Glorious Bempton Cliffs

We have never visited Bempton so early in the season before so never expected the Gannets to land so close to the path to collect nest material - a shame my little Canon S95 could not handle the exposure but a fabulous sight non the less.

Gannets galore and a Sooty!

Well what a spectacle at the Humber Bridge today! I arrived around 9.30 full of hope with strong north easterlies howling up the Humber but after an initial scan thought hmm not a lot really infact not a bird in sight and then it began, slowly at first and then beyond belief.  In the middle of the river just out from the bridge view point suddenly appeared a flock of 11 Great Skuas quickly followed by 3 Gannets - this could be a good sign I thought and quickly scanned the river - 3 Goldeneye and a flock of around 100 Wigeon and then another group of Gannets all juveniles and 40 of them - I don't think I have seen a flock this big and then suddenly a continuous flow with the next flock comprising of 120 mostly juveniles but with some adults.  To cut a long story short from 9.30 until 3.00pm the whole of the Humber from the bridge to the mouth was a constant stream of Gannets and I would estimate between 700 and 1000 birds it was an incredible sight and then at around 2.00pm a single Sooty Shearwater appeared with two Manx Shearwaters and later a further 4 Manxies.  Only a handful of brave Gannets went over the bridge the rest would just circle a few minutes and then head back out an amazing sight, if only I had taken a camera!