Back in the UK, Black-browed Albatross

Last week I arrived in the UK for a family visit, our first after covid. Over the first week we did lots of stuff, on which I will elaborate later. Here I want to focus on our visit to Yorkshire. We stayed in Filey with our dear friends Mark and Amity. The reunion was emotional, but my brain wasn't completely there... It was in RSPB Bempton Cliffs. Half an hour after arrival on June 2nd I was already at Bempton Cliffs. Mark and I spent a few good hours there waiting for the albatross to show up, admiring the amazing reserve and its breeding seabirds, but one long-winged bird didn't show up. We had to leave empty-handed to join our family for tea. 

Back in Filey, as I was chopping up vegetables for tea, my phone rang - a mate who stayed on the cliff reported the albatross to be back (thanks mate!)... Classic. Mark and I looked at each other, then at our wives, then at the fading light outside. 15 minutes later we were back in Bempton Cliffs. I ran from the carpark to Staple Nook, only to discover the bird was not showing, apparently still there but concealed from view. Noooooo! I couldn't believe it, After a few long minutes of stressful wait eventually we spotted the albatross flying around with Gannets, showing off its long black wings and wonderful black brows. Yes! Sigh of relief. What a bird. The light was fading quickly so my photos weren't amazing, but I was over the moon with joy and excitement.

Get in pic.twitter.com/1xXEzj9Pyt

— Yoav Perlman (@yoavperlman) June 2, 2022

Next day we returned with the families - Bempton Cliffs really is a perfect reserve for the family to enjoy wildlife at its best. Of course, as soon as we arrived, the albatross was showing, first at some distance, circling over Staple Nook with gannets:

Then we joined the crowds at Staple Nook viewpoint and were treated to fantastic figures-of-eight flights below us. Light conditions were a bit better. Still room for improvement but I guess I shouldn't complain.

It was challenging to find photos of the albatross without other birds in the frame, demonstrating how huge the bird numbers are there. Check out how many birds are in this video by Mark:

A beautiful show from the Albatross at @Bempton_Cliffs this afternoon - it never gets old, especially when shared with friends. @yoavperlman

# pic.twitter.com/oJPEqWh24b

— Mark James Pearson (@Markthebirder) June 3, 2022

Kittiwake and Gannet

Kittiwake and two Gannets

Puffin

Razorbill

Of course, Bempton Cliffs offers so much more than the albatross. I have visited the reserve several times before, yet it keeps blowing my mind away, how powerful the wildlife experience it offers, and how well the reserve is set up for visitors, much to the credit of the fantastic staff and volunteers there. 

Fulmar are mega birds

Adult Gannets are so beautiful

To my eyes, younger birds are even more stunning with their checkered plumage

Puffins are the sweetest thing

I enjoyed the challenge of photographing flying auks - they fly so fast!

Razorbill

Tree Sparrows joined us for the celebratory ice cream back in the cafe

Yorkshire Coast half-term holiday

After the rather emotional previous blogpost, now it's time to wind down and tell you about the relaxed, wildlife-filled, rarity-void annual half-term trip to Yorkshire. As usual, we stayed with our extended family in Filey, Mark and Amity. Admittedly, weather was not great for a family holiday. Rain, fog and wind for much of the time. However, this is exactly what birders want in early June. Mark and I snuck out birding as often as we could (after repeating our mantra three times: 'F~%&ing Spurn'), but came up with close to zero reward. Birding was hard-going. We checked all the famous migrant spots, but there was nothing around. Sole local scarcity was a Wood Sandpiper (present for several days) at Carr Naze Pond.

View of Filey Brigg protruding into the North Sea from Blue Dolphin:

Early Purple Orchid

Luckily, I like Tree Sparrows. This one was taken at Filey Dams:

So rather than hardcore birding, we focused on recreational birding and wildlife stuff. One morning was spent rock-pooling with Mark at South Landing on Flamborough Head, which was brilliant as always. So much diversity, and this time I even brought my proper camera to document it:

Monster Shanny

Butterfish

Five-bearded Rockling

Beadlet Anemone

Common Grey Sea Slug and its eggs

Shore Crab with a belly-full of eggs

We visited the seabird colony at Flamborough's North Landing twice. First time in fog as thick as soup and high tide. Second visit was better. From a photography point of view it is very different and perhaps less ideal than Bempton Cliffs. However, the experience there is great - the birds are so close, flying on and off the cliff inches from my head. It is a very busy beach and the birds tolerate human activity. Brilliant stuff.

Razorbill - their eyes are so hard to see in photos!

Liked the water patterns here

Atlantic Puffin - still holding on here somehow, about 3000 pairs breeding in Bempton - Flamborough colony

This photo was taken in really murky conditions - heavily photoshopped

This excellent photo was taken by my son Uri, 10 years old:

I love Yorkshire, especially at this time of year. This was probably my last visit for a while, but I'll be back.

Scotland #3 - seabird extravaganza

Back home in Norwich already, but I have some more Scottish tales to tell. On July 31st we went out to sea with my mate Phil from Shetland Seabird Tours. We left Lerwick harbour and headed towards Noss NNR. Phil boat is great - small enough to get close to water level, but sits very well on the water. 

Noss is an impressive rock and has even more impressive gannet numbers - in fact 22,000 pairs breed there. The sea was somewhat choppier than normal but we all did well, especially Libby who fell asleep halfway through the trip...

The gannets there know their duty and showed up when they were invited by Phil. I was so unprofessional and forgot my small lens onshore. At these distances, my 500 was useless, so all these photos were taken with my phone. Phone photos should never be displayed on a computer screen, I know. But all in all they're not too bad I think, for phone photos at least.

Quite a few Bonxies joined the feast too:

As did the local Great Black-backed Gulls:

Most breeding gannets had Masked-Booby-like fluffy chicks still in the nest:

Lots of non-breeders too

Shags, made in 2017

On the way back we stopped for some seabirds away from the cliffs. We encountered some feeding concentrations of puffins and Arctic Terns. Closer views on Sumburgh Head but lovely to see them at sea:

Most Common Guillemots had already left - only few seen

Several Black Guillemots (Tysties) were loafing in the harbour - losing their summer plumage:

 Some more Arctic Terns in the harbour:

And a few Common Eider families: 

Back on land, one of the few Common Terns on Shetland was especially obliging just in the carpark:

Many thanks to Phil for the brilliant tour. Great fun and quality birding. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Shetland. Till next post...