Cruising along

On our second day of our mini-break we tried a variation on something we have done many times before. RSPB Bempton cliffs is a magnificent reserve with towering cliffs filled with seabirds. We even visited it on our honeymoon many, many years ago! However we have never seen it from below, so we booked a trip on the Yorkshire Belle to look at it from below.

A one hour or so drive got us to Bridlington, a very old-fashioned seaside resort with groynes on the beach and funfairs and amusements arcades on the promenade.

From my point of view one of the highlights were the kittiwakes. These are gulls which like to nest on cliffs and had a hard time through the 80's and 90's. Since then they seem to have collectively worked out that buildings are cliffs and window sills are ledges. In Bridlington alone there are hundreds of pairs nesting in and around the town, their onomatopoeic call echoing around. The only downside is the mess and not looking upon when you walk down alleyways!

Eventually we headed down to the quay to get onto our boat, the Yorkshire Belle, tied up in the harbour.

To be honest, it's not that big a boat but by god they crammed you on -about 280 on the boat! 

We lucked out and managed to find a seat right by the bow where we could stand up and have half-decent chances of getting some photos. We set off and cruised firstly towards to Flamborough Head, following the coast line .

Fortunately for us the weather was perfect, no wind, no swell and clear skies, not even too hot! As we rounded the head we started to see the seabirds. Firstly they were on the sea as the cliffs were too low for nesting.

Mainly the birds were guillemots and razorbills with a sprinkling of puffins. Mixed in were our friends the kittiwakes as well as gulls and terns. As we cruised along towards the RSPB reserve the cliffs got higher and we found the birds nesting on the ledges. The sounds and the smells were overwhelming and you didn't know which way to look, although mostly it was up!

By the time we reached Staple Newk on the reserve there were loads of gannets  wheeling around. They are very large and rather than nesting on ledges they use flat areas of the fallen cliff to build their nests. From the top you see them riding the thermals, from the sea you see them mooching around and trying to avoid the large boat annoying them!

Gannets used to be relatively uncommon here but in the past 20 or so years have done very well and this is now one of the largest mainland colonies in the UK.

After watching the birds we turned round and headed back for Bridlington, a bit further out but still having great views of the coastline and the birds.

We got back in plenty of time to retrace our steps to Levisham for a very pleasant meal with my cousins and the end to the first of three parts to our holiday. 

 

Mellow yellow

 On Xmas Eve the birding world let out a collective scream. A very rare American yellow warbler had been seen in Kent just as everyone was settling down to a few days of family fun! Many tried to alter plans, delay lunch or just ignore it. Some brave souls went out on the 25th and 26th to see it but it was pretty elusive especially with bad weather. The timing combined with my car being poorly meant I couldn't even think about going for it. Stories started to appear of people spending hours for a few seconds of views or dipping it altogether. After the awful weather yesterday I finally had a window of opportunity to go for it. I got to the car park just after dawn. It was in an industrial estate next to the sewage works where the warbler spent a lot of time. I got chatting to 3 birders from Somerset and we agreed it was looking good - still, and a weak sun starting to poke through. A 10 minute walk along the river got us to the back of the sewage works where a dozen or so birders were already camped out.

The trees are its favourite area or more accurately the noelbit where you could it as in poor weather it stayed within the compound. I was getting set for a long wait and had coffee and sandwiches prepared. Within a couple of minutes though my new friend from Somerset heard it calling but didn't either see it or get in which direction it flew. Logically we spread out and covered 50 yards of river bank. I was in the middle and very quickly to my left the call went out of "its showing". We gathered up our gear and quickly located it preening in the hedge.

Everyone got onto it easily as the yellow plumage stood out amazingly against there monochrome hedge.

After the awful weather of yesterday it was clearly enjoying the sun and having a good go at getting its feathers into good order.

To be picky it was always slightly behind a brand h but hey, no one was complaining. For I guess 5 minutes or so we filled our boots with stunning views of it, and as good I suspect as anyone had had over the previous week.

It then decided it was getting a bit peckish so it flew off into the sewage works. A lot of us decided that it was a as good as it would get so we headed back to the cars just as the crowd was starting swell. It carried on showing throughout the day.

I headed off about an hour away to Abberton reservoir to do some year listing. I got a lot of new birds but mostly a long way off. The only ones with photos even remotely good enough to hare were a smart male goosander

a small family group of Bewick's swans

and a confiding kestrel.

A cracking start to the year taking me to 417 BOU libelist (having lost there redpolls) and a decent 67 on the yearlist with loads of easy ones missing.