Bempton birds – pecking and preening

It must be very frustrating to be a bird with an itch. Despite having extremely flexible necks and long-jointed feet and legs there are parts you just can’t scratch. Having fleas and lice sucking your blood doesn’t help, either.

How nice then to have a partner who will preen your neck for you.

The Puffin Whisperer and I are on a brief trip to Bempton Cliffs in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It’s an incredible seabird city. Just look at these regularly-spaced Gannets. They’re a tiny fraction of the 500,000 seabirds here.

Gannets - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A couple of Gannets, Morus bassanus, are busy head-shaking:

Gannets - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Then they get busy with preening the backs of one another’s heads. That’s good. Just where they can’t reach themselves.

Gannets - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Another pair are at it on the cliffs

Gannets - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

A returning Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla, calls and rubs the back of the neck of its partner:

Kittiwakes - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

There’s a couple of Guillemots, Uria aalge, with beautiful turquoise sea behind them:

Guillemots - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

They spend their lives at sea and only come to land to breed. Their courtship and pair bonding is great to see.

Guillemots - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Given how alien to us these winged dinosaurs are, they are very tender to one another, aren’t they?

Guillemots - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

More birds at Bempton Cliffs

Displaying Gannets - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) 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
Tree Sparrow at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) Tree Sparrows on the edge I've only ever seen Tree Sparrows before at Tree Sparrow Farm. That's a sign, isn't it? If the place is… read more
Guillemot at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) 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
Gannet at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) 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
Razorbill - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) 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
Gannet at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) 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
Puffin - Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) 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
Gannet fighting at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) 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
Puffin at Bempton - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the) 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

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