Seymour Birdies Diary: Kittiwakes, Fulmar Petrels and Gannets at Bempton Cliffs

20th May 2024

On holiday in East Yorkshire again so time for my annual pilgrimage to Bempton Cliffs. Luckily last week's fog had disappeared and I was greeted by a carpet of Red Campion and a lone specimen of Meadow Cranesbill on the cliff tops.

Bempton Cliffs is of course best known for its seabird colonies but its other speciality is the Tree Sparrow, especially if you are visiting from southern England where they are now extinct as a breeding species in many counties. Here at Bempton there is a thriving colony and can be seen around the visitor centre where the nest boxes are located, and also feeding along the tops of the cliffs. This one was searching for insects amongst the Cow Parsley.

So now on to the sea birds and start with the Kittiwake. Kittiwakes nest on narrow ledges on cliffs but will also nest on window ledges on buildings.

They have what I consider to be a very gentle appearance with a yellow bill and black legs.

In flight they also have distinctive well demarcated black tips to the wings which look as though the wing tips have been dipped in ink.

Here is one bringing in nest material.

While there are thousands of Kittiwakes at Bempton there are relatively few Fulmar Petrels. I spent quite a lot of time on Fair Isle in the 1970s where Fulmars are very common and got to know them quite well and have always admired that subtle greyish mauve on the wings. But don't be fooled by their lovable appearance as if you get too close they will squirt a stinking oil at you, and if it gets on your clothes you might as well throw them away as no amount of washing will remove it.

Luckily there is no chance of getting too close to Fulmars at Bempton.

And finally the Gannets for which Bempton is truly famous.

They are all paired up now with lots of displaying going on.

This one is preparing for take-off.

But its not all harmonious with lots of bickering between neighbours.

But in the air they are most graceful, just soaring around quite effortlessly..................

.....................and bringing in more material for the nest.

And they come so close you don't always need a big lens!!!

It takes five years for a Gannet to reach full adult plumage like the birds in the above photos. In Years 1 and 2 their plumage is predominanty brown and there were none of this age on the cliffs, as presumably they are still far out at sea. The next three photos are Year 3 birds, still with predominantly brown wings but now with a white head.