Gannets at Bempton Cliffs
23rd July 2009
It’s a couple of years since I last visited this location. On that occasion, the weather was bright and sunny but extremely windy, which was great for the birds but not for keeping a camera steady.
The first thing I noticed was that there was a small caravan supplying food and drink rather than the small kiosk in the visitor centre shop. A very tasty bean burger and refreshing cup of tea later, it was off to see the birds. Another new arrival was the bird feeding station behind the shop, with several feeders dotted about. It was good to see several tree sparrows frequenting these (as they aren’t that common a bird) rather than the more usually seen house sparrow (itself declining in numbers). Greenfinches, goldfinches, and chaffinches were around, though I didn’t see the yellowhammer. Let’s not forget the reed buntings. Of course, the jackdaws made an appearance, as if they didn’t get enough titbits from the car park.
The next change was the paths to a couple of the viewpoints. This had had some new material laid down, and there was also a second path in some places slightly further from the cliff edge. However, I kept to the path nearest the edge at first, as that gave better views, such as the pair of gannets on the ledge. This looks precarious, but it’s no worse than other locations and not as cramped as many.
At that point the large dark cloud overhead decided to break open. As I stood facing the cliff, the camera and lens was shielded from the rain so I could carry on shooting without getting a lens full of water. Trousers that are wet from the thigh down are not that comfortable! However, it may have been sharp, but no more than fifteen minutes, by which time a light breeze and some very decent sun soon dried them out.
The rest of the afternoon and evening was as good as you’d expect at this time of year, and as the birds circled out to sea and came past the cliff ledges I turned to some in flight shots. I concentrated on the gannets and kittiwakes, the gannets coming in wave after wave. It’s great to see them so close, as you really appreciate their 1.8m wingspan. It’s also frustrating as you follow one bird only to have another one fly past much closer or appear at the last minute as it rises up from below the cliff ledge.
There seemed to be a few more puffins in evidence, albeit most were out at sea. I don’t have any official figures but I don’t think they’ve returned to the numbers I saw on my first visit over 10 years ago, due to lack of fish and disastrous season with the weather about 6 years ago when many chicks perished.
But back to the gannets, their numbers appear to have increases as do the kittiwakes. There were a large number of butterflies this time, mostly small and dark brown, but I’m afraid they were far too active for to identify or photograph them.
In any case, it was an enjoyable afternoon and I was pleased with the shots I took.
The first thing I noticed was that there was a small caravan supplying food and drink rather than the small kiosk in the visitor centre shop. A very tasty bean burger and refreshing cup of tea later, it was off to see the birds. Another new arrival was the bird feeding station behind the shop, with several feeders dotted about. It was good to see several tree sparrows frequenting these (as they aren’t that common a bird) rather than the more usually seen house sparrow (itself declining in numbers). Greenfinches, goldfinches, and chaffinches were around, though I didn’t see the yellowhammer. Let’s not forget the reed buntings. Of course, the jackdaws made an appearance, as if they didn’t get enough titbits from the car park.
The next change was the paths to a couple of the viewpoints. This had had some new material laid down, and there was also a second path in some places slightly further from the cliff edge. However, I kept to the path nearest the edge at first, as that gave better views, such as the pair of gannets on the ledge. This looks precarious, but it’s no worse than other locations and not as cramped as many.
At that point the large dark cloud overhead decided to break open. As I stood facing the cliff, the camera and lens was shielded from the rain so I could carry on shooting without getting a lens full of water. Trousers that are wet from the thigh down are not that comfortable! However, it may have been sharp, but no more than fifteen minutes, by which time a light breeze and some very decent sun soon dried them out.
The rest of the afternoon and evening was as good as you’d expect at this time of year, and as the birds circled out to sea and came past the cliff ledges I turned to some in flight shots. I concentrated on the gannets and kittiwakes, the gannets coming in wave after wave. It’s great to see them so close, as you really appreciate their 1.8m wingspan. It’s also frustrating as you follow one bird only to have another one fly past much closer or appear at the last minute as it rises up from below the cliff ledge.
There seemed to be a few more puffins in evidence, albeit most were out at sea. I don’t have any official figures but I don’t think they’ve returned to the numbers I saw on my first visit over 10 years ago, due to lack of fish and disastrous season with the weather about 6 years ago when many chicks perished.
But back to the gannets, their numbers appear to have increases as do the kittiwakes. There were a large number of butterflies this time, mostly small and dark brown, but I’m afraid they were far too active for to identify or photograph them.
In any case, it was an enjoyable afternoon and I was pleased with the shots I took.
