Bempton Cliffs

On our way to Robin Hood's Bay we took a detour to Bempton Cliffs. I'd never been before, I'd only heard bird loving friends talk about it with a passion and I was very excited to see possibly see the puffins in the peak season. Bempton is famous for it's colonies nesting of seabirds and it is estimated that there could be half a million birds on its huge chalk cliffs.

It's an RSPB reserve near Bridlington, with a visitor centre and cafe etc and it offers many safe viewing points along the steep cliff edges, safe for the people and safe for the birds. It's also wonderfully accessible, there were wheelchairs and mobility scooters zipping about the place offering safe and smooth passage in what would normally be difficult terrain.

And there was a very satisfying path down through some grassland in full bloom, buzzing with little birds and insects

and with the big blue sea beyond.

The first viewing point offered a little slice of sea between two cliff faces and it was like a skinny portal to another world. Through this gap it was all going on. It was so busy and noisy and we were immediately transfixed!

and it was a crash course in seabird identification! We listened out to the other birders chatting about what they were seeing and we studied the information signs and we closely observed the comings and goings of this sea bird life and we learned who was who.

And the closer you looked, the more you saw. These are kittiwakes nestling their eggs and chicks. Can you see them? Imagine having a baby on edge of a cliff!

I fell in love with the gannets. They are so elegant with such beautiful markings. They dive into the sea at about 60 miles per hour! 

and what about this handsome razorbill?

I love their face masks. These two were very proud of their chick.

Another birder with a very big lens kindly pointed out the 'bridled' guillemot amongst the other guillemots. Can you spot the one bottom right, with the white eye make up? 

It was a while before we spotted a puffin...

but then we saw a couple

and once we had our eye in they kept showing up

Puffins pair for life. They only lay one egg each year. One chance! When they are big and strong enough the puffling (cutest name in the world) will go to sea for six whole years before coming back to the same place to start their family. Their numbers, like many of our precious birds are dwindling. A lot rests on that one egg.

it was fun watching them fly. We enjoyed trying to spot their bright orange flippers amidst the rest of the flying birds. Apparently when they go out to sea, when the breeding season is over, they lose their orange beak until the next year. It's only there to help the pairs find each other.

The chalk cliffs were HUGE and yet walking along the paths between viewing points the seabird noise quietened at you could easily forget that the cliffs and all their going on were there at all. You could be astounded again and again.

It was wonderful to get precious glimpse into this incredible world and watch these birds soar above the waves. Looking at these photos and reliving the experience by writing about it gives me the same belly flipping exhilaration I felt by being there.

I recommend a visit if you get the chance. 

Last night I caught up with this years Springwatch on BBC IPlayer where Iolo Williams spends some time at Bempton. He went out on a boat to watch the gannets diving. It was incredible and good to see the cliffs from a different perspective. So good!