziest (and most random shaped) chicks continues to go to Gannet!

Highlights over the last few weeks have included a Quail heard calling from the large wheat field near to New Roll Up viewpoint, always a bird impossible to see and a Bonxie (Great…

Heather Davison, who is leading the RSPB Date with Nature project looking at peregrines in Scarborough, brings us the latest news from a little further up the coast.

This weekend, unfortunately, saw no change on the peregrine nesting front. However, there were some spectacular aerobatic displays from the female, swooping down over the road and then below the sea wall. Male and female have been out hunting together and…

A sporting event to rival Euro 2012 and the Olympics took place on and around the reserve last weekend. Fortunately for our team, whose training probably consisted of bacon butties and cups of tea, the Bird Race had nothing to do with running.

The challenge was to spot as many different birds during a set time and in a given area. And with stiff opposition from Flamborough, our top birders had their work cut out.

Between…

Everyone’s experience of our wonderful reserve is very different. Some are amazed by the birdlife. Some are blown away by the sheer beauty of the landscape.  And some, like our seabird researcher, Fiona, are taken aback by just how incredible nature is. Read her musings from on high below.

Hello! My name is Fiona and I am a voluntary seabird researcher here at Bempton Cliffs. You may see me huddled around a scope…

News from Heather Davison, who's working in Scarborough to show people the amazing peregrines on the cliffs

It’s been a couple of weeks since the start of the Scarborough peregrines Date with Nature scheme – and it’s been a mixed bag so far.

Unfortunately, the first nest failed. We can't be sure why, but our money is on the horrendous weather we have been having. As peregrines have been nesting…

Over the last week spring migrants have continued to trickle through, seabirds have been busy on the cliffs and wintering birds have been reluctant to leave!

Best bird by far was a Hoopoe found by Dave the Warden. Alas, it didn't stay, but shows yet again, that anything is possible. Other spring goodies have included Spotted Flycatcher, Ring Ouzel and Garden Warbler. Listen out for both Sedge Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat…

Photographer, Steve Race, is blushing and beaming in equal measure about the early success of his photographic workshops.  He's not only been seeing his students produce some great shots, he's also been receiveing rave reviews.

From appreciative 'thank yous' to one attendee claiming a '100% improvement', the practical two hour sessions have proved 'an inspiration' for the first groups to put 

If Bempton Cliffs were a football team, the most popular name on the back of our replica shirts would be Puffin. Thousands of visitors come to the reserve every year and for many their first question is, ‘Are there any puffins?’ Well, the simple answer is ‘Yes’. And for those who are passionate about the mighty P there are two great ways you can get closer to these cheeky favourites. Firstly our gannet and puffin cruises…

We've got some amazing, thrilling, exciting news... Peckster and Flip's chick is here. This morning at 9am it is was a mere egg... but by noon, it was a fluffy gannet chick - the first to hatch on the reserve this year.

 Mum and Dad are both well and will be sharing their parental responsibilities.

Other new arrivals are imminent and before long, the cliffs will be one huge, great big creche.

Peckster and Flip…

Patience.  That's the one thing all good wildlife photographers need.  And it's possibly the one thing that can't be taught.    Every other skill though can be learnt and perfected with practice. 

A great starting point for those who want to improve their skills would be one of our photography 'taster' workshops.   Working together with Yorkshire Coast Nature's photographer, Steve Race, these informative…

  The cold spring is, at least, not deterring the seabirds. Guillemots and Razorbills are both now on eggs, Gannets are re-affirming their pair bonds by adding copious quantities of grass to their nests and Puffins are still actively 'to-ing and fro-ing'. The fresh breeze is providing fabulous opportunities to see the Gannets hanging in the wind at the cliff top - stunning every time!

Peregrines are continuing…

A star is born.  Last week, Education Officer, Steve Race, enjoyed 15 minutes of fame.   BBC's 'Newsround' team visited the reserve and Steve was interviewed by presenter, Joe Tidy, on the cliff tops.  Steve talked about the decline in seabirds and what the RSPB is doing to help preserve and protect both them and their environment.   The spectacular cliff-side location really wow'd the BBC and luckily, we had…

It's gannet and puffin cruise time again. They start in a couple of weeks and promise to be just as enthralling as ever. Make sure you check out our events listings to get all the info you need.

Kim's beavering away with the last-minute arrangements and bookings are already coming in.

Plans are also in hand for events through out the summer - some of them new Bempton - so, watch this space, as they say.

Highlight of the spring so far was today's sighting of a Common Crane. Found be Fiona as it flew in from the west, the bird flew slowly over the reserve towards Flamborough.

A variety of weathers have been thrown at us over the last few days (driving into work seeing a Sand Martin in blizzard was unusual to say the least) and the birds have responded accordingly. Sunny and calm weather and the cliffs are alive with…