The day began warm but with a cold easterly wind off the sea reducing temperatures to only 11C as Brian and I left Keelby. The weather looked good for our day, though, until we turned into Bempton Lane and it became obvious that there was sea fog, but only along the coastal fringe (all the way to at least Whitby I discovered a few days later). Back at Bridlington and all the way south down the coast it was clear blue sky. Undaunted, we had a coffee in the cafe and then headed down to the cliffs hoping for good views of Albert the black-browed albatross that has been frequenting the area around Staple Newk for some weeks and for a significant part of last summer. It was not to be, however, as the bird is in the habit of wandering across to Norway and Germany and we happened to turn up on the day he was on an overnighter. He had obviously seen the weather forecast and decided to avoid the sea fog. Not to worry, though, apart from the biting cold, things were comfortingly normal in seabird city. Around us was the constant calling of sea birds and the air was thick with wheeling birds; large aircraft-like gannets, smaller kittiwakes and fumlars soaring out from the cliffs and then returning to their chosen ledge and, finally, the frantic, clockwork whirring of auks: guillemots, razorbills and puffins as they sped out to sea for fishing trips. While Brian wandered along the cliffs to explore nearby Danes Dyke, I concentrated on flight shots, securing some of my best ever images of fulmars. When Brian returned we retired to the relative warmth of the visitor centre for lunch before continuing to explore the northern part of the reserve. Here it is more suitable for securing images of the birds on cliff ledges where they precariously lay eggs and rear young. The season is still young, however, and pairs are only now mating and eggs yet to be laid. Rather than perch on impossible ledges, that clown of the cliffs, the puffin, with its improbable brightly coloured parrot-shaped bill prefers burrows or crevices in the cliffs tucked safely away from predatory gulls. Puffins at Bempton are fewer in number than the other auks but we were pleased to find one standing guard outside its burrow.
A cold, but excellent day was made perfect by fish and chips on the way home.
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