Black-browed Albatross RSPB Bempton Cliffs 15th July 2021

We had a very average breakfast at the Green Dragon and then headed off for RSPB Bempton Cliffs. Especially nice around the pub, which we had noticed the evening before, was a big flock of very active Swifts swooping around the roofs of the houses. En route we got Rooks which was listed on my software as a year first but surely not! More definitely correct as a year tich was a Yellowhammer spotted on a telegraph wire over a field of barley. Hirundines were plentiful.

We got to RSPB Bempton Cliffs  about 10:30 and we immediately enquired about the recent sightings of Black-browed Albatross. We were told that it had been seen earlier at the “Staple Newk” to the far right of the reserve along the cliff edge. It had not been reported recently so we were not too hopeful but we thought we would head there first just to see what was happening with it now. I opted to take my camera instead of my scope because I wanted to get some shots of Gannets.

We stopped briefly at the “New Roll-up” viewpoint where people were on the lookout for it. A friendly person did let us look through their scope at this small dot on the cliff but it was a bit far away so we decided to go on to the “Staple Newk”. When we got there, there was lots of talk about it having just gone out to sea so we were not sure how lucky we would be. As it turned out the bird suddenly seemed to be around the cliffs though I didn’t get on it until it was sitting on a small ledge all on its own just to the right and slightly above the sea arch. It was a long way away but I eventually got it in the bins and tried to get a photo of it just by pointing my camera in the general direction. It looked very like a Great black-backed Gull until it got its head up and then the brown and bill were obvious.

We stood under a blazing sky, unable to wear a hat because of the wind, waiting for some action. Suddenly the bird seemed to have gone but nobosy saw it leave the cliff. Then, a short while later but just as suddenly, the bird was above us and flying back down the cliff towards the other end of the reserve. Even though it was a back view it was a very inporessive bird with a massive wingspan. What seemed to be little more than a Black-headed Gull sized bird when perched on the cliff turned into a a huge bird with a wingspan of between 200 to 240 cm (79–94 in). Awesome!

Naturally everyone rushed back down the cliff but it seemed to have disappeared magically. How can such a large bird not stand out from the Gannets? Eventually we all returned to the “Staple Newk” and eventually we were rewarded when the bird started so soar and fly around the cliffs and the sea arch. It was easy to lose when so many Gannets were flying in all directions but by keeping an eye on the sea arch it always seemed to eventually return there where you could pick it up again. Eventually it flew off further down the cliffs but we all felt we had had good views of what was for us a life tick. This isn’t my video but I have attached it just to record the bird.

Although the Black-browed Albatross was the highlight of the visit, Bempton Cliffs never disappoints with respect it’s usual occupants. Every visit seems to have its very own character. On this day it was extremely hot and very sunny but there were strong gusts of wind when you turned some of the cliff corners and this wind seemed to get all the birds going, turning into mass of hovering, swaying, perhaps even playing, avian excitement.

There were lots of Gannets, of course; many of them on the cliff edges, younger birds in various stages of plumage. These and the Kittiwakes were year firsts but so also were the Puffins and it has to be said that I have never seen so many Puffins at Bempton ever! They were viewable from almost every viewpoint, especially towards the Buckton end at Jubilee Corner, Bartlett Nab etc. Here they were in good numbers just a few feet below giving unique views of Puffins from above hovering in the air. A good example of how every visit to Bempton is unique. Of course, there were Guillemots and Razorbills as well but we had seen these, admittedly in smaller numbers, already this year. There were also a few birds in the scrub, fields and bushes including year tick Tree Sparrow and Whitethroat.

As the afternoon wore on we decided to leave, somewhat sunburnt and frazzled, and headed off to our pub-hotel, The Lobster Pot at Bridlington. The best that can be said about this was that it was cheap (comparatively) and cheerful (sort of) and the rooms were in a different building to the pub so it was quiet. It was OK and served our purpose.

Bird Sightings : Travelling to Bempton Cliffs 15th July 2021 2021

Bird Sightings : Bempton Cliffs 15th July 2021 2021