Bempton Cliffs
A visit to Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire has been on my ‘Photography To Do List’ for several years. Neil and I had booked to stop off there on our way back from a holiday in Scotland in June 2022, but we both caught covid in Scotland, so had to drive straight home, which wasn’t fun with us both feeling poorly!
In March this year, I came across a one day photography workshop at Bempton Cliffs, for 15th May, with Steve Hedges, a wildlife photographer, based in Chelmsford, Essex, so I decided to book onto that.
Neil and I travelled up the day before and stayed in a lovely cottage in Flamborough, which had a pub/restaurant next door and three others close by, plus a fish and chip shop just up the road, so plenty of choices for food!
The weather had not been brilliant, but on the morning of the workshop it was overcast, but no rain, for which I was grateful! Armed with cameras, lenses, tripod, waterproofs and lunch I set off for the meeting point. There were three of us on the workshop and Steve was there waiting for us in the carpark.
We set off for the cliffs and headed north. There are six viewing points along the cliffs and we visited them all. My favourite was Bartlett Nab as you had great views of the cliffs and the hundreds of birds on them.
I loved the Northern Gannets, they are so photogenic with their blue eyes and grey beaks. The first chick of the season was seen the day we were there, but unfortunately for us, mum was sitting firmly on the nest, so we didn’t get to see it! They are famed for their super fast dives into the sea to catch fish. They dive head first into the sea with their wings folded right back. They can dive from heights of 30m and can hit the water at speeds of up to 60mph! They have an extensive network of air-sacs between their muscles and skin to help cushion the impact!
I had hoped to see lots of Atlantic Puffins, but we only saw two as there are not many there this year. I did manage to photograph them, so that was good. They too are very photogenic with their large multicoloured beaks and orange legs. They are often called the clown of the sea! They winter out at sea and come to land to breed. They build their nests in burrows on grassy slopes along the coast. In flight, Puffins flap their small wings frantically to stay aloft, but underwater those wings become powerful flippers that allow the birds to catch small fish one by one until they have a beak full!
We saw one Fulmer, which was a first for me. They are interesting birds with their tube nose on top of their beak. They look similar to a gull and are grey and white in colour, but are in fact related to the albatrosses. The Fulmar flies low over the sea on stiff wings, with shallow wingbeats, gliding and turning to show its white underparts and then grey upperparts. At its breeding sites it will fly high up the cliff face, riding the updraughts. They will feed in flocks out at sea and defend their nests from intruders by spitting out a foul smelling oil!
The Razorbills are another of my favourites with their thick black bill, with a white stripe across it. They belong to the Auk family and nest on the ledges and among the rocks at the bottom of the cliffs. With their upright position, they remind me of a small penguin!
There were lots of Guillemots nesting on the cliffs. They too spend the winter at sea and only come to land to breed. At first they look like they are black and white, but they are a very dark brown and white. They like to nest on the very steep ledges of the cliffs. The female Guillemot will only lay a single egg a year and once the chick is three weeks old it will dive off the cliff with its father into the sea! The father will look after the chick in the sea until it is old enough to look after itself.
There were lots of Kittiwakes, different Gulls, plus Jackdaws along the cliffs. We also saw several Tree Sparrows and a Sedge Warbler. Unfortunately we didn’t see the resident Barn Owl or the Short-eared Owl, but I was more than happy with the birds we did see.
Steve’s workshop was great and his knowledge was extensive. I would definitely recommend looking at the various workshops he does - Steve Hedges Photography.
I’m very grateful to have been there and it certainly didn’t disappoint. As they say, “I will be back!’