They say a break is as good as a rest and I think I can testify to that after spending the half term holiday in Flamborough, on East Yorkshire’s coast. Why Yorkshire? I hear you say. Well, at this time of year the breeding season for seabirds is in full swing and I booked a week there in hope of seeing my holiest of grails; the puffin. You have to admit, they are seriously cute! Flamborough Head is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and home to a variety of birds, plants and other beasties that thrive on the exposed chalk headland. The cliffs are the highest in the north of England at 100ft and at this time of year there are kittiwakes, fulmars, razorbills and guillemots crowded onto every available ledge. The puffins prefer to nest a little higher up, making burrows in the earth above the chalky outcrops.
I was lucky enough to see puffins the very first evening. They are fascinating little birds, and quite elusive amongst the chaos of the breeding season. However, once I had spotted one it became easier to pick them out; their orange feet are something of a giveaway when they are in flight!
Just along the coast at the RSPB’s site at Bempton Cliffs there is one of UK’s major breeding sites for gannets. These huge birds (6ft wingspan, no less) were truly amazing to watch. As they came to the cliff tops to gather nesting materials, just a few feet from the path, the use of a telephoto lens was almost redundant.
My week in Yorkshire provided just the impetus I needed to motivate me to get out more with my camera. Although there is so much to photograph on anybody’s doorstep if you look carefully enough, changing places for a week works wonders!
