A Weekend of Firsts

This weekend we didn't do much but what we did was pretty fantastic! 

On Saturday evening thanks to my very kind cousin we were able to watch Badgers at play - first time ever seeing them (roadkill does not count!). It meant a wait with a slightly damp numb bum but it was definitely worth it! 

We were pretty much eye level with the sett and whilst we waited watched young Rabbits, a Swallow swooping around in front of us, Geese, Cormorants overhead, we heard Curlews and Lapwings. 

First spot was of the back of one of the badgers as it came out of one of the holes just behind a slight ridge, a second followed and they ran across, sat down, scratched and then dived on each other and tumbled about. 

It was quite a magical moment and we watched them a little while before leaving them to their fun. Talk about smiles on our faces!

On Sunday we were up early and off to Bempton holding our breath that the current star attraction was still around and thankfully it was! A Black-browed Albatross has been hanging around the cliffs since the end of June, the third year it's been seen here and this is the longest it's stayed. It's a fair way off it's usual habitat in the Southern Hemisphere. 

We headed for the spot it's been seen often - the New Roll-up viewpoint and it was far out on the sea at first. Then it started to fly around and eventually flew right over our heads! Unfortunately I forgot the golden camera rule of checking your settings and my iso was still set very high from the Badgers last night so the only shot I got was a somewhat over exposed photo of it flying away! 

No saving this shot!

We walked up to Staple Newk and watched Gannets, Fulmars, Kittiwake chicks and distant Puffins. We were lucky enough to see the Albatross flying around again back at New Roll-up too. It's quite something to see and I never thought i'd be able to say that i'd seen an Albatross!

Jackdaw

Young Kittiwake

Guillemots

Gannets with Chicks

Meadow Brown

It was quite windy and I couldn't resist the Gannets in flight!

Photobomb!

What a weekend!

Bempton

A couple of weekends ago the weather forecast was fine (for the most part) so we made a last minute decision to visit Bempton, of course we were up and out early. It was lovely and sunny when we got there. 

The Jackdaws looked particularly stunning in the sun, such beautiful birds. 

It was good to be out again and good to hear the noise of all the birds on the cliffs, you forget just how nosiy they are and it's a wonderful sound! 

Kittiwakes

Gannets

Herring Gull

Gannet

Guillemots

Gannet Squadron! 

Puffin

Gannets

Puffins

Razorbills

From one of the viewpoints we watched this Gannet gathering grass below us when another came in and stole it right from it's beak! It managed to gather more and make off without further harassment. 

Meadow Pipits (and Skylarks) were singing all over the cliffs

By the visitor centre Tree Sparrows were in full song and a Blue Tit watched from the roof as we stopped for some much needed tea to warm our hands!

Our luck is holding as we got back into the car just as it started to rain and noticed that the queue of traffic for parking spots was very very long! 

Rules are relaxing further next week, I believe hides will be allowed to open and one way systems in some places will be stopped, fingers crossed things keep moving forward and i'll be visiting some of my favourite reserves very soon. 

Bempton

Last Sunday morning we drove over to Bempton, luckily i'd checked the weather beforehand as we were leaving behind 18°+ temperatures in Leeds to barely 11, rolling fog and a cliff top wind! I felt for the people who hadn't, there were a lot of shivering folk in shorts through the morning!

So wrapped up we walked onto the cliffs surrounded by the sounds of Meadow Pipits, Whitethroat and the odd Skylark too. We saw several of these large caterpillars, i'm not sure what they are.

Right from the off we spotted Puffins on the cliffs, there were 6 huddled up and a few flying about. In fact we have never seen so many in a visit before, maybe because we came at little earlier this year?

The cliffs were full of birds and we saw Kittiwakes, Herring Gull, Razorbill, Guillemot and even managed to find a couple of Fulmar too.

Razorbills

 Guillemots

Kittiwake

Herring Gull

Fulmar!

Razorbill

Gannets

Fulmar

Kittiwake

At one part the Kittiwakes were constantly flying backwards and forwards over the path and into the fields to pick up mouthfuls of grass.

We saw an egg on the floor, a really big egg that we thought must have come from a Gannet because of the size but it turned out to be a Guillemot egg!

A few Swallows were flying about and a Kestral swooped up from the cliffs and flew right in front of us and over the tops. The fog rolled about the cliffs most of the morning but didn't really hinder any views.

Jackdaw 

Tree Sparrow

A quick look in the managers garden and we were on hour way home....to warm up a little in the sun!