The Noble Puffin, and Friends: A Review of Bempton Cliffs.
Back in July, my Dad recommended that I visit Bempton Cliffs, as it isn’t too far from where I live in York. Bempton is an RSPB nature reserve; the cliffs are a haven for breeding seabirds. Gannets, Guillemots, Razorbills, kittiwakes, and most excitingly for me — puffins — flock to the cliffs yearly. I absolutely love puffins, having visited Skomer Island when I was much younger with my dad. Before I start urging you to visit Bempton Cliffs, I must first urge you to give Skomer a visit if you ever get the chance, especially if you are a puffin lover.
My boyfriend Connor and I decided to travel up to Bempton, along with our friends Chris and Tara. Whilst I was eager to see all of the seabirds, Connor and I had gotten particularly excited about the Puffins when pitching the trip to the others, neither of whom had seen one before. Once we arrived we agreed that a hot chocolate from the café was an essential (obviously) and then we set off towards the cliffs.
Gannets flocked in the thousands. As such, they were the first birds we spotted. I don’t know whether that was because of the sheer number in which they were gathered, or because of their distinct flash of colour amongst the bird-scattered chaos. Either way, I was thrilled to spot them; despite the absolute mob that we were met with on that day, Gannets aren’t exactly the most common sighting, gathering at only a handful of locations in the UK. But, when they do appear, they certainly know how to congregate. Gannets are one of my Dad’s favourite seabirds, and just looking at them it isn’t difficult to see why. Their delicate, pastel colour palette lends them a distinct elegance. However, I have to say that it is contrasted strongly by their turbulent madness as they scatter themselves across the frenzied horde.
The puffins were slightly more subtle. At first, we wondered if there were even any there, because none of us could pick them out from the swarming crowds. This notion was quite distressing to me, as Connor and I had lured Tara and Chris there with the promise of puffins. I scanned the cliffs but I just couldn’t make any out at all. Luckily, a kind, intuitive man who was bird-watching beside us noticed my distress and said “the puffins are easy to spot once you block out everything else that you can see, and just look for their little orange feet. Look- there are two of them on that ledge down there!” Sure enough, he was right! This tip was a lifesaver for the day; Shutting off from the visual chaos in front of you and seeking out one particular bright colour is a sure way to spot puffins in somewhere like Bempton, where they are largely swamped by millions of other birds. We looked down, and there they were: our first two puffins of the day.
As much as I loved seeing all of the other birds — I have already touched on the visual elegance of the Gannets — Puffins really are the little protagonists of the whole scene. A quietly confident little creature, there are few other birds that truly know how adorable they are (I like to think that Hummingbirds and Toucans are among the crew of birds who’s egos get the better of them- they know they’re fabulous). Puffins, of course, are no exception. They strutted along the rocky ledges, excitably kicking their little feet, scuffing past other species irreverently. Their curious arrogance was even more endearing considering their tiny size. Puffins are quite literally small enough for you to pop them in your coat pocket. A few of them defied this dainty charm, however, and began scuffling with one another on the edges of the rock. At first glance, these were disputes with the highest of stakes, as the birds grappled with one another, literally centimetres away from a perilous drop. Yet each time, we would quickly remember that the stakes weren’t quite as high, given that the puffins could instantly break into flight upon being pushed off the edge. Once one individual became tired of the confrontation, it would simply topple off the ledge and flutter towards the sea, it’s little orange feet dangling as it drifted towards the horizon.
We only managed to get one picture of Puffins for the whole day- the combination of their size and their impossible busyness made them quite difficult to capture on camera! This, however, is all the more reason to go and visit them in real life — the joy we had spotting them, and the excitement we felt each time we did, made the trip. Ironically, despite my claims about the Puffins’ egotism earlier on, reflecting upon our photographs it seems that the Gannets were actually the more glamorous models. They were much more camera ready.
Whilst visiting the RSPB website, I discovered that almost half a million seabirds congregate on Bempton’s ledges, which isn’t that hard to believe once you see some of the pictures we took there. The cliffs’ sides are quite literally adorned with flapping wings. You can only imagine the symphony that accompanied.
Although Gannets and Puffins have taken centre stage, I really mustn't overlook the other birds that roamed the cliffs. We were also lucky enough to spot a Guillemot. Although their dark brown colour makes them slightly harder to spot, Guillemots are fascinating birds. They spend their entire lives at sea, coming to the land only to nest. We spotted a few Razorbills as well, which are a relatively rare sight.
Even now, with the whole of summer behind me, having gone on a couple of holidays and done lots of exciting things, our trip to Bempton Cliffs stands out as one of my favourite memories this year. For me, the day could not have been better, combining great company with the incomparable tranquillity of being beside the sea. I hope the others enjoyed it as much as I did! I would recommend it to anyone, although I’d recommend taking a camera to capture some awesome shots. And, if you aren’t already into seabirds, then I promise you that the puffins, in all their pocket-sized glory, will change your mind.
I should also say thank you to Connor for taking the photos that feature here!
In summation, I really must insist that you visit Bempton Cliffs. If not for any of the tremendous feathery crew that I have described, then for the fact that there are few better places to drink a hot chocolate than looking over the edge of the world onto the sea. Trust me.
Also, they had pretty good flapjacks.
