Porpoises

With all of the inclement weather that has bugged us this year, today was certainly a WOW day! We were greeted on the cliffs with wall to wall sunshine, blue sky, blue sea and soaring temperatures, with only a light breeze later in the day. You could be mistaken for thinking that you were in the Med! Indeed, early in the day, an exotic Bee-eater was reported in nearby Flamborough Head! Here at Bempton, all…

Gannet

The weather on the cliffs today was rather deceiving? Light cloud gave way to periods of blue sky and sunshine, giving the sea that summery blueness. The downside was the wind, a very cool north north easterly blow did its best to challenge and chill! It was more like dressing for mid winter than mid spring! However, the wind did produce a "wow" bonus - the birds were hanging in the wind, very close, above and…

There's been a couple of false starts to our annual puffin count thanks to the effects of 'the Beast from the East'.   However, this week we were out there with 'clickers' recording the puffin numbers.  Here's what our site manager, Alison Barratt, had to say:

This year, we counted 4,279 puffins in our Yorkshire Coast colony. But was does that mean?

Most Atlantic puffins nest in burrows on isolated…

Puffin Gape!

Todays weather on the cliffs consisted of light south-easterly winds increasing in strength during the morning, but after an increasingly bright morning, a sea fret developed early afternoon with temperatures dropping rapidly. By mid afternoon, I was wishing I had my gloves and woolly hat!

The morning certainly felt like spring had arrived and once again "the cliffs were alive with the sight and sound…

Puffin

A still, mild day but hazy cloud and a few bright intervals greeted us on the cliffs today. On the walk down to the cliffs, one of the Barn Owls quartered the fields east of the visitor centre (always a good sign!). Arriving on the viewpoints it was certainly a "wow"! I felt like bursting into song " The cliffs are alive with the sound and sight of seabirds"! (Apologies to Julie Andrews!). It was certainly a…

Barn Owl

Is it really Easter? Typically the Easter bank holiday weather did its best to deter anyone from leaving the comfort of their homes and probably their duvets! A cloudy dull day greeted us on the cliffs with occasional light showers and a cold, moderate northerly wind. Arriving on the Grandstand and Bartlett Nab viewpoints, the first thing that hit you (apart from the cold wind) was the absence of birds. Gannets…

Welcome back, you have been missed!

I could only make for a short visit to the cliffs today but what a morning to enjoy the atmospheric power of nature! Some wintery showers greeted my arrival with a very strong easterly blow doing its best to challenge the few brave souls making it onto the cliff path and viewpoints. All of the seabirds had left the cliffs for the safety of the sea but a few could be seen in flight. Best bird of the morning was a very…

Kittiwake

A beautiful early spring day on the cliffs more than made up for the atrocious weather that affected most of the country over the last week courtesy of the "Beast of the East" and "Pest from the West". It was the sort of day that recharged the batteries and hopefully is the start of better weather to come. Arriving at the viewpoints, it was clear that the sight and sounds were coming from the Gannets and…

Gannet

Overall, a rather pleasant day greeted us on the cliffs, sunny intervals but a cooling south easterly blow. It was the sort of day that raised hopes of spring being just around the corner. It was hard to believe the media warnings of a "Beast from the East" coming in this week to challenge normality! The cliffs were much quieter today, with only Gannets and Fulmars to enjoy, the Guillemots and Razorbills having…

A lovely day to be on the cliffs, dry and bright with a light south westerly blow an excellent day for a brisk walk on the reserve! An offshore sea fret failed to engulf the cliffs, which again saw the bird population increasing. The Guillemot numbers were in the region of 10,000, on the ledges, sea and in flight. Gannets numbers continue to increase with many pairs reuniting…