I first visited Bempton Cliffs in my early teens during a family holiday in the mid-late 1970s, when we were staying with my Dad's relatives in Leeds. It resulted in six Ticks that day: Fulmar, Gannet, Guillemot, Razorbill, Puffin & Kittiwake. I remember it was a great afternoon with my first views of proper Seabirds. It would have included Tree Sparrow as well, if it wasn't for a pair that popped up one summer & attempted to breed in a nest box in our suburban garden on the Kent-London border. Surprisingly, I never returned in the following decades.
On 2 & 3 July 20, a Black-browed Albatross appeared in the Gannet colony at Bempton Cliffs for a few hours. In Jun 81, I had seen Albert, the original Black-browed Albatross, that spent its most summers from 1975 to 1995 in the Hermaness Gannet colony. As a result, I wasn't going to race up to Bempton Cliffs on a mid-week trip, in the hope of seeing another one in the UK. It returned the following year to the Gannet colony at Bempton Cliffs on 28 Jun 21 and it was seen on & off until it flew out to see on the evening of 30 June 21. With no sightings over the next three days, it looked like it had moved on. Then news broke early on Sunday 4 July, that it was back in the Gannet colony. I had nothing planned for the day, so I decided to use it as an excuse to make a long-overdue return visit to Bempton Cliffs. I arrived about 16:30 to hear that the Black-browed Albatross had left the cliff it had been on all day, flown around a bit, before flying out to sea & being lost to view. It didn't seem likely that it would return, which proved to be the case. But there was the best part of six hours of light before it would be dark and there were plenty of Seabirds to see & photograph.
Although I was primarily looking for the Black-browed Albatross, it was hard not to take photographs of the breeding Gannets, Auks and Kittiwakes that are perched closed to the viewpoints or constantly flying past. Bempton Cliffs are the UK's best mainland Seabird colony and the numbers of Seabirds that are breeding along the cliffs are stunning. Additionally, the viewing platforms provide excellent views of small parts of this massive Seabird colony: which stretches for several miles. If you haven't been, then plan a visit and make sure you have plenty of food & drink as you won't want to leave. It's also well worth having plenty of warm clothes as it can be noticeably colder on that coast, compared to a few miles inland.
Gannet: The cliffs are vertical & about 400 ft high, so they are 50% higher than my St Aldhelms patch. But being vertical, it will be more difficult for Rats to access the nests
Gannet: There is a constant stream of Gannets moving in all directions around the cliffs. Not surprising with over 13,000 pairs along the breeding cliffs that stretch from Bempton Cliffs to Flamborough Head
Gannet: Most of the breeding pairs are on the steeper parts of the cliffs, but some individuals are happy to sit at the top of the cliffs and within easy view of the viewpoints
Gannet: This photo is hardly cropped
Gannet: Like a number of Seabirds, Gannets maintain close pair bonds. I guess it's necessary if one parent is going to be a sea for a day or so feeding, before returning to feed the young
Gannet: I assume these are two males who are involved in this fight
Gannet: One is starting to get the upper hand (or should that be bill?)
Gannet: Finally, the loser left the winner to occupy this small bit of cliff
There were areas near the top of the cliff where near adult Gannets were congregating: The adult Gannets nest below
Gannet: A close up of the some of the near adult Gannets: presumably, this allows them to start the courtship process
Gannet: It was also an area where it was possible to do some preening
Gannet: It looks like the preening worked, as another Gannet arrived & they started to display to each other
Gannet: It was also an area where it was possible to have a rest & let the food digest
Bempton Cliffs are also known for their breeding Auks, with around 57,000 pairs of Guillemots, 19,000 pairs of Razorbills and around 1,400 pairs of Puffins.
Guillemot: Like most of the Seabirds along the Bempton Cliffs coastline, Guillemot numbers have increased in recent years
Razorbill: Razorbills are the Auk that nests closest to some of the viewing platforms
Razorbill: I like the juxtaposition with the flowers
Razorbill: The next generation
Puffin & Razorbills: It looks like this Puffin has found a craft breeding hole in the cliff
Puffin: Sometimes it's tiring been the star of the show
Kittiwake: There are around 45,000 pairs of Kittiwakes
Kittiwake: Looks like they are having a good breeding season, based upon a totally unscientific set of photos
Barn Owl: This Barn Owl started flying over the fields, well before it was dark. However, it wasn't that close
There are good numbers of Tree Sparrows around the RSPB shop & cafe, as well as, along the clifftop path.
Tree Sparrow: Juv. Always a treat for a Dorset Birder to see on the deck, rather than as a Vis-Mig species every few years
I stayed until last light in the slim hope that the Black-browed Albatross would reappear on the cliffs: but it didn't. It had been a good trip to Bempton Cliffs, even if I didn't see the Black-browed Albatross. It was a long drive home & it was wasn't that far off dawn by the time I arrived home. Fortunately, I was still working at home in the post C19 world & so I could "lie in" to a few minutes before I was due to start work.
