Bempton birds – eggs and chicks galore
There are hundreds of thousands of seabirds here at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. I particularly love the Kittiwakes. They’re such delicate, elegant gulls, with beautiful, precise, yellow beaks and long wings. This one is sheltering a single egg.
The eggs are buff coloured and spotted, as if they need to be camouflaged. The chicks, however are white and fluffy and not camouflaged at all.
I love the expression on this one’s face:
This parent has twins:
There’s a Razorbill with an elongated egg. It’s spotted in a beautiful pattern too
The chicks keep well away from the edge of the sheer cliffs. I don’t:
There’s a little displaying going on by the adults, with wing flapping and heads pointing skywards:
There’s a Gannet on its enormous messy nest. I can’t tell whether it has an egg or a chick. It’s not about to stand up and let me see. If it does have an egg there’ll only be one and it’ll be very pale and plain, with no spots or patterns.
Another adult gives me a glimpse of a chick. It’s already massive but it’s wings are still tiny buds.
The Guillemots have been breeding too. It’s a shame I can’t find a Guillemot’s nest with an egg to photograph. Their eggs vary wildly from each other in colour and pattern. That probably helps the parents to recognise theirs.
Here’s the gorgeous chick, growing nicely:
There’s also a camouflaged chick we almost miss completely. Isn’t this one fabulous? I want you to appreciate that cuteness, that fluffiness, that tiny-beak and spotted head and its funny waddle.
Before I tell you that it’s a Herring Gull.
More birds at Bempton Cliffs
Bempton birds – Gannets displaying When two Gannets fall in love, they like to let each other know about it: I like the final one.… read more
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Bempton birds – when you know you’re being watched Many birds are perfect parcels of protein. There are plenty of predatory species which would treat them as a tasty… read more
Bempton birds – eyelids Blinking birds. Gannets are everywhere at Bempton Cliffs. I'm hoping to get a good look at their eyes. Gannets' eyes… read more
Bempton birds – coming in to land Landing makes flying seem easy: I love the way this Guillemot is dangling its feet, like two paddles, to provide… read more
Bempton birds – staring at the sky Gannets look astonishingly alien, don't they? They're not inhabitants of this world. When they display to one another they point… read more
Bempton birds – nesting materials A Kittiwake flies past with some grass in its beak. It looks like its nest needs reinforcements: They sometimes carry… read more
Bempton birds – violence and aggression It's not all mutual preening and sweetness and light at Bempton Cliffs. It's a difficult life, perched on a ledge… read more
Bempton birds – Gannets, Gannets, everywhere Try going to Bempton and getting a photograph without a Gannet in it. Try it. Go on. Here's a Puffin… read more