Bempton Cliffs

Great skua starboard!

Maria Prchlik — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:39:00 GMT

One of the highlights of the reserve's year is its Seabird Cruises from Bridlington harbour aboard the iconic Yorkshire Belle. Keith Barrow, one of the RSPB local group volunteers who assist the crew and provide a commentary on the trips, gives us an insight into what it's like to make the journey across the bay and round the headland:

As we crossed Bridlington Bay on a lovely sunny morning, taking in the spectacle of the chalk cliffs which form the Flamborough Heritage Coast, passengers could start to see why the coastline is a Special Protection Area and internationally important for its seabirds.

We passed the occasional herring and great black-backed gull, before seeing a group of cormorants resting on one of the large marker buoys, quickly followed by views of its close cousin the shag. Soon we were passing FIamborough’s Lighthouse and onto the seabird colony of Breil Newk where Peter, skipper of the Yorkshire Belle, gets us steers us right into the hustle and bustle of 'seabird city'.

The bird cries richocheted off the cliffs - amongst them the ringing calls of the kittiwakes repeating their own name, 'kittiwaaake, kittiwaaake'.- and there were close views of the shags, guillemots and razorbills getting down to the serious business of egg laying; the comical puffin soon put in an appearance too.

Passing Flamborough North Landing and the old lifeboat station, on beyond Thornwick Bay to the outer boundry of the RSPB reserve, the chalk cliffs rise dramatically from 100-150 feet high to a towering 425 feet at Buckton. Here fulmars, close relatives of the albatross, came calling and shearwaters glided effortlessly by on their long stiff wings close enougn to see their feathers rippling in the wind.

Further along we were treated to the sight of a peregrine falcon flying right over the boat.. Then gannets, the largest seabird breeding in the North Atlantic with a wing span of up to six feet, skirted past on their way back to Staple Newk, part of England’s only mainland gannetry. As the skipper nudged us closer still to the cliffs. we could see the gannets on their nests of seaweed, old rope and brightly coloured fishing net.

Sailing along underneath the cliffs, the sight of the ledges lined with guillemots standing shoulder to shoulder with their neighbours, scattered pairs of razorbills along with scores of kittiwakes was truly spectacular. We were then treated to the sight of a great skua sweeping by. 60% of the world’s population breeds in northern Scotland and this was an unusual sighting for this time of year.

As we turned to return, three common scoter were seen sitting on the water. These are seaducks that breed on lakes and bogs in Scandinavia, the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea and across into Russia. Their sighting in the late afternoon sun really brought home the diversity of birds that thrive on the cliffs at Bempton.

Dates and times of all our 2013 sailings can be found on our Events page

The Belle from the cliff tops

'Seabird City' in full swing

An unseasonal great skua

Eggs by the dozen

Maria Prchlik — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:54:00 GMT

It's been a nervous time for the seabird monitoring team, scouring the cliff tops and wondering how the terrible early spring weather had affected the colony. But the news from the boys on the edge is all good. Here's the latest from Mike:

We have eggs! Just when some people were starting to wonder if there was going to be a breeding season this year, the team have started spotting seabird eggs on the cliffs at Bempton.

Last week one of our gannet monitoring plots had 22 eggs out of 50 nests and we spotted two guillemot eggs on the cliffs at Flamborough.

Finally, on Bank Holiday Monday (we’re that keen on seabirds) the first guillemot egg was spotted on the reserve at Bempton. If there’s one there must be a few more we can’t see on the cliff face – with more to come. It can’t be long until we’re seeing razorbill and kittiwake too.

These eggs illustrate the different ways that our breeding seabirds have adapted to the cliff environment where they breed. Gannets and guillemots both lay a single egg. The gannets lay in a nest and the egg is, well, egg shaped. The guillemots lay theirs directly onto a small ledge and the egg is conical so that if it gets kicked or knocked it rolls in a circle rather than off the cliff. Nature is a brilliant designer!

Tom's photo of guillemot egg No.1.

Mike counting on the cliff tops

An 'epic' adventure

Maria Prchlik — Sat, 11 May 2013 13:09:00 GMT

Being beside the seaside, there are lots of holiday parks close by. One of the nearest is Primrose Valley, on the way to Filey.

With the help of Owner Events Co-ordinator, Verity Hull, we’ve organised a series of things to do especially for those with holiday homes in this lovely spot.

We kicked off over the Bank Holiday with 20 or so owners and their children being given an exclusive tour of the seabird spectacle.

Kitted out with binoculars and bird identification charts, the group spent a happy couple of hours on the viewpoints as gannets soared around and above and kittiwakes cried across the cliffs to one another.

