Three Days in Yorkshire

So, you want to see and photograph a stunning selection of seabirds. You want to have an expert birding guide with you. It would be helpful to have someone to make all the arrangements for you, and to speak the local language as well!

I was fortunate to make such a trip in the company of one of the club’s tame Yorkshire men, our esteemed chairman David. We travelled up to Bridlington and stayed at a very homely B&B. A trip on the Yorkshire Belle pleasure boat took us around the foot of Bempton Cliffs, a truly impressive structure of chalk rising several hundred feet above the North Sea, and home to gannets, puffins, razorbills, guillemots and kittiwakes.

Bempton Cliffs Looking South

The next two days consisted of trips to RSPB Bempton Cliffs, with excellent weather and lighting conditions. The seabirds didn’t disappoint, with viewing galleries affording excellent viewpoints of the cliff edge. One such site was Bartlett Nab, which is shown in the accompanying image.

Bartlett Nab

The gannets and kittiwakes devoted a lot of time to pulling out grass to line their nests. This made for interesting images at close range.

Cliff Face gardener

Gardening Gannet

When there is a favourable wind, the seabirds soar effortlessly close to the cliff edge allowing “birds in flight” shots.

Soaring Gannet

The reserve is also home to warblers, whitethroat, barn owl and large numbers of tree sparrows feeding on red campion flowers. These small birds are a little more of a challenge to the photographer.

Tree Sparrow in Hawthorn

Puffins put in sporadic appearances and drew large crowds of spectators. They were visible on the cliffs and at sea.

Puffin We Have Liftoff

Club members will know that both of us are devoted Nikonians, but I did benefit from timely advice on technique from David, our resident Natural History expert.