I am travelling from Cornwall to Yorkhire on 20th August. I plan to visit Bempton cliffs as I love Gannets in particular. I see them daily here in Newquay and have had some close encounters, but only fly-by. I want to see them in greater numbers and take some pics/videos of them sitting on nest sites or perching on rocks. How close can you get and is this too late to see them?
You most certainly can. The colony is here right the way through September. This year we've had around 20,000 and the young have formed 'youth clubs' very close to the cliff tops so the viewing has been amazing. To celebrate this wonderful spectacle we've organised a series of events around the theme 'Planet Gannet' which includes a guided walk with tea afterwards, a guided evening walk, Greedy Gannets Club for kids and a gannet photography workshop (which might interest you) - full details of all these are on our events page. We look forward to seeing you - our volunteers will be happy to help you find the best spots to set up your camera.
Thanks for your reply Maria. My computer was down so I did not see your reply in time. I did visit Bempton Cliffs on 22nd August and camped with family overnight at a place called Wold Farm near the cliffs. It was a fair walk to see the stacks with nesting Gannets, but well worth it. I did hear about the location of the RSPB centre while viewing the birds and drove there to look around and buy some souvenirs. I wish I had visited the centre first!