A Yorkshire treasure

The Gannets of RSPB Bempton Cliffs

May and June. That’s what everyone says are the best months to come up here to the clifftops of East Yorkshire. That’s when the Puffins are around, the meadows are a carpet of red campion and the seabird colony is at its busiest.

But I was in Ukraine then and this week has been my first chance to get up here to this fabulous RSPB reserve just south of Scarborough.

Full disclosure: I am President of the nature charity, the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) which does much of the science behind birdwatching. It’s an honorary, unpaid role, based more on my enthusiasm for birds than any great skill at identifying them.

I have long wanted to visit RSPB Bempton Cliffs and it did not disappoint. It really is one of the most accessible places in Britain to see seabirds up close (I use a wheelchair). The volunteer staff I met were incredibly helpful and knowledgeable and there are experts on-hand to tell you all about these majestic but noisy seabirds.

It takes them five years to shake off their dark, juvenile plumage and morph into their adult creamy white colour. In winter some migrate south to the Bay of Biscay and even as far as West Africa.

One downside I should mention though, is the tiny black flies which live in the fields and can come out on a warm day like the one we had this week. They only seemed to congregate in certain places but they were a right pest when I was trying to take photos!

On the plus side, there were still some butterflies around: Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell and the ubiquitous Cabbage Whites.

Another highlight are the Goldfinches which are currently feasting on the wild teasels. And this being on a migration route, you never know what rarities are going to show up unannounced!