As one of the youngest visitors said, the experience was ‘Epic!’ And it seemed the adults agreed.

Throughout the summer, the RSPB team will be visiting the park to give talks and run activities during the school holidays, as well as welcoming Primrose Valley owners back to the reserve again. Should be fun.

Team Primrose Valley

Daisy spots a razorbill

Owner Events Co-ordinator Verity gets a lesson from daughter Cherie in how to use binoculars.

The group takes to one of the cliff-edge viewpoints.

Weasels' playtime

Maria Prchlik — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:00 GMT

The reserve is home to far more than our famous seabirds.

Early riser Graham Breeze hit the jackpot the other morning when he spotted some of our other residents out and about.

While everyone else was snoozing in their beds, he was enthralled by an encounter with two weasels enjoying the sunshine and each other's company.

Fortunately he captured this special moment in a series of photos that show the sheer joy of being alive.

Wish we'd been there.

Running around the reserve.

The chase is on.

A quick turn and change of direction.

Getting closer.

Gotcha!

The Waiting Game

Maria Prchlik — Wed, 08 May 2013 07:30:00 GMT

Our new seabird monitoring volunteers, Mike and Tom, are settling in nicely both on Cliff Lane and on the cliff tops.

Throughout their time with us, they've promised to keep us regularly posted about which seabirds are doing what where.

So here's the first of their updates from Mike:

'It’s been a funny spring on the East Coast. Poor weather at the end of March/early April led to a much talked about seabird wreck. Bad weather also meant that seabirds have been slow to return to their colonies. Monitoring the effects of these conditions on our breeding seabirds is a key part of our work and we can’t wait to get stuck into it proper.

As a result of the unseasonal cold temperatures and strong winds, breeding seems to have been delayed. One colony has reported having no Shag eggs on the date that they had their first chicks last year.

Here at Bempton Cliffs there are plenty of birds about, with lots of Gannets, auks – including the popular Puffins and Kittiwakes - on the cliffs. But so far a few Gannet eggs are the only ones we have
spotted.

The team live in hope though – a cliff observation session on Friday noted plenty of ‘action’ from our breeding seabirds and hopefully that will lead to the patter of webbed feet. We'll let you know'.

Join a Puffin Patrol

Maria Prchlik — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:45:54 GMT

We love sharing the escapades of our cliff-roaming puffins with everyone. But sometimes, this iconic little bird is a bit tricky to find. So we've been running regular Puffin Patrols to give visitors the best possible chance of spotting one (or even a six).

On Saturday morning a very excited group left the visitor centre with site manager, Keith Clarkson, leading the way and volunteer John Witty assisting. The puttins were keeping well hidden - although our cliff-edge CCTV camera had been trained on one for hours. Still, our eagle-eyed viewpoint volunteers were on look-out duty on the viewpoints to ensure the group wasn't disappointed.

And the search for puffins is always exciting. Delighted visitors returned to the centre reporting sightings around Bartlett Nab so we were able to radio the group and direct them to the exact spot. More reports came in about sighitings on the sea and these too were duly dispatched to the viewpoints as binoculars and scopes scoured the ledges, terraces and the waves.

And once seen, a puffin is never forgotten.

Puffin Patrols head out from the visitor centre every Tuesday and Saturday at 11am and 2pm and they run until mid July (although the breeding season has started about three weeks later than we expected, so the puffins may hang around longer than usual. It they do, we'll keep the patrols going while they're here.) The cost is £3 for non-members and £1.50 for RSPB members. To book, call 01262 851179.

The patrol is 'briefed' by reserve manager Keith Clarkson, assisted by John Witty.

The patrol sets out for the cliff tops.

Got a puffin question? Get the answer from our volunteers.

Keep your eyes peeled - there are puffins out there.

Hedging on the edge

Maria Prchlik — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:30:00 GMT

The cries of the seabirds at RSPB Bempton Cliffs were almost drowned out by the squeals from back ache last week as work extending hedging on the reserve got underway.

The hedgerow running alongside the main path from the visitor centre down to the cliffs has been boosted by the addition of 55 metres of new shrubs – approximately the length of an Olympic swimming pool.

275 individual plants – Hawthorn, Buckthorn and Blackthorn – were dug in by RSPB staff with the help of Ian Reeves, associate of Castle Howard Nurseries near York, as part of Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship grant.

Since the 2^ndWorld War, many more hedgerows have been destroyed than have been planted. In some parts of the country almost half the hedgerows, once such a distinctive feature of the English landscape, have disappeared.

Assistant Warden, David Aitken, is thrilled to be bucking this trend:

‘It feels great to be putting some back traditional boundary material and in doing so giving wildlife an additional home on the reserve.’

