Gannet: I'm almost ashamed to say that I have never been to Bempton Cliffs before. I've spent a lot of time on the East Yorkshire cost, especially Spurn but never been across to the cliffs.
Lets start with my first thoughts as we walked down to the cliffs form the visitor centre and coffee shop.
The sights of distant gannet, the sounds of calling kittiwakes and the smells of fishy bird poo!
Words like mesmerising, breath-taking, amazing, awesome all spring to mind.
This is the only gannetry in England and is growing annually.
Simply brilliant, not just the shear numbers and sights of a massive sea bird colony going about their daily business but just how close some of these bird get is brilliant.
Razorbill: With over three miles of sheer cliffs, rising to 400 feet Bempton is the best place in England to see breeding seabirds (over 200,000).
Five viewing points give spectacular close-up views of puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars.
Razorbills are actually the closest living relative to the Great Auk, which is now extinct.
Kittiwake: Hanging on the wind like a puppet on strings watching the kittiwkaes float of the breeze was great.
They were also actively taking mud from the top of the cliffs, they use this mud in their nest building.
Thir nest, which is typically placed on a narrow ledge, is a compact structure made of seaweed, mud and some grass.
Fulmar:
Puffin: After a searching the cliffs from all five view points we finally manged to see a puffin that was close on the cliffs.
We spotted dozens on the after and flying up on to the cliffs but never in view perched upon them.
I was really keen to show Dawn the puffins, she wasn't getting very excited over the kittiwakes or the fulmars but puffins are a bird most people swoon over.
Guillemot: Guillemots were by far the most nemous bird on the ciffs, they choose breeding sites on long narrow ledges, usually on sheer cliffs, and will squeeze as many bird as possible onto each ledge, with nesting pairs often in bodily contact with one another.
They find strength in numbers and hope that this strategy will prevent predatory birds with larger wing spans from being able to land.
Gannet: Apart from the birds the sights of the weather beaten, eroded cliffs, the wild flowers and coves were another sight to behold.
Barn Owl: Another treat and an unexpected treat was a day time hunting barn owl over the fields adjacent to the cliffs.
Highly recommended, I loved this place and will be sure to make another visit next year.
Gannet: I'm almost ashamed to say that I have never been to Bempton Cliffs before. I've spent a lot of time on the East Yorkshire cost, especially Spurn but never been across to the cliffs.
