Recent sightings

Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Meadow Pipits are parachuting, Skylarks are high in the sky singing their hearts out and Reed Buntings are "sspping" from the hedgerows. It must be spring!

And life on the cliffs seems to be at full throttle today, Gannets are very settled, Kittiwakes can be heard en masse before you even reach the cliff top and Puffins are inspecting every little crack and crevice. Guillemots and Razorbills too, are crammed onto the ledges and keep an eye out for a Peregrine, just look for a little panic among the Herring Gulls and Kittiwakes, there'll be a Peregrine somewhere.

Little in the way of migration visible just yet, but there are a few flocks of Pink-footed Geese heading back north over the headland and spring migrants due any day.

Meadow pipit	Peregrine

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

With the snow largely gone, it's now possible to get out on the reserve and enjoy its wildlife! Two Barn Owls are being seen every day, hunting over the surrounding grassland and Peregrines are also being seen hunting overhead - listen for the noisy gulls!

Particularly exciting is the large flock of Corn Buntings which has taken up residence and can be seen on the edge of the overflow car park. The flock is over 100 strong, so a great sight indeed. Tree Sparrows are enjoying the seed at the feeding station and a male Bullfinch joins them most days.

A small group of Roe Deer can sometimes be seen roaming around the fields and a few Woodcock are lurking in the "brambley" depths, but can be hard to spot.

Out on the cliffs, several thousand Guillemots are present on some days... but then not on others! Must be a Guillemot thing; if they are not on the cliffs look for small rafts on the sea. More consistently a few Gannets and plenty of Fulmars are back prospecting the ledges.

Corn bunting

Tuesday, 22 December 2009

For the last few days the reserve has been something of a winter wonderland, but not surprisingly this has meant food is hard to find for many birds. In particular, Barn Owls are finding life difficult searching for prey in snow covered grassland and as a consequence are hunting throughout the day.

Keeping the bird feeders stocked is ensuring plenty of Tree Sparrows are visiting each day and they were brightened by a brief visit from a Brambling on 20th Dec.

Out to sea, good numbers of Gannets have recently been fishing just offshore putting on quite a show and a few Fulmars are visiting the cliffs.

Thursday, 29 October 2009

The last few Gannets have now gone, although a few birds can be seen most days majestically flying past out to sea. Also out to sea Red-throated Divers can be seen on calm days and Porpoises are regular, but as you can imagine are difficult to keep track of. Look out for the little triangular fin breaking the surface. A handsome drake Eider was also just below the cliffs yesterday.

Migration is in full swing and over the last few days huge flocks of Pink-footed Geese have been seen overhead, no doubt not touching down until they get to the North Norfolk coast. However, as far as autumn visitors are concerned the presence of a Red-flanked Bluetail over last weekend stole the show. This beautiful rarity from the far east proved elusive, but did give itself up to all comers in the end. Other star birds include a Red-backed Shrike, still present today, and a couple of very brief Yellow-browed Warblers.

Look out for Stonechats on the fence lines around the reserve and you might be lucky enough to spot a Black Redstart near to the RAF buildings. Lots of winter thrushes have arrived, with thousands through on Monday a mix of Redwings and Fieldfares. Also, don't forget to enjoy the Trees Sparrows at the feeding station.

Red-backed shrike

Friday, 11 September 2009

The last few weeks have brought some unusual birds to the reserve, but first an update on the seabirds.

With more than 7,500 breeding pairs this year, Gannets continue to go from strength to strength and at the moment are putting on a spectacular showing. It is estimated that around 20,000 individuals are around and about at the moment (15,000 adults, plus their young, plus the "teenagers" from previous years), so well worth a visit and amazingly there are still some fluffy chicks to be seen!

As autumn takes hold and begins to drive so many actions of a great many birds, new sightings are a daily occurence. Highlight has been a Quail seen very briefly and other star turns include up to five Spotted Flycatchers, a Redstart, Hobby, good numbers of Yellow Wagtails, a first-winter Yellow-legged Gull, Whimbrel, Lesser Whitethroat and Whinchat.

At the feeding station, Tree Sparrows are munching through the seed and because there are often over 70 birds, the seed feeders need constant attention.

Now awaiting the first winter migrant - any guesses when the first Fieldfare will arrive? Also, keep an eye on the sky for the first inbound Pink-footed Geese of the autumn.

Quail	Redstart

Thursday, 16 July 2009

Mid way through the summer is almost the end of the summer for some of the seabirds here. Most of the Guillemots and Razorbills have left the ledges, their small flightless chicks having paddled out to sea with their fathers. Puffins are still around in small numbers, so this weekend could be your last chance to catch up with them before the head out to sea for the winter.