Hedges not only provide shelter for many small mammals, insects and birds, they are also like a larder for many species, offering a bountiful supply of food.

David added:

‘The shrubs selected should attract dunnocks and reed buntings as well as migrants such as sedgewarblers and white throats. When they are in flower then the bees will really be buzzing around them too. And come winter, they’ll be hardy enough to withstand the brutal weather that can sometimes blow in from the sea’.

Assistant Warden, David Aitken, at the end of a hard day.

Three weeks later, leaves are opening.

Wildlife Explorers out and about

Maria Prchlik — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:30:00 GMT

We're always happy to hear what our local Wildlife Explorers group has been up to. Leader Margaret Boyd told us about their latest outing:

RSPB East Yorkshire Junior Wildlife Explorers had their first visit to the Living Seas Centre at South Landing Flamborough last weekend. The weather was glorious for the group this time, after the March meeting had to be postponed due to strong winds. The group met at the Living Seas Centre and were greeted by Yorkshre Wildlife Trust staff volunteers. The group set off to follow the nature and sculpture trail, with the first "spot" of the day being three deer making their way through the woods.

There was a good view through the trees, as the leaves had not started to grow yet, although new buds waiting for warmer weather were clear to see. After a nature treasure hunt at the picnic area, and great views of Bridlington Bay from the cliffs, the group took the steps down to the beach for the next activity ... a beach art competition. Birds, fish,and other sealife were created from objects found on the beach and the winner was the fantastic puffin pictured below.

Heading back to the Centre there were pheasants to be seen foraging in the undergrowth. The last activity was a choice of crafts - making crabs, lobsters, or window mounted sealife pictures - which rounded off a perfect day.

If you know someone between 5 and 12 years old who loves nature and would like to join in the fun, here's what the group will be up to for the rest of the spring and the summer:

Saturday 11^th May 10am – 12noon Cayton Carrs Wetlands, Cayton, Nr. Scarborough

Friday 17^th May 6.30 pm – 8pm RSPB Reserve, Bempton Cliffs

Friday 14^th June 6.30 pm-8pm Priory Churchyard, Bridlington

Saturday 22^nd June, 10am – 12noon Filey Dams, Filey

Friday 5^th July, 6.30pm – 8pm Boynton Woods, Boynton, Nr. Bridlington

Saturday 13^th July 10am -12noon Top Hill Low Nature Reserve, Watton, Nr. Driffield

To find out more, call Margaret on 01904 532827.

The group take a break for a Kodak moment.

The winning beach art puffin

Fun and games at the Funny Onion

Maria Prchlik — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:39:00 GMT

The brains of Bempton were out in force last night for a fund-raising quiz at the Funny Onion pub in Bridlington. And they proved that the BBC's top quizzers, Eggheads, have nothing to worry about.

With questions ranging from a bizarre picture round on ‘Famous people’s hairstyles’ to more straightforward ‘What’s the capital of Panama’ type questions, there was much pencil chewing and head scratching going on.

And with proceeds from a raffle and a percentage of profits from the bar takings going to the reserve, we’re hoping the money raised is higher than the winning team’s points total.

Thanks go to Kim for rallying the troops and the Funny Onion for their hospitality, organising the quiz…and not laughing at our answers.

Reserve Administrator Kim and the girls.

Volunteer Sam, Visitor Services Manager Scott and volunteer Tom.

Friend-of-a-friend Mike ponders a tough question.

The luckiest puffin alive?

Maria Prchlik — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

What would you do to save a puffin? How about getting up at 3am to give it food? Or taking it home to nurse?

These are the kind of lengths Linda Walker and Paul King of the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre have gone to in order to get one puffin, literally, back on its feet.

They discovered a living puffin amongst dozens of dead birds washed up on the stretch of coast between Donna Nook and Anderby Creek at the end of March.

Linda said, 'He was exhausted when we found him and so weak that it took him six days just to be able to stand up'.

He survival was due to much TLC on Linda's part. When he first arrived at the sanctuary, he was given a drink of glucose mixed with water to restore his strength and then placed on a heat pad for an hour to get warm. He was then hand fed with small fish until he was able to eat from a dish.

To ensure he had round-the-clock care, Linda even took him home and he spent a few nights in her spare room in a cage next to the radiator - giving the bedroom a lovely fishy pong.

And just as with any invalid, food played an important part in the recovery process. Late night feeds at 10pm and early morning ones at 5am meant there were some very bleary eyed members of staff. Linda also got up for a 3am feed during the early days.

The result was one fighting fit puffin raring to get back to sea. And handful of lucky visitors were delighted to witness his release and get the chance to come face-to-face with a puffin.

