A trip to Flamborough Head

As Bempton on the Tuesday had been such a cracking day we decided to take our friends Linda and Steve there on the Friday.  After calling in Beverley for lunch and shops we carried on to Bempton for a walk on the cliffs and look at the sea bird colony.  If anything it was more spectacular than Tuesday; the onshore wind meant that the auks, in particular were flying higher up and, therefore, closer to us.  Unfortunately I had only brought my compact camera!!  From Bempton we went to North Landing at Flamborough Head before retiring to Bridlington for fish and chips.

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All images from North Landing in the late afternoon sun.

An Excellent Day at Bempton.

Tuesday 14th provided a beautiful sunny start to the day and I arrived at Roger's sharp at 7.00 am ready for our planned trip to Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve on the Yorkshire Coast.  Bempton and Flamborough Head mark the spot on the coast where the  Cretaceous chalk hills of England (The Chilterns, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire Wolds) meet the North Sea in dazzling white Cliffs over 100m high.

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As we walked down the footpath to the cliffs from the smart new visitor centre our senses were assailed by the sound and smell of seabirds.  The air resounded with the strident onomatopoeic sound of kittiwakes and the more guttural calls of the thousands of gannets. There was also a strong farmyard smell, reminiscent of chicken sheds, pervading the air.  One's nostrils soon become accustomed to this.  It is a spectacular sight to stand at the various viewing points along the three miles of cliffs and marvel at the beetling cliffs and the thousands of sea birds crowding the sheer rock walls and wheeling in the air. Looking at the birds perched on the tiniest of ledges, it might be though that they are glued there, but, although they are not, they are still completely at home.  That their eggs do not plummet to the sea below is a testament to an evolutionary process which has given them a pointed oval shape, so that when knocked instead of rolling off the edge they simply roll in a tight circle.  Roger and I spent a very happy eight hours here and filled our memory cards before we managed to drag ourselves away for fish and chips.

Fulmar

Fulmar

Gannet collecting nest material

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet Courtship

Gannet Courtship

Gannet

Gannet collecting nest material

Gannet

Guillemots

Guillemot

Herring Gull

Jackdaw

Kittiwakes

Kittiwakes squabbling

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Kittiwake

Puffin

Puffins

Puffins

Puffin

Puffin

Razorbill

Razorbill

Razorbill

Sunset in the Wolds

Last Tuesday, at the end of a beautiful day I set off into the Wolds to attempt my first badger watch at 'Badger City'.  When I arrived and went to put out some peanuts, I noticed that the ones I had put out the day before had been hoovered up so things were looking good.  I settled down at 6.00 pm with my flask of drinking chocolate to await events, and wait, and wait...........to no avail.  The badgers, although obviously active, refused to put in an appearance before it got too dark to see, never mind photograph.  So. it's back to the drawing board.  The only thing that I can think is that the field next door was being sprayed and there was a strong smell from the spray.  I was sure that they hadn't got my scent as the wind was blowing away from me.  It was, however, a very pleasant, if cold, evening with a good sunset.

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