Visit to RSPB Bempton Cliffs

I paid a couple of visits to the RSPB Bempton Cliffs reserve last week with the primary aim to see and photograph Gannets. The first visit was late afternoon/early evening and the second one was in the evening. The visitor centre was either about to close or closed for both of these visits but a gate remains open down the side of the visitor centre for access to the cliffs.

This was my first visit to the reserve and on the first day I concentrated on the north half of the cliffs, but late in the day discovered a good group of Gannets high on the edge of the cliffs, just a few feet from the path. On the second visit I concentrated on this area where, with a bit of a breeze, Gannets were gliding past just a few feet away. I managed a reasonable selection of shots ranging from flight to behavioural.

Gannet with nest material

A pair billing as part of their pair bonding display.

Preening, keeping those flight feathers in tip top condition.

Preening on the nest.

Rows of Gannets on nests and a single chick on show.

Immature Gannet glides past

Adult Gannet glides past

An immature bird comes into land

Immature Gannet glides past

Gannets line up looking for a landing site

A squabble breaks out between neighbours

Gannet searching for a spot to land

 I found this pair and got a sequence of shots showing some lovely behaviour.

The second bird joined the first and they started billing as part of their pair bonding display.

Then they had a cuddle!

And finally they started sky pointing before one of the birds departed. 

I also found a Fulmar which was quickly joined by another. At first I thought they were arguing over that bit of the cliff but in the end it looked like they were a pair.

Fulmar on the cliff

An argument over cliff real estate.....

...or a pair greeting each other

As well as the iconic sea bird species it was pleasing to see so many Tree Sparrows around the reserve and I managed to grab a few shots of these lovely birds including one with a caterpillar, obviously feeding young.

Tree Sparrow

Tree Sparrow

This Meadow Pipit perched up on the flower heads in the meadow behind the visitor centre.

Meadow Pipit

Jackdaws were all over the place stalking the cliffs and car park for potential food. Anything from unguarded eggs and chicks to unguarded sandwiches!

Jackdaw stalking the cliffs

This little chap was a bit of a star performer during the first visit. Unfortunately I was a bit under gunned on the lens front so just a couple of record shots of this Grasshopper Warbler reeling in the meadow.

Grasshopper Warbler

Grasshopper Warbler

Box End Park WeBS: 18/05/2014

An early start for my WeBS count this morning to beat the tri-athletes who were arriving as I left at just after 6:30!

The Black Swan seems to have relocated to here from Bedford embankment and made it's way onto my WeBS list for this site for the first time. The Mute Swans that were nesting on the island now have 8 cygnets and, although I thought they had nested elsewhere, the Oycs were here with one youngster. I'm trying to find out how soon Oycs are able to fly as the youngster was in feather but with some down still evident. It's possible I missed the nest if it was in some of the thicker vegetation but I thought they were nesting over the road.

The Common Terns have increased in numbers with my best count of 17 this morning. Some are sitting with one sitting very tight and a couple of others a bit more flighty but returning to possible nests.

A Common Buzzard was also seen again this morning, I'm wondering if there are 2 pairs in the area based on recent sightings.

Good numbers of developed Mallard broods here, quite different to the experience at Priory CP where we have had excellent numbers of broods but very few seem to be making it past the early days of life.

Here's the WeBS list:

Black Swan 1  
Buzzard 1  
Canada Goose 4  
Common Tern 17 At least 3 possible nests with birds sitting.
Coot 8 Includes 2 on nests
Grey Heron 2  
Mallard 28 6 broods of 3,5,4,3,5 and 4 ducklings.
Mute Swan 6 1 with a brood of 8 cygnets and 1 still on a nest.
Oystercatcher 3 Family party including a single juvenile.
Pied/White Wagtail 5 Family party including 3 juveniles. Rarer species
Skylark 3   Rarer species
Total number of species: 11 Individuals: 78

Other birds of note:

Reed Bunting 1
Sedge Warbler 1
Whitethroat 2
Blackcap 6
Sand Martin 1
Reed Warbler 2
Garden Warbler 1
Chiffchaff 1
Treecreeper 1

No sign of Swallows from the nearby stables or House Martins from Great Denham, maybe they were still in bed!
 

Local patch update

It's been a while since I reported from my local patch along the Great Ouse at Kempston Mill and Biddenham Loop so here's a quick update. The Barn Owls are back in the Ash Tree again this year and I suspect they have chicks as JA saw 3 voles being taken back to the nest hole in a short period the other evening. 

Barn Owl

The "Bedford" Black Swan seems to have relocated to Box End Park and on recent visit to Biddenham Loop I grabbed this shot as it flew past with some Mute Swans.

Black Swan

No sign of any Otters recently which is very disappointing. I was hoping the resident female may have had cubs again this year but I haven't seen any sign of her let alone cubs.

At the weekend there was a Fox at Box End Park and another on the same side of the river a little further upstream.

There are plenty of Summer Migrants in now with Sedge Warblers in good numbers along the Back Channel along with a couple of Reed Warblers. A few Willow Warblers can be heard around Biddenham Loop CP and a Lesser Whitethroat can also be heard along the hedge line here. Common Whitethroats are also in good numbers now and we even had a Garden Warbler at BLCP which haven't been easy to find in recent years in this area. Chiffchaffs are in their regular haunts although quietening down now.

This morning the Sedge Warblers were showing particularly well along the Back Channel.

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warbler