The number one tip for a trip to Bempton Cliffs? Take some binoculars! Or at least a camera with a good zoom. However, if you don't have any there are plenty available to rent at the sites cafe and shop. If stopping constantly to spot puffins isn't your thing, the sites stunning Cliffs are still worth a look.
With six key seabird species at the reserve, some are admittedly easier to spot than others, and of course it is the main attraction, the Atlantic Puffins which are the hardest to find. Present on the reserve between March and October, currently the number of individuals appears pretty low. The puffins are easy to distinguish due to their bright orange beaks, the outer layer of which sheds in the winter, becoming a much duller colour. However, they are surprisingly small in size (weighing around the same as a can of coke) which makes it easy for them to tuck in to and hide in the Cliffs.
Luckily for us, despite the foggy weather, we managed to place our self at the right place, at the right time. On two of the six viewing points, we were able to see a few puffins hiding on the rocky edge. Along the walk between each viewing point (the furthest being around 20 minutes in each direction from the entrance), the fence is scattered with signs. These are predominantly placed for ‘The Puffin Trail’ aimed at young kids, but are full of interesting facts all the same.
Gannets, kitty wakes, guillemots and razorbills also pile onto the cliff ledges to lay their eggs. These are much easier to spot and frankly impossible to avoid noticing. With the UK's largest mainland Seabird colony residing here, the sounds, smells and sites are immense! One of my favourites of these is the Gannet, with there large size and vibrant head making them stand out. These birds have a massive wingspan of 165-180cm (which is taller than me!) and very aggressive territorial behaviour. However, due to the limitations of their breeding behaviours, nests can only survive on a few landscapes, such as cliffs, making them an amber species.
One disadvantage of only going in the spring/summer, as this was my first visit, is that the gain of Puffins means missing some of the terrestrial birds like the redwing, goldcrest, or in the late afternoon barn or short-eared owls. However, we will definitely be going back again soon!
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