Linda and Paul will return with other rescued seabirds for release over the coming weeks. Nothing could make us happier than to see them fly off from the viewing platforms.

Find out more about Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre at www.thesealsanctuary.co.uk

Paul from Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary hands the puffin to RSPB volunteer, Allan Dawson

Allan and the lucky puffin

We have lift off!

This isn't an ordinary beach clean up...

Maria Prchlik — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:05:00 GMT

M & S staff are taking a break from the High Street this week and encouraging folk around the country to get involved in cleaning up their local beach.

Naturally, as huge M&S fans (we wouldn't buy our underwear anywhere else) we felt we should lend a hand...or even, six.

Our local Big Beach Clean-Up started at 10am on a stretch of the coast between Bridlington and Flambrough with around 30 people volunteering to pick up litter, debris and even tyres from the rocks.

Overall, the event managed to collect almost a third of a ton of rubbish in around an hour and a half.

And the Bempton Cliffs threesome managed to lug around 2.5 stones up Sewerby Steps to the cliff tops.

Here we are setting off...and below are some of our most interesting finds:

The shooty-bit from a plastic gun

A rubber octopus

A Wilson golf ball

Packing them in the pews

Maria Prchlik — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:00:00 GMT

The lovely ladies of St Michael's Church in Bempton organise a regular afternoon get-together of tea, cakes and a talk.

Elaine and Joan decided it was a great way to get people out and about as well as helping raise funds to go towards the church's running costs (especially the heating bill!)

This month, Education Officer Steve Race gave a presentation introducing all eight species of seabirds that nest on the cliffs to a crowd of around 30 people.

Steve's banter and amazing photos certainly went down a treat - but not quite as well as the wonderful coffee, chocolate and cream cakes that Joan had baked specially for the event.

In September, Steve will be returning to give a talk on garden birds - as well as to sample a few more cakes.

Steve's presentation attracted a big crowd

Elaine and Joan with the all-important refreshements

Superstar survivors

Maria Prchlik — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:30:00 GMT

A pack of press men turned up on the reserve today. (No, Justin Bieber wasn't spotted on a viewing platform.)

The big attraction were seven seabirds that had been nursed back to health after taking a battering in the recent bad weather that had claimed the lives of so many of their kind.

The five guillemots, a razorbill and a young puffin had been cared for by the team at Scarborough Sealife Centre and were being released back into the wild from the cliff tops.

After the sadness of dealing with thousands of dead seabirds on the beaches recently, this was a truly magical moment. Here are the highlights:

The young puffin waits patiently to be released.

Site manager, Keith Clarkson, gives some guillemot facts to the crowd.

The birds are carried in convoy to the viewing platform.

The media jostle for the best position prior to release.

The last two birds say a final farewell.

Going, going, gone. The puffin flies straight out to sea.

A Teal Tale

Maria Prchlik — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:36:00 GMT

Flamborough headland was all a-flutter yesterday when an extremely rare bird was sighted over the headland.

A baikal teal, initially spotted by Brett Richards, flew in from the sea in the company of two common teal.

Not quite believing his luck, Brett followed it to North Marsh to try to confirm his first impression. Sure enough, there was the bird sitting, larger than life, on the water.

Then the alert went out to other twitchers in the area - which was when Education Officer, Steve Race and Visitor Services Manager Scott Smith, picked up the news and dashed down the coast to see the exotic visitor for themselves. They weren't alone. The sighting eventually attracted people from far and wide.

And here's why...there have only ever been a handful of sightings of the baikal teal in this country. The last one was in 2001 at RSPB Minsmere - so yesterday was a red letter day for our region.

Scott's photo of the baikal teal

Everyone else trying to get a photo of the baikal teal

Calling all curious kids

Maria Prchlik — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:38:00 GMT

You don't need us to quote government statistics to remind you that kids just don't get out as much as they used to. Or that they simply don't get involved with nature in the way those of us that ran, jumped and played in fields or woods did.

Which is why RSPB Wild Explorers groups play such an important role in what we do. They actively encourage kids to get out of the house and experience all that is wonderful about being outdoors - as well as planting the seeds for a lifetime of enjoying being close to nature.

The local group is run by our fabulous volunteer, Margaret, with help from a enthusiastic team of helpers, as well as some Mums and Dads.

'We do lots of fun activities both inside and outside - from discovering things on the beach to finding out what lives in the fields and meadows further inland. During the winter, we play games and make stuff, as well as getting involved in fundraising for our favourite causes. We'd love to welcome more girls and boys, between 5 -12, who live in the Bridlington area to join in the fun.'

So if you know someone who wants to get exploring, call the office on 01262 851533 and we'll put you in touch.