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Flamborough Head (1 Viewer)

TerryH

Well-known member
We arrived at Bridlington lunch time on Friday but not being able to get into the hotel till mid afternoon headed off to Flamborough Head, as it had been thick fog most of the journey up, it was overcast and windy.
Walking up to the Headland there were a number of Meadow Pipits around the lighthouse and Pied Wagtails in the open grass. The Headland itself is home to a large number of Kittewakes nesting on the cliffs along with Rock Doves and Herring Gulls. I was supprised at the large numbers of Jackdaws in and around the cliffs.
We then saw our first flocks of Gannets heading west around the headland and a lonely Shag flying just above the water. Heading back towards the car park through the field large numbers of Skylarks
were hovering and singing away as load as they could, but it was getting late so we called it a day.

Saturday we arrived at Bempton Cliffs at 09:20 moving off along the path from the visitors centre to the cliff tops we came across 4 Linnets in the brambles half way down (a first) once at the cliffs we turned left and followed the path along to each lookout vantage point.
The first impression is amazing all these Herring Gulls and Kittewakes nesting on shear rock faces in such large numbers. In amongst these are Guillemots which behave very much like Penguins standing bolt upright and shuffleing along very narrow ledges. They stand on these narrow ledges facing the cliffs for ages, makes you wonder what they are thinking about.

Moving on to the next point we come across the Gannets in small numbers nest building on the lower ledges but higher up were 2 Razorbills with there distinctive white stripped bills begining to nest. The main quest was to see the Puffins but as yet no sign and no-one else we spoke to had seen any either.

We continued along the cliff way past the earth works untill the cliffs became shear but still no Puffins.
Tree Pipits were in the fields nesting in the clumps of grass and a Kestral was flying overhead.

So we headed back to where we started and then took the path along the cliff towards Flamborough here there were a few Swallows flying about also Pied Wagtails and a lone Wheatear on the path.

A 100 yards or so along is an outcrop of rocks covered in Gannets nesting on any piece of rock they can find. The nests are made up of anything they can find, fishing net, plastic bags, rope and a few twigs. The colours range from orange to blue, red and green very colourfull real estate. Some nests but not many had one single egg in.

Still no Puffins. We then met a couple who thought they saw one about 200 yds further on so off we went, still nothing so on an out crop of land set up the scope and scoured the cliffs left and right and finally one lonely Puffin popped his head out from a crag in the cliff a great moment.

We watched him for half an hour standing on a ledge like something out of a cartoon glanceing left and right then puffing out his chest and hurling himself off the cliff like some mad bungy jumper.
Two minutes later he's back in the hole, must be feeding his mate or young and then back out he comes again stands there for a couple of minutes and off again, and so it went on. A great end to a great day both nackered we headed back to the car.

If you have never been and have the chance to go with Diane (Digi-Birder) in May its well worth it.



:t:
 
A cracking place by the sound of your report. I reckon the Gannets are 'keeping up with the Joneses', one of them brought a blue bag and then they all tried out doing each other's colour schemes!!! LOL
 
Great report Terry. I'll have to get back down there soon, though it doesn't look like I can make the BF Meet due to work.

Bempton is a fabulous place to visit for the sea birds. Incidentally e usually see the Linnets about when we visit, Swallows on the roof of the centre and Sedge warbler in the bushes around the car park.
 
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