A different story for the Kittiwakes and Gannets though. The first few Kittiwakes have fledged, but there are still thousands of fluffy youngsters around and Gannet chicks are very much in evidence, especially as many of the chicks are bigger than their parents. Both Herring Gulls and Fulmars can also be seen scattered throughout the colony, the well camouflaged Herring Gull chicks sometimes difficult to spot. Visit our seabird researchers blog site blogs.rspb.org.uk/seabirds to find out more.

Look out for Tree Sparrows at the feeders or even on the roof of the visitor centre and now that many species have finished nesting anything is possible on the clifftops. A report of an Alpine Swift flying in off the sea on 2nd July has been the highlight so far, but look out for Yellow Wagtails in surrounding fields, birds of prey overhead (a Marsh Harrier has been sighted) and migrant seabirds out to sea, including terns and skuas.

Thursday, 2 July 2009

Bempton's seabirds are about as busy as its possible to get at this time of year, feeding hungry chicks. Most chicks are easy to spot, especially the huge white Gannets, still fluffy before they get their first black juvenile feathers. Make sure you visit Staple Newk for the best views of these amazing birds. Thousands of Kittiwake young are beginning to fill their nests, but it could be harder to spot a Guillemot or Razorbill chick. Not only do they not build nests, but already some of the young have left the cliffs and headed out to sea! Puffin's, too, are very busy and are still in and out of the cliff face crevices with beak fulls of fish. A good time of year to see this popular bird, although they too, will soon be heading out to sea for the winter.

Also, autumn has begun! Small groups of Curlews are regularly passing overhead and on 28th June a lucky family spotted a female Crossbill feeding on thistles and other plants on the edge of the field near New Roll Up viewpoint. A small invasion of Crossbills has occured in Orkney and Shetland and doubtless this bird was part of the invasion.

Crossbill

Friday, 22 May 2009

Our new arrivals- the first gannet chicks have hatched! Only a week old and featherless they are a promising sign of the many new additions to come.

Puffins are being sighted more and more frequently as the days go by, with some appearing to settle by potential nesting sites. Be sure to ask at the visitor centre for the best places to view puffins as you wander through.

More and more guillemot eggs are being spotted as the days go by and the kittiwakes have been very active; gathering nesting material from the surrounding fields they are a spectacular sight as hundreds fly straight over your head.

Our feeding station has been very popular with visits from goldfinches, chaffinches, yellowhammers, linnets and with many other species it is well worth a visit. A newly formed loop walk around the open grassland and scrub allows you to wander amongst nesting skylarks whilst enjoying the company of a meadow pipit or two.

And finally our hedges and Dell area have been visited by a spotted flycatcher and a lesser whitethroat and to finish off another spectacular week 4 spoonbills flew north along the cliffs on the 19th!

Wednesday, 6 May 2009

Puffins are here! Testing out the cliffs for breeding sites they are on and off the sea, but catch a good day and they are there to be spotted.

Most of the gannets are now happily sitting on eggs and, with a few guillemot eggs in sight, we are well on our way into the breeding season.

Tree sparrows are a regular occurrence around the centre and on feeding stations and some have made their home in our nestboxes, with some even choosing to nest under the eaves of the visitor centre!

Corn buntings, grasshopper warblers and whitethroats have been sighted on the reserve within the last few days, along with a spectacular viewing of a short-eared owl prowling the hedges.

Corn bunting	Guillemot

Tuesday, 21 April 2009

Spring migration is very much underway this week, with the fine weather allowing a steady trickle of migrants to arrive. A Ring Ouzel was seen briefly early in the week and a Grasshopper Warbler is present near to the visitor centre. Good numbers of Swallows are passing through daily and few Wheatears are on the cliff top fields.

On the cliffs Puffins are very much in evidence, Gannets are busy adding to their nests (many of which already contain eggs) and Kittiwakes are on the cliffs in huge numbers, but not yet nest building - any day now. Both Guillemots and Razorbills are squabbling over the best ledges and the sharp eyed may be able to spot a Peregrine over head.

Grasshopper warbler	Kittiwake

Wednesday, 25 February 2009

The cliffs are beginning to liven up dramatically. Already several thousand Gannets are back on their nest sites and large numbers of Guillemots and Razorbills are also showing interest in their ledges. Even one or two Puffins have already been spotted.

A Barn Owl has been regualrly hunting over cliff top fields and up to 50 Tree Sparrows are visiting bird feeders around the reserve.

Barn owl

Wednesday, 7 January 2009

Plenty of seabird activity offshore this week including up to 6 Red-throated Divers and a few Common Scoters. Also several Fulmars and of particular interest a "Blue Fulmar" which has been present several days. This form of Fulmar originates from much further north and is rarely seen lingering off the UK coast.

Red-throated diver

Thursday, 16 October 2008

Short eared Owl 1 seen late afternoon