15th to 17th July.

Visited the Flamborough/Bempton area for a few days last week. Bempton was its usual hive of activity at this time of year - most pairs of Kittiwakes seemed to have juveniles on the ledges just waiting to fledge. In fact, a few were already in the air and some were flexing their wing muscles. The Gannet colony also seems to have done well, with many juveniles looking like overgrown, mis-shapen pillows, appearing to be bigger than their parents are! It is a few years since I last visited here but the Gannet colony seems to have grown remarkably - it can't be long before they run out of suitable nesting sites here?

Managed to see my first ever Corn Bunting at Bempton! A species that I have always "succeeded" in missing when I have looked for them before, both here and elsewhere!

Agree with Andrews' post from last year - the staff were excellent and very helpful. But to my mind the visitors centre/facilities seems a bit lacking for such a major attraction - especially when you compare it with say somewhere like RSPB Old Moor near Barnsley. RSBP membership is a "broad church" and not everyone who visits wants to spend hours looking at the plumage details of a Fulmar! - I'm sure there must be some planning/land restrictions that prevents them from having the visitors centre and facilities that the site needs and deserves? Fair enough if that's the case.

For those visiting the area and looking for somewhere decent to eat, can thoroughly recommend the North Star Hotel at North Landing and the Seabirds Hotel in Flamborough village. That's if you want something different from the usual cold, soggy, scrambled egg sandwiches that some birders seem to exist on! Nothing wrong with that "diet" if that's what you like - though I better get that disclaimer in before I got a nasty posted response from that hardline conservation group - S.O.S.E.S.S - the Save Our Scrambled Egg Sandwich Society. The North Star does the best home made Steak Pie on the planet - ever! Also for those allowed a sugar overload (not me unfortunately ) there's a sweet trolley that looks like it was made in heaven! The Seabirds is also excellent - doing gastropub type food, but is more expensive, although I understand that they do a similar menu during the middle of the day but at a cheaper price. Restaurant critic? - what a doddle of a "job"!

I understand that RSPB Bempton are once again doing their Shearwater and Skua cruises on selected weekend days between 30th August and 5th October. Still, if the weather gets a bit rough and those scrambled egg sandwiches decide to make a sudden "unexpected return journey" after you have eaten them, then I'm sure this will be a more than adequate replacement for the "chum" chucked overboard to attract the birds nearer to the boat! More info on the cruises and "chum" at www.scarboroughwildlife.org.uk/seabirdcruises.htm

Good birding (and eating!)

Cheers,

Bill.

Went for a long awaited trip to Bempton today with Paul (C) and his friend Phil,a birder who's not on the Forum.Dunno where to start,the weather was beautiful and stayed lovely all day,the company was great and we saw all in all over 40 species
The Gannets were spectacular soaring and gliding effortlessly,generally wow-ing us all with their beauty and grace,l couldn't get enough of seeing them,the juveniles were also very impressive,their plumage gave them a very dramatic appearance.We saw hundreds of Guillimots and Razorbills,if not clinging to the cliff face were frantically flying to the sea and back again, where once they were in the scope,it would highlight their markings which looked like they'ed been painted on rather than have us believe it's their feathers.Not alot of Puffins which made us feel lucky once we found one,(to me they look like a small childs toy) the Kittiwakes were there in the thousands,nesting and caring for eggs,also we got to see a couple of Cormorants and a Shag having 'the world's longest and most thourough bath'.
Along the fields and meadows we saw countless birds,too many to mention....oh alright then here's a few
Sedge Warbler
Meadow/Tree Pipit
Reed Bunting
Sky Lark
Whitethroat
Gold Finch
Linnet.........and just before we left we were lucky enough to see a Kestrel hunting in front of us,catch it's prey and take it to a fence and eat it!!Watched thru' the scope...brilliant!!
One odd thing did occur,as we were walking along the cliff footpath,Phil shouted us to come and see what was on the path,once there Paul and l saw.........a........MOLE!! no not a Vole,it was definitely a Mole who never realised for a few minutes that he shouldn't be above ground and ambled on before he DID realise and legged it!! Great day



-- Edited by Melanie Beckford at 00:13, 2008-06-06