Trip reports
Minibus trip to Bempton
Saturday, 27 June 2009
Our first stop enroute to the coast was the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve of North Cave. With just a short one hour stay planned we set off to check out the first 2 hides. Straight over our heads were dozens of Sand Martins, including many juvenile birds from the sand bank on the reserve. Juvenile Avocets and Black Headed Gulls were seen from the first hide, as were 2 recently hatched Common Terns being fed by both adults. Several waders were seen, the highlights being both Ringed and Little Ringed Plover. In total 27 species were seen.
We returned to the minibus and set off to RSPB Bempton Cliffs. All was going fine until we turned out of Bridlington and ran straight into a bank of thick fog! Unfortunately the fog was also hanging heavily over the reserve and the rain had started when we arrived so we decided to have lunch before moving down to the cliffs. The fog never lifted but despite this we managed to see all the wished-for birds; including a single Puffin, Gannets and Kittiwakes with young as well as Fulmars, Guillemots and Razorbills.
Feeling a little let down by the weather at Bempton, we decided to stop off at RSPB Blacktoft Sands on the way home and what a great decision that turned out to be. Reserve staff had been out moth trapping the night before and a good display of moths, including Elephant Hawk Moth and Peppered Moth, was to be found outside the Visitors' Centre. Over the course of the next one-and-a-half hours we visited 2 hides and saw summer plumaged Spotted Redshank and male Ruff, complete with ruffs! We also managed excellent views of juvenile Bearded Tits feeding on the reeds and some of the best sightings of singing Sedge Warblers ever. Overall a grand total of 65 species were seen. Another great day's bird